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Automatic Cluster Removal (ACR)
The dairy cow of today, is being reared for optimum milk production, and in most cases this has resulted in the animal to losing some of its resistance to harsh conditions and disease.
It is important therefore that any milking machine has to be set up with critical vacuum levels and the milking operation must be carried out to consistent best practise routines, to get the best milk production and at the same time keep the animal in good health.
The animal finds the milking process a pleasurable experience if carried out well, but at the same time if it is uncomfortable, she will withhold milk , resulting in loss of milk production, as well as making her more susceptible to diseases of the teats and udder.
An Automatic Cluster Removal (ACR) system will allow the cluster to be connected to the cow udder, and continuously monitor milk flow, and at the right level of milk drop off it should remove the unit in a gentle manner. This will ensure that each animal is milked out correctly every time, and prevent under milking or over milking.
Labour saving benefit
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Cluster Manager ACR
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Another benefit of fitting automatic cluster removal is that once the operator connects the cluster to the udder, the operator can walk away attending to the rest of the herd and the ACR will take care of the milking, this can save considerable on milking time, and reduce the number of operators needed compared with manual removal.
Early cluster removal
The important point is to remove the unit at the right time, if it is removed too early, this will leave milk in the udder, a loss of milk production for that day, but also if this happens regularly, the animal will learn to stop producing so much milk, and the potential milk yield will be reduced, further, if there is still milk in the udder, the teat canal will not close off tightly, leaving it partially open is an invitation to disease.
Late cluster removal
It is equally important not to milk the animal for longer than necessary, as the pulsating action of the liners on the teat causes the tissues of the teat to be compressed and released many times per minute, and if there is no milk flow, this can damage the teats, again reducing the milk production capabilities, and in severe cases can lead to mastitis, loss of milk, and expensive veterinary bills.
The Milk Letdown cycle (See Fig 1)
The Initial let down
When the animal is ready to be milked, the udder is already full with milk, and sometimes it can be so full that milk is released onto the floor from the teats, When the cluster is connected to the udder , milk starts to flow, releasing the stored milk in the udder, once the udder is empty, milk flow is reduced or ceases, usually between 15 to 60 seconds. The ACR unit must be set not to remove the cluster at this point of no or low milk flow.
The main letdown
After the initial letdown, the animal starts to release more milk from the milk glands, and milk flow increases to a peak, as shown in the diagram, and then gradually reduce,
The final letdown
The final stage of milk letdown can be somewhat erratic, as the front teats will be empty before the rear, and not all teats have the same flow rate, at this point the milk detection system of the ACR unit has to be accurate, and the Control unit be set up correctly to remove the cluster at the correct time
Greenoak has developed over the years a range of SureLine ACR?s that are easy to operate and with enough flexibility to be set up to suit all parlours. These offer a low cost solution with proven reliability, resulting in many thousands fitted and operating successfully in many countries, whether fitted to Sureline Parlours or on other manufacturers parlours.
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Milking cows
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