What’s new in milking

What’s new in milking: Systems, Components, Testing and Settings

2010 - 2016

Ralph GinsbergNantes 2016

05/03/2023Whats new in milking2

The use of vacuum, operated by a hand pump for the collection of milk was first

introduced in Britain in 1851.

Tubes were inserted into the teats, forcing the sphincter muscle to open and allowing

milk to flow out of the mammary gland.

History of Machine Milking


The first milking machines using a pulsating liner were developed at the

end of the 19th century.

Over the years many details of the milking machine have been improved

but the basic concept, of a teat cup equipped with a liner has been unchanged

for more than a hundred years.

History of Machine Milking


Commercial manufacturing of milking machines using a pulsating liner began

in 1918 with Delaval introducing the Delaval Bucket Milking Machine and in 1923 Babson Bros. introducing the first

Surge milker.


Due to the scarcity of labor caused by World War II, from 1940 until 1970, milking machines were installed in

industrialized countries worldwide, as fast as they could be made.


Milking relatively large herds with portable bucket-type machines was a tedious job and

very soon the first milking parlors with elevated platforms and recorder jars were constructed.

In the 1980’s, low-line systems with milk meters started replacing recorder jars


In the early 1990's Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) were first introduced by Lely and soon

followed by other companies


This technology was developed primarily for the traditional European market which has relatively small herds of up to 60 cows .

Due to the number of cows that can be milked by each AMS unit in a 24-hour period and the price per unit, single boxes are best suited to herds of less than 300-400 cows.


What’s new in Automatic Milking Systems (AMS)


In 2011 De Laval introduced the first 24 point internal robotic rotary parlor, with five

robots and a capacity of 90 cow/hour.

As in the voluntary milking system, teats are prepared in a teat-cup (washed, stimulated and dried) by the first two

robots, the next two robots attach the teat-cups. Afterwards the cow continues to the exit position where the last robot sprays

her before she is released.


2016: There are now 13 Robotic rotary parlors in Europe and Australia.

Herd sizes range from 300 to 850 cows


In 2014 GEA introduced the first 40 point external robotic rotary parlor in Germany

with a capacity of, more than 200 cow/hour.

Each stall has its own robotic arm where teat prep (pre-dipping, fore-stripping, stimulation) milk harvesting and post-

dipping are done inside each teat cup.


In 2015 a 72-stall parlor started working in Wisconsin and two weeks ago a 36-stall parlor,

the first in the UK, started working.


Despite the fact that robotic rotary parlors require a higher investment than conventional milking systems, they need only one person in the parlor to monitor cow flow and milk-

out, less than the three to five milkers in most rotaries currently in use.


What’s new in Milking System Components


A fully integrated milk diversion line can be used to separate either an individual cow’s abnormal milk, or to control bulk

tank milk protein and fat levels, by redirecting the designated milk into a

separate milk line with an independent milk receiver, without any need for pipe

disconnection or other attachments.

Milk Isolation System

.


Milk can be pumped to a different holding tank or bulk milk silo, either by pre-

programming cows identification, at the touch of a button during milking, or by on-line optical analysis of the components.

Milk Isolation System


Teat Disinfection


Automatic spraying with end of alley sprayers, rotary exit sprayers or cow deck

spraying systems tend to require additional teat dip consumption to assure that a majority of the teat surface and all

teats are covered.

Some of the dip winds up on the teats but will also cover the hocks, udder,

environment and often a single direction spray pattern can miss some of the teat

surface.


A number of the companies have developed a milking unit that can automatically apply post‑dip, through the head of the liner at the end of milking when the vacuum is shut off, thereby ensuring better teat coverage.

The cluster is back flushed after detachment to remove teat dip residues.

Post Dipping and Back Flushing


What’s new in Milking Machine Testing


ISO 3918 (2007) defines four types of milking machine tests:

Dry test - test made on a milking machine without any liquid. Wet test - test made on a milking machine with simulated milking. Milking time test - test made on a milking machine during milking of live animals. Cleaning time test - test made on a milking machine during cleaning


Milking-Time Testing

In order to facilitate easier analysis and better understanding of what is

happening during the milking process; (milking time test) the IDF Milking

Equipment and Methods action team initiated the development of a quarter

milking analysis device that is small and light enough to be taped to a teat-cup

during milking.


Milking-Time Testing

This device has made the performing of milking time testing like: teat end vacuum levels, vacuum fluctuations, liner slips, pulsation settings or take-off settings much easier and more feasibleto perform.


The revised 2012 NMC publication; “Procedures for Evaluating Vacuum

Levels and Air Flow in Milking Systems” recommends first performing milking

time testing, and states that “dry” (static) testing should be used to identify why a system does not meet the milking time

testing guidelines ."


Pulsation and Liner Compression Tests


The teat cup liner is the only component of the milking machine that is in direct contact

with the cows' teat during milking.

The results of many comparative experiments indicate that liner design and composition usually has a greater effect on

milking characteristics than any other machine factor.


PulsationISO defines pulsation as the cyclic opening and closing of the barrel of a teat cup liner.


After more than a century of trial and error, most pulsators are now set within a relatively narrow range, mainly because

milking speed is optimized when the duration of the B-phase is

between 500-600 milliseconds.


The primary purpose of pulsation is to limit the development of congestion and edema in the teat tissues during

machine milking by providing massage to the lower part of the teat

during the D phase.


Probably as it is a derivative of the other pulsation phases the d-phase has been

sparsely researched.

In spite of this, it has been shown that pulsation settings that allow the pulsation

chamber to return to full atmospheric pressure for at least 150 milliseconds,

helps to overcome teat congestion induced by the milking vacuum. (poster)


Research today is focusing on the point where walls of the liner barrel first

touches and is subsequently detached from the teat, the ‘Touch Point’.

This has led to new terminology when describing the proportion of time - within each pulsation cycle - that milk flow is stopped by compressive force exerted

by the liner.

Whats new in milking33

The mean compressive pressure (force) applied to the inner tissues of the teat apex

by the liner during the d-phase of pulsation, in order to relieve congestion and edema that develops during the b (milk) phase

Liner Compression

05/03/2023 (Mein and Reinemann , 2009)


The mean compressive pressure, above that required to stop milk flowing from the teat, which is applied to the inner tissues of the teat

apex by the liner during the d-phase. Thus, overpressure is a component of liner

compression.

Liner Overpressure


Another method to estimate the relative Liner Compression of round liners.

This value is obtained by subtracting the vacuum required to collapse the liner

(i.e., the liner ‘Touch Point’) from the average claw vacuum.

(Mein and Reinemann , 2009)

Residual vacuum available for massage (RVM)

Relationships between Liner Vacuum (LV), Touch Point, Residual Vacuum

available for Massage (RVM), Liner Compression and Over-Pressure

(Mein and Reinemann , 2009)


Despite the fact that liner compression has a marked influence on milking

speed, teat congestion and hyperkeratosis; neither liner

compression nor the related concept of overpressure are understood clearly in

all types of liners.


The reason why only overpressure and not liner compression is measured

routinely by the majority of people who are involved in the testing of milking systems,

is due to the lack of a simple testing device for liner compression testing,

contrary to the relative easiness of overpressure testing.


Recommendations for minimum and optimum

take-off settings


The historic background for "over- milking“ was mainly based on the assumption that all milk should be removed from the udder

in order to maximise the milk yield.

The use of automatic cluster removers has led to a significant reduction in multiple attachments, over-milking, a reduction in machine on time and

improvement in udder health.


Over-milking starts when the milk flow to the teat cistern is less than

the flow out of the teat canal. (Rasmussen 2004)

In the vast majority of cows the front quarters produce less milk than the back quarters, therefore the front quarters milk out before

the back quarters.


Despite the fact that front quarters produce less milk than the back quarters,

and are "over- milked“, there are large differences on the minimum take off setting recommendations in different

countries as well as those of the milking equipment suppliers


Field experience in the last 20 years demonstrates that adjustment of the factory default settings on automatic cluster removers, regardless of the

number of milkings or daily yield, can significantly improve teat condition and parlor throughput, while maintaining the quality and volume of milk harvested.


The IDF milking equipment and methods action team are now working on a

bulletin to propose recommendations for minimum and optimum take-off settings for conventional cow milking, automatic milking systems with individual teat take

off's and for small ruminants.

Thank you for your attention

Now you know how I feel with bad milking machine

parameters

05/03/202345 Whats new in milking

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What’s new in milking