Assessment of the milking machine parameters using a computer driven test system

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is the development and evaluation of a computer driven system for the assessment of the mechanical milking machines. The tests were performed with the WestfaliaSurge Classic Pro liner and the WestfaliaSurge Classic liner, at pulsation rates of 50, 55 and 60 cycles/min and pulsation ratios of 60/40 and 50/50, at a vacuum level of 40 kPa (61.3 kPa absolute pressure). The recorded data was used to evaluate the durations of the pulsation phases, the teat-liner contact pressure, the pressure difference at which the liners starts to close and the time the liner is open and respectively closed. The experimental results confirmed the functionality of the system; differences were recorded between the theoretical (set) pulsation rates and the real ones (which are lower); for most of the regimes (10 of the 12 tested), the relative differences did not exceed 5%. As far as the pulsation ratio was concerned, the relative differences between the values prescribed by the computer software and the recorded ones were lower than 3% for 10 of the 12 variants. The results concerning the other pulsation characteristics were in accordance with the results reported by other authors, with the lowest contact pressures being recorded for the ClassicPro liner.