Lock SmartCalving at EuroTier

Ertingen, Germany, October 21, 2026 – Calving is one of the most critical moments in a dairy cow’s life – and one of the most labor-intensive for the farmer. With SmartCalving, Lock SmartSolutions presents a solution at EuroTier 2026 that protects the calving area automatically: the SBE app links the calving alert from sensor specialist smaXtec with the automatic control of fans, gates, and curtains in the barn. This keeps the calving area protected from drafts and cold at exactly the right moment – without a single nighttime trip to the barn.

Double award

This achievement earned twofold recognition at EuroTier 2026: the DLG honored Lock SmartCalving with the EuroTier Innovation Award in Gold. In addition, the solution received the Animal Welfare Award, which the DLG presents together with the bpt (German Federal Association of Practising Veterinarians) and which requires an especially high animal welfare standard. Fittingly for the show’s guiding theme “Intelligence in animal farming,” Lock SmartCalving impressed with its interplay of precise sensor technology and automatic response in the barn.

Quote from the Jury

“The innovative character lies in the combination of two previously extensively separate worlds: precise animal health monitoring and intelligent building or technology control. A pure warning signal is transformed into an automated action for the first time. This means that the sensor system does not merely become a source of information, but also the initiator of an entire digital process. SmartCalving therefore shows how networked isolated solutions can be transformed into a genuinely intelligent, autonomously operating barn.”

Why the right moment matters

Difficult births affect around 30% of first-calf heifers and around 12% of cows from the second calving onward. There is also an often underestimated risk for the newborn: drafts and low temperatures endanger the calf’s body temperature immediately after birth. Until now, farmers have monitored the calving pen manually, switching off fans and closing gates and curtains by hand – even at night. That costs working time and sleep.

Precise detection by smaXtec

In veterinary herd management, smaXtec’s intraruminal bolus sensors are already well established. Many veterinarians use the technology in their daily practice and actively recommend it. The sensors measure the cow’s core body temperature continuously with an accuracy of 0.01 °C. The characteristic drop in body temperature before birth is a scientifically recognized indicator of imminent calving. According to a validation study by the University of Göttingen, the AI-based calving alert achieves a sensitivity and accuracy of 92% each. The notification is typically sent 10 to 15 hours before birth.

Charlie Sheppy, CEO smaXtec:

“Our goal is to develop intelligent solutions that deliver real benefits to farmers in their daily operations. SmartCalving demonstrates the practical value of bringing together the expertise of smaXtec and Lock. By combining early calving detection with automated barn climate control, we help farmers reduce manual work, create better conditions for cows and newborn calves, and gain greater peace of mind during one of the most critical moments on the farm”

Automatic protection by Lock SmartSolutions

This is precisely the lead time that Lock SmartCalving uses. The SmartCalving module in the SBE app receives the smaXtec alert via a standardized interface and starts a farm-specific delay time. Once it elapses, Lock SmartCalving switches off the fans and – depending on wind direction and outside temperature – automatically closes the configured gates and curtains in the calving area. The cow calves protected and draft-free, and the calf is shielded from hypothermia from the very first minute. As soon as the farmer confirms the birth in the app, the gates and curtains return seamlessly to automatic climate operation.

Because no two farms are alike, the delay time can be calibrated individually – in practice, 10 to 14 hours has proven effective. The initial setup is handled by the Lock service team together with the farmer.

Tobias Jäggle, Head of Sales at Lock SmartSolutions:

 “With Lock SmartCalving, we bring together two worlds that previously ran separately – smaXtec’s precise animal health monitoring and our barn climate control. For the farmer, that means better animal welfare and calmer nights, without a single extra task. That is exactly our goal: to make modern animal farming considerably easier. The fact that the DLG recognizes Lock SmartCalving with two awards – Gold and the Animal Welfare Award – confirms that we are on exactly the right track.”

An example from practice

At 10:30 p.m., the bolus of cow no. 218 reports a temperature drop; the farmer receives a push notification. The system starts the configured delay of 10 hours. At 8:30 a.m., the gate and curtain close automatically because the wind direction is unfavorable for the calving area. At 10:20 a.m., no. 218 calves protected and draft-free – the calf stays warm. After confirmation in the app, the gates and curtains return to automatic operation.

Martin Kleiner, dairy farmer:

 “With Lock SmartCalving, I have the advantage that when a calving signal comes in – especially in the evening – I no longer have to make a special trip up to the barn. Both systems work together fully automatically, which saves me a lot of extra work while keeping the calf safely protected.”

Part of a growing ecosystem

Lock SmartCalving is a new capability of the proven SBE app – the heart of climate control for many animal species, which was already awarded the Silver Medal at EuroTier in 2022. After Silver in 2022, the Gold award for Lock SmartCalving in 2026 is the next milestone. Through open interfaces, the SBE app grows with the farm.

Lock Drives: proven drive technology for barn construction

Lock takes the stage at EuroTier with two strong business units: alongside Lock SmartSolutions, Lock Drives presents its drive solutions for barn construction – aimed at barn builders, planners, and project managers who rely on dependable technology for natural barn ventilation. For decades, professionals have trusted Lock’s EWA electric drives and VariVent^® roller ventilation systems, which move ventilation flaps and curtains precisely, quietly, and with minimal maintenance.

At the center is the complete EWA 5 series combined with the LSC 40 mechatronic control unit. It sets the end positions without power and in just two clicks – with an integrated safety switch and memory of the last position, so overrunning the end positions is a thing of the past. Proven in the field since 2019, the LSC 40 is now used across the entire EWA 5 series and makes commissioning noticeably easier and faster. 

The range is rounded out by the new digital Product Finder at agrishop.lockdrives.com: a planning tool that quickly identifies the right drive solution, filtered by application and always up to date. This closes the loop at the booth to the award-winning world of Lock SmartSolutions – from dependable drive technology to the connected farm, customers get everything from a single source. Proven technology that stays simple: Easy does it. 

Visit Lock at EuroTier 2026: Hall 12, Booth D58, November 10–13, 2026.