Fabrication of Low-Cost Pedal Milking Machine

Fabrication of Pedal Operated Milking Machine
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Milking is most critical work in dairy farming. When done manually, milking a cow,
which yields 15 Liter milk, is very tiresome. People who milk 2 or more cows in a day
may suffer stiff shoulder and weakness. Milking machines make milking easier. There are
different models and various makes of milking machines available in the market. Some
milking machines can support 10 to 15 milking clusters simultaneously. Small formers
having less than 6 cows cannot afford to buy and use these machines. So we are
developing a simple, easy to use, low cost, manually operated machine for milking dairy
cows. The machine consists of a powering unit and teat cluster assembly. A pedal
arrangement enables the user to easily operate the machine. The vacuum generated by
pedaling draws milk from the teat and massages the teat by squeezing the rubber liner.
The project is about cheapest pedal operated milking machines for small dairy farmers,
and for power starving territories. Dairy mate pedal operated milking machine can be
operated by anyone, it also can be easily operated by elderly people, and Dairy mate hand
operated milking machine can be transferred easily from one place to another place
because of compact design, lightweight and its simplicity.
The basic concepts of milking cows quickly, cleanly and gently have, indeed, remained
unchanged. There has been a steady advance, however, in our understanding of the
milking process from the perspective of the cow and the machine. Many of these
advances have occurred because the challenges of performing successful milking have
increased as milk production and milking frequencies have steadily increased over the
past 100 years. These challenges have been the mother of invention and the advance of
science and practice has resulted in milking machines and milking procedures that can
successfully milk cows with a wider range of teat size and producing over 10 times more
milk than when teatcup and liners were first introduced. As a matter of necessity,
advances in milking technology and milking procedures have also resulted in
considerably faster milk removal that is at the same time gentler on the cow. The milking
machine plays an important role on the dairy farm as an efficient means of milking cows
however, it must be remembered that this machine is one of the few devices which has
direct contact with living animal tissue. A milking operation which results in discomfort
to the cow and is caused by faulty milking equipment or techniques may lead to injury or
mastitis. Consequently, before a person attempts to milk cows he/she should thoroughly
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 1
understand the basic operation of the milking equipment and fully realize the significance
of maintaining the equipment in good condition at all times and of employing good
milking techniques. This fact sheet describes the basic operations involved to help give a
better understanding of milking machines.
The principles of machine milking were established many years ago and the basic method
described below, is used in virtually all commercial milking machines although in a
minority some modifications are made. The teat cup liner is the only equipment that
comes into contact with the cows teats. The continuous vacuum within the liner causes
the teat duct (streak canal) to open and the milk to flow because of the pressure difference
between the milk in the teat and vacuum. To prevent damage or pain to the teat that would
be caused by the continuous vacuum a system called pulsation is used. This makes the
liners collapse on and below the teats about once each second massaging the teat and
maintaining a more normal blood flow. In each pulsation cycle milk does not flow from
the teat when the collapsed liner squeezes the teat duct.
Providing the cows ‘let down’ (ejection) has occurred the flow rate from the teat depends
largely on the bore of the teat duct which is an inherent factor and not subject to
management practices or training. Flow rates are also influenced by the mechanical
properties of the milking machine. After the teat cups have been attached the flow rate
reaches a maximum in about one minute, usually within the range of 2–5kg/minute and
the total milk flow period will range from 2 to about 8 minutes depending upon milk
yield. Flow rates decline at the end of milking and when flow ceases there is usually a
small amount of milk trapped in the sinus of the udder which can be removed by pulling
onwards on the claw piece and massaging the udder (i.e., machine stripping). With
modern designs of liner the quantity of stripings is small (i.e., less than 0.3kg) and
machine stripping is not usually practiced. The small amounts of milk that are left do not
affect milk yield or the average chemical composition of the milk obtained or mastitis.
For a continuous trouble free operation with high quality milk regular maintenance and
exchange of wear and tear parts is necessary.
1.1 Problem Description

Safe milking of cow/buffaloes is a requirement across rural India. In rural India
availability of skilled labor for milking is also a problem now days. Adding to this is the
fact that milking by hand is not considered healthy or hygienic anymore. Power operated
milking machines are available in the market which are very expensive, suitable and

affordable only for large cattle farms. Finding skilled labor for milking a small herd of
cows is a problem often faced by a part time farmer. But milking using a machine is a
luxury which only a large farm or dairy house can boast of, calling for a huge investment
in power supply and machinery. Considering all these facts we are thinking very hard
about developing an alternate means of mechanized milking which would be affordable to
all farmers. An effective and efficient milking process is as follows:
 Provide a clean, low stress housing environment for cows
 Maintain a consistent operating routine for bringing cows to the milking parlor and
during the milking process.
 Check foremilk and udder for mastitis
 Apply an effective pre-milking sanitizer to teats
 Remove debris and dry teats completely with an individual towel
 Attach milking unit from 1 to 4 min after the start of stimulation
 Adjust units as necessary for proper alignment
 Shut off vacuum when milk flow rate has dropped to a minimal level and remove
milking units.
 Apply a post-milking germicide to teats
Some of these procedures may be automated or manually done. None should be
eliminated if mastitis prevention and quality milk production are the goals. Pre-milking
procedures should be performed in the same manner and order of operation for every
milking. The order in which cows are milked can have an impact on controlling the
spread of mastitis. By milking mastitis free lactation cows first, and later lactation cows
with low somatic cell counts second, cows with high somatic cell counts third, and cows
with clinical mastitis last, so the chance of spreading mastitis organisms from cow to cow
is reduced. The milking parlor should be designed so that the various steps in the milking
routine can be performed efficiently and easily, providing cow handling and positioning
facilities and convenient locations for the equipment used for cow preparation.
1.2 The Microbiological Safety of Raw Milk
1.2.1 Environmental Sources of Contamination Personnel

It is unlikely that personnel contribute significantly as a source of microbial
contamination of milk during machine milking, although workers suffering from certain
Zoonosis (a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals) such as Q fever,
may pose a potential risk.
1.2.2 Aerial Contamination

Air is thought to be an insignificant contributor to microbial contamination of raw milk. It
has been calculated that airborne bacteria account for <5cfu/ml of the bacterial load of
milk; of these Bacillus spores would constitute <1cfu/ml. However, a recent study by
suggests that milking parlor air is a major source of Salmonella on the dairy farm.
1.2.3 Water
Water used in the production of milk should be of potable quality. Storage tanks should be
protected to prevent access by insects, rodents, birds and other sources of contamination
and equipment used to deliver water should be properly cleaned. Problems may arise
when untreated water supplies are used to rinse and wash equipment. Such water may
contain a diverse array of microorganisms including Pseudomonas spp., coliforms,
Bacillus spp. and numerous other types of bacteria. According to the recent survey the
potential for contamination of milk with E. coli through wash water.

Chapter 2
BACKGROUND STUDY
Gadekar S.V. et.al., [2017], they designed and fabricated a “Bicycle operated milking
machine”. The principle of cycle operated machine milking is to extract milk from the
cow by vacuum. The machines are designed to apply a constant vacuum to the end of the
teat to suck the milk out and convey it to a suitable container, and to give a periodic
squeeze applied externally to the whole of the teat to maintain blood circulation. When
operator start cycling the manual force is get applied on the pedal so that the driving
sprocket is start rotating. This power is transmitted to the driven sprocket by means of
chain drive system. The shaft is connected to the driven sprocket starts rotating; the disc
also rotates which is attached at the end of shaft. This rotary motion of disc is converted
into reciprocating motion of the vacuum pump through linkages. This reciprocating
motion of vacuum pumps sucks the air present in the storage tank and release into the
atmosphere and creates vacuum in the storage tank. Generally the vacuum pressure of 400
mmHg is required and when it obtained the teat cup and cluster assembly is attached to
the cow teat. After proper attach of assembly open the cock and due to the negative
pressure difference in cows udder and storage tank the milk is extracted and store into
storage tank.
Elizabeth A. Berry et.al., [2016], in the book “Milking Machine Test Survey of British
Installations: An Update”, the authors described about a review of milking machine test
on 640 dairy farms in England and Wales between 2012 and 2014 has been carried out
and suggests more machines now comply with installation and operation standards than
10 years ago. However, approximately 60% of systems tested failed to meet the milking
machine requirements of the farm assurance standards in the UK, with most failing to
reach operational requirements on one aspect. The most common problem (47%) was the
systems had excessive vacuum line losses, with other vacuum/airline losses also common.
Many machines failed on more than one aspect.
Pavan Rakshe et.al., [2016], they designed “Bicycle Operated Milking Machine” and
conducted a study about modern milking machines. Modern milking machines extract
milk from the dairy cow by applying a vacuum to the teat creating a pressure difference
that results in milk flowing from the teat. Vacuum is applied by placing the teat into a cup
in which the interior of the cup is subjected to a vacuum. The vacuum must be
periodically reduced or removed to provide the teat with a rest period. The rest period is

required because the vacuum causes the fluids (blood and other fluids) to accumulate in
the teat causing congestion.
Modern conventional milking machines attempt to provide this rest period by periodically
applying a higher pressure (atmospheric) to the exterior of the cup causing the cup to
collapse toward the teat. The typical conventional milking machine will thereby reduce
the vacuum level on the teat. The periodic liner action created by the pulsing of higher
pressure on the exterior of the liner is provided by a pulsator.
Douglas J. Reinemann [2013], in his book “Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food
Machinery Engineering (Second Edition)” in Chapter 8 – Milking Machines and Milking
Parlors he described about the necessity of the milking machine. A well-designed milking
machine will harvest milk quickly and gently, make efficient use of labor, maintain
animal udder health, and will be easy to clean and sanitize. This chapter provides an
overview of milking machine components, their function and design criteria to meet these
goals. Milking machines have specific requirements regarding slope of pipelines and
physical relationships between animals and machines. Other physical relationships, while
although not absolutely required, will greatly improve the performance of the milking
system. Further detail is provided in this chapter on the design of milking parlors and the
specific requirements for the different areas of a milking parlor regarding sanitary
construction methods and accommodation of the milking machine.
Jandool Khan [2008], he conducted an experiment on “Performance Evaluation of an

Imported Mobile Bucket Milking Machine for Water Buffaloes”. An imported mobile
bucket milking machine was used for milking water buffaloes. The experiment was
conducted at Livestock Research Station (LRS), National Agricultural Research Centre,
and Islamabad. A herd of 12 animals (water buffaloes) were milked for more than one
year. Machine milking of buffaloes was the first experience of its kind in Pakistan. The
results were encouraging. Type and length of stimulation phase, size of teat cup liner,
suited vacuum level, weight of milking cluster, milk capacity of claw piece, way of
attachment of cluster and milking with single and double clusters were included as
variables. The best suited size of teat cup liner for the milked animals was 25mm in
diameter among the liners used. The 2.1kg cluster which was having light teat cup shells
and stainless steel claw piece proved to be superior for the smooth and sponge like teats.
The vacuum level 46-48kPa and 44-46kPa gave maximum milk yield (0.807 and 1.086
liters per minute) for single and double clusters, respectively. By maintaining the
minimum vacuum pressure maximum yield can be obtained.
George B. Cramp [1990], a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Duquesne, in
the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, has made certain new and useful
Electric Vacuum Milking-Machines. An object of his invention is to provide a device
which is to a certain extent automatic in its operation and which will therefore, not require
so much effort: the service of the attendant as in other devices which do not. Have this
automatic feature.

Chapter 3
OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Objectives
The goal for any dairy farm should be to deliver a high quality product that has consumer
appeal. The proposed system plays a vital role in dairy fields especially the farmers who
have more than 2 or 3 cows. Also it was made of durable, economical and affordable for
the small dairy farmers. The operating, adjusting and maintaining principle were made
simple for effective handling by unskilled operators.
The basic objective of the Pedal operated milking machines are:
 To ensure complete milking and safe health of the cow
 To reduce the human effort
 To prevent damage to teats, teat ends, udder
 To provide comfortable milking facility
 To avoid contamination from air
3.2 Methodology
Conceptualization
Selection and Finalizing the Mechanism

and Materials

3D Modeling
Fabrication
Assembling
Execution
Fig. 3.1 Methodology

Chapter 4
WORKING AND OPERATION

4.1 Working
The milking process consists milk phase and massage phase. As the pulsator operates, it
causes alternative closing and opening between the shell and the liner to alternate
regularly from vacuum to air source. Keep in mind that the inside of the teat-cup liner is
under a milking vacuum at all times. The milking process include two phases,
4.1.1 Massaging Phase
Fig. 4.1 Massaging Phase
Fig. 4.2 Teat Giving a Massaging Action

In this phase air is admitted between the shell and liner, the liner collapses around the
cow's teat. The pressure of the collapse liner is applied to the teat giving a massaging
action. This is called massage phase. Milk does not flow from the teat during this phase.
4.1.2 Milking Phase
Fig. 4.3 Milking Phase
Fig. 4.4 Milk Flow from Teat

In the milk phase, the space between the liner and the shell is exposed to the vacuum by
way of the distributor plate. The fact that there is now equal pressure on both sides of the
liner causes it to open. The end of the cow's teat exposed to the vacuum and the influence
of internal milk pressure within the cow's udder causes the milk to be drawn out through
the teat opening because the pressure is lower outside the teat end.
4.1.3 Action of the Milking Machine in each Pulsation Cycle
Pulsator connects pulsation chamber to vacuum, liner opens and milk flows.
Fig. 4.5 Liners Opens and Milk Flows
The teat cup liner is the only equipment that comes into contact with the cows teats. The
continuous vacuum within the liner causes the teat duct (streak canal) to open and the
milk to flow because of the pressure difference between the milk in the teat and vacuum.
To prevent damage or pain to the teat that would be caused by the continuous vacuum a
system called pulsation is used. This makes the liners collapse on and below the teats
about once each second massaging the teat and maintaining a more normal blood flow. In
each pulsation cycle milk does not flow from the teat when the collapsed liner squeezes
the teat duct. Pulsator connects the pulsation chamber to atmosphere, liner collapses,
squeezes the teat duct and prevents milk flow.
4.2 Vacuum Fluctuations

The fluctuations in vacuum in the teat cup liner have important effects on mastitis and
milk flow.
There are two types;
1. Irregular fluctuations
These occur when the teat cup liners slip or fall from the teats or air enters when milking
units are changed carelessly. Vacuum recovery is slow if there is inadequate vacuum
pump capacity.
2. Cyclic (regular) fluctuations
The cyclic movements of the liner in each pulsation cycle increase and decrease the
volume of the liner under the teat. When milk is flowing this can cause marked changes in
vacuum below the teat. This can be reduced by
 Using wide bore short milk tubes (>8mm)
 Ensuring claw or short milk tube air bleeds are not blocked
Fig. 4.6 Vacuum versus Pulsation Cycle while no Milk Flowing
The main milking machine factor affecting milk flow rate is the liner vacuum. Raising
vacuum levels gives faster milking but also increases strip yields and in practice a
compromise level of about half atmospheric pressure is used (i.e., 30–40kPa, 225-300
mmHg). The pulsation characteristics also affect flow. An increased pulsation frequency
(rate) gives faster milking but because this greatly increases the air admission in the
machine and therefore the required pump capacity it is usual to keep pulsation rates at
50–60 cycles of liner opening and closing per minute. Because milk flow ceases in each
pulsation cycle when the liner is collapsed on the teat, faster flow rates are obtained by
using a wider pulsation ratio (i.e., ratio of liner open time to liner collapsed time). For
udder health reasons the ratios are usually not greater than 70:30. The design of the liner
can also affect the flow rate but modern liners tend to have similar flow properties.
Narrow bore (<24mm) liners and those with low tension in the barrel (i.e., not stretched in
the teat cup) milk more slowly. The most important characteristic of the performance of a
liner is the amount of stripping’s left at the end of milking which is mainly determined by
the dimensions and hardness of the mouthpiece. Liner design is largely empirical and
farmers determine the best liners for minimum stripping’s by trial and error.
Fig. 4.7 Vacuum versus Pulsation Cycle while Milk Flowing
Although the teat cup liners are connected to a pipeline maintained at a constant vacuum
level there can be considerable vacuum fluctuations in the liners, mainly due to the
movements of the liner wall brought about by pulsation. When the liner is opening and
the milk is moving away from the teat along the short milk tubes the vacuum below the
teat will increase markedly due to the increased volume of the liner and the kinetic energy
of the milk in transit. These variations in vacuum occur with each pulsation cycle and are
called ‘cyclic fluctuations’. The fluctuations are increased with adventitious air admission
that occurs when liners slip on the teats or when machines are removed from adjacent
cows udders (irregular fluctuations). These cyclic and irregular fluctuations generate
impact forces which are important factors causing mastitis. Various methods have been
used to reduce fluctuations to prevent them having deleterious effects. The most
important are the provision of adequate air bleed holes in the claw or short milk tubes to
aid milk flow and prevent flooding in the liner. Also useful has been an increase in the
internal diameter of short milk tubes (Eg. greater than 8mm). These can be reduced by
other modifications. In some designs the basic system of machine milking has also been
modified to give lower levels of vacuum at the start and end of milking when there is no
milk flow or by the inclusion of a positive pressure phase in each pulsation cycle to give
increased let down stimulation.
4.2.1 Vacuum and Milk Flow
When the milk from the claw is raised to a pipeline this can markedly reduce the vacuum
at the teat because of the weight of milk in the long milk tube. The reduction in vacuum
can be much reduced by bleeding air through a small hole in the claw piece.
Fig. 4.8 Vacuum and Milk Flow
In addition to the designed sources of air admission, air can be drawn into the teacups
past the teat and also when a milk container is changed or emptied. In a poorly
maintained machine there may also be inward leakage of air at joints or points of damage.
To maintain the working vacuum the vacuum pump extracts the air admitted into the
system by compressing it so that it can be discharged to atmosphere. In pipeline milking
machines the flow pattern is similar to the bucket machine except that milk and air from
each claw flow either directly to a recorder vessel where air and milk are separated, or

through the milking pipeline to a common receiver vessel where milk and air are
separated. There is no further air admission at this point when a motor driven releaser
milk pump is used to empty the receiver. Other types of releaser (eg. pulsator controlled
spit chamber and double chambered weight operated) admit air. Where air and milk are
transported together the flow pattern becomes complex depending on various factors
particularly the volume of air relative to milk or air: milk ratio. Air is normally admitted
in to the claw at a rate of 4 to 8 liters/min. A milk flow rate for a fast milking cow will be
about 6 liters/min, giving an air: milk ratio of 0.7:1 to 1.2:1. Towards the end of milking
when the milk flow rate has decreased to 0.25 Liter/min the ratio becomes 16:1 to 32:1.
The air: milk ratio becomes important where milk has to be elevated from the claw as in
milk pipeline and recorder machines other than those with low level milk pipelines.
Elevating a liquid, as distinct from a gas, involves a loss of potential energy and this is
compensated for by a change of vacuum. Thus elevating a column of milk in a vacuum
system through 1 m height reduces the vacuum by about 10kpa. Therefore if the vacuum
at the top of the column is 51kpa it will be only 41kpa at the bottom. This vacuum drop is
markedly reduced by the mixture of air. If the air: milk ratio is 1:1 the weight of milk in
the column is halved and the vacuum drop becomes only 5kpa, if it is 9:1 the vacuum
drop is only 1kpa. Under vacuum liquids cannot flow against gravity (i.e., uphill) except
as a column which fills the bore of the tube. Where the tube contains air and milks the
liquid forms plugs which are separated by pockets of air in the proportion determined by
the air: milk ratio.
4.2.2 Vacuum Measurement
Vacuum is a pressure below atmospheric pressure. It can be measured as pressure

difference with a mercury manometer in mmHg shown in Fig. 4.9. The standard pressure
is now Kilopascals (kPa) with 100kPa equal to the pressure difference between
atmospheric pressure and absolute vacuum. Vacuum is a pressure below atmospheric
pressure, the term “negative pressure” is sometimes used but in milking machine terms it
may be considered to mean “vacuum” measured on a scale in which atmospheric pressure
at the time and place of measurement is zero vacuum. Vacuum can be measured in a
variety of units. A commonly used measure is the linear difference in height between two
columns of mercury in a ‘U’ tube when one of the columns of mercury is subjected to a
vacuum and the other open to atmosphere. The difference in height of the levels is
supported by atmospheric pressure. In the past the most commonly used units have been
inches, millimeters or centimeters of mercury (inHg, mmHg or cmHg). Units now
adopted by the International Standards Organization (ISO) for International Standards of
milking machines for vacuum measurement are kilopascals (kPa) with zero (0) kPa being
equal to atmospheric pressure and 100kPa absolute vacuum. Equivalent relationships for
values of vacuum levels are;
1 mmHg = 0.133kPa
1 inch Hg = 3.386kPa
Equivalents for vacuum levels of 30kPa and 40kPa that are the most commonly used
levels for milking cows:
30kPa = 8.86 inch Hg = 225mmHg
40kPa = 11.81 inch Hg = 300mmHg
Fig. 4.9 Mercury Manometer
4.3 Operation of Milking Machine

Milking cows is a highly qualified job that will benefit from a persistent use of correct
routines.
 Before starting milking make sure all equipment and tools are at hand and in proper
condition. Use clean suitable clothing and wash your hands thoroughly before starting
milking.
 Always handle animals with care and in a calm and considerate way. No yelling or
beating if you want them to give you all their milk.
 Clean and massage the cow’s udder. Use dry cleaning if the udder is clean. If it is so
dirty that wet cleaning is required make sure you wipe the teat dry after cleaning. Use

disposable cloths for each cow or individual cloths that are cleaned in a washing
machine between every milking.
 Pre-milk by hand in a test cup. Take a few squirts from each teat and check for
flocculation or blood.
 In some countries a special pre dip is used to disinfect the outside of the teat. This will
eliminate infections to spread from the outside of the teat to the inside of the same or
other teats milked with the same unit.
 Put on the milking unit within one minute after preparation
 A persistent routine is very important for this action as the cows will develop a
letdown reflex that is adjusted to such a routine.
 Monitor the milking and adjust the unit if it starts squeaking or if the cow appears
uncomfortable.
 Take off the unit when the milk flow has ceased or is very low. Check that the udder is
empty before you remove the unit.
 Avoid developing habits were all the cows expect you to after milk with machine
before taking off. If you use automatic take off units do some random checks that the
cows are properly milked.
 Teat dip the cows within one minute after takeoff. This will safeguard disinfection and
protection of the teat canal while it still is open. Register the observations you do on
the individual cows during milking. In many production systems milking is the only
time of the day when you are close to all the individual lactating cows.
Treated and sick cows shall always be milked separately and after all the healthy cows.
Cows develop habits. If you establish and maintain a persistent milking routine for every
milking the cows will feel comfortable and respond positively with an even production.

Chapter 5
SELECTION OF MECHANISM AND COMPONENTS

5.1 Scotch Yoke Mechanism
Scotch yoke is a mechanism for converting the linear motion of a slider into rotational
motion or vice-versa. The piston or other reciprocating part is directly coupled to a sliding
yoke with a slot that engages a pin on the rotating part. The shape of the motion of the
piston is a pure sine wave over time given a constant rotational speed. The double slider
crank mechanism is a mechanism having two sliding pairs and two turning pairs. Scotch
yoke mechanism is formed when one of the two sliding pairs in a double slider crank
mechanism is fixed. It has got two turning pairs, one sliding pair and a fixed link.
Fig. 5.1 Scotch Yoke Mechanism
5.1.1 Construction
The scotch yoke mechanism is constructed with mild steel EN 24. Here the crank is made
in specific length and the yoke is also made using the same material. It is noted that the
minimum length of the yoke should be double the length of the crank. The crank and yoke
is connected with a pin. Mild steel bars are welded to both sides of the yoke to get the
reciprocating motion. The yoke with the mild steel bars is fixed on the display board with
the help of c clamp. Now the crank is welded to the end of the shaft. Now the pin on the
crank is connected to the yoke. The pin used to connect yoke and crank is a bolt.
5.1.2 Working
As the crank rotates the pin slides inside the yoke and also moves the yoke forward.
When the crank rotates through in clockwise direction the yoke will get a displacement in
the forward direction. The maximum displacement will be equal to the length of the
crank. When the crank completes the next of rotation the yoke comes back to its initial
position. For the next of rotation, yoke moves in the backward direction. When the crank
completes a full rotation the yoke moves back to the initial position. For a complete
rotation of crank the yoke moves through a length equal to double the length of the crank.
The displacement of the yoke can be controlled by varying the length of the crank.
5.2 Components of Milking Machine
Milking Cluster
Pressure
Gauge
Vacuum Hose pipe

pump
Frame
Milk Can
Sprocket
and Chain
Fig. 5.2 Components of Milking Machine

The main components of milking machine are
 Frame
 Vacuum Pump
 Vacuum gauge
 Bucket or Milk Can
 Milking Cluster
 Sprocket and Chain
5.2.1 Frame
The main frame is the skeletal structure of the proposed system on which all other
components are mounted. The two design factors considered in the determination of the
material required for the frame are the weight and strength. The frame is strong enough to
withstand all types of loads in working conditions. EN19 seamless tubes is used as the
frame material. This material meets all the requirement in order to withstand the load.
This material offers good combination of strength, ductility and wear resistance. The base
plate of the frame is capable to withstand up to 50kg where the milking can is placed. 3D
drawing was done by using solidegde software Shown in Fig 5.2.
Fig. 5.3 3D diagram of frame
5.2.2 Vacuum Pump
The vacuum pump used is simple single acting cylinder with small piston and two O
rings. The stroke length of the cylinder is 95mm. It creates a 250kpa vacuum pressure
inside the bucket or can is used. The end of the rod is connected directly to the slots of the
Valve opens
on forward
stroke
Valve opens
on backward
stroke
Fig. 5.4 Single Acting Cylinder
scotch yoke mechanism. The to and fro reciprocating motion required for the single
acting cylinder is given by pedal operated scotch yoke mechanism. The rod of single
acting cylinder is connected to the rod of scotch yoke mechanism. In this milking
machine we are using two single acting cylinders for the efficient working of the milking
machine, which is used to create a continuous vacuum inside the milking can.
5.2.3 Vacuum Gauge
It is an elastic type pressure transducer. The basic idea behind the device is that, cross-
sectional tubing when deformed in any way will tend to regain its circular form under the
action of pressure. The bourdon pressure gauges used today have a slight elliptical cross-
section and the tube is generally bent into a C-shape.
As shown in the Fig. 5.4 below the pressure input is given to a socket which is soldered to
the tube at the base. The other end or free end of the device is sealed by a tip. This tip is
connected to a segmental lever through an adjustable length link. The lever length may
also be adjustable. The segmental lever is suitably pivoted and the spindle holds the
pointer. A hair spring is sometimes used to fasten the spindle of the frame of the
instrument to provide necessary tension for proper meshing of the gear teeth.
Thereby freeing the system from the backlash, any error due to friction in the spindle
bearings is known as lost motion. The mechanical construction has to be highly accurate
in the case of a Bourdon Tube Gauge. If we consider a cross-section of the tube, its outer
edge will have a larger surface than the inner portion. The tube walls will have a thickness
between 0.01 and 0.05 inches. As the fluid pressure enters the bourdon tube, it tries to be
reformed and because of a free tip available, this action causes the tip to travel in free
space and the tube unwinds. The simultaneous actions of bending and tension due to the
internal pressure make a non-linear movement of the free tip. This travel is suitable
guided and amplified for the measurement of the internal pressure. But the main
requirement of the device is that whenever the same pressure is applied, the movement of
the tip should be the same and on withdrawal of the pressure the tip should return to the
initial point.
A lot of compound stresses originate in the tube as soon as the pressure is applied. This
makes the travel of the tip to be non-linear in nature. If the tip travel is considerably
small, the stresses can be considered to produce a linear motion that is parallel to the axis
of the link. The small linear tip movement is matched with a rotational pointer movement.
This is known as multiplication, which can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the
lever. For the same amount of tip travel, a shorter lever gives larger rotation. The
approximate linear motion of the tip when converted to a circular motion with the link-
lever and pinion attachment, a one-to-one correspondence between them may not occurs

Fig. 5.5 Bourdon Tube Pressure Gauge
and distortion results. This is known as angularity which can be minimized by adjusting
the length of the link. In the case of forming processes, empirical relations are known to
choose the tube size, shape and thickness and the radius of the C-tube. Because of the
internal pressure, the near elliptic or rather the flattened section of the tube tries to
expand. The arrangement of the tube, however forces an expansion on the outer surface
and a compression on the inner surface, thus allowing the tube to unwind.
5.2.4 Bucket or Milk Can
The Bucket is made up of food grain 202 stainless steel. We are not using pressure
regulator because the vacuum is created inside the bucket and controlled by it. The milk
capacity of the bucket is 20 liters.
5.2.5 Milking Cluster
Milking Cluster consists of four teat cup assemblies each having a rubber liner and
connected to vacuum by rubber tubes and claw. The air admission hole to stabilize the
vacuum must be kept clear.
The cluster which attaches to the cow consists of four teatcup assemblies (each having a
shell, a rubber liner and a short milk and short pulse tube), a claw, a long milk tube and
long pulse tubes. Teatcup shells are made of stainless steel. Plastics or a combination of
plastics and metal are also used. The liner is a flexible rubber sleeve having a mouthpiece,

Fig. 5.6 Cross Section of Teat Cup Cluster
and when assembled in the shell under tension, forms an annular space (pulsation
chamber) between the liner and shell. This pulsation chamber is connected to the pulsator
through a nipple on the side of the shell via the claw. The teatcup assemblies are
connected by short milk and short pulse tubes to the claw, which is connected to the
milking and pulsation vacuum by a long milk tube and long pulse tubes. To stabilize the
vacuum in the teat cups during milking, the claw has a small air admission hole, about 0.8
mm in diameter, which admits approximately 7–8 liters of air/min into the bowl of the
claw. This air helps to carry the milk away, preventing flooding and violent vacuum
fluctuations.
The claw is made of stainless steel or a combination of plastics and stainless steel, and
usually weighs about 0.5kg and the total all up weight of a milking cluster is about 2.5kg.
The weight of a milking cluster is important and the correct weight relates to the design of
liners. Too little weight gives incomplete milking because of high levels of strippings, too
much weight will result in milking units falling off during milking. The bore of the rubber
short milk tubes should not be less than 8mm and the short pulse tubes not less than 5mm,
and the long milk tube should not be less than 12.5mm. The effective claw bowl volume
should not be less than 80ml.
Fig. 5.7 Teat Cup Shells and Shell Liners
5.2.6 Sprocket and Chain
It is one of the transmission devices. In this transmission no slip will occur. It is used for
transmitting power in medium and short distance. A sprocket is a profiled wheel with
teeth, cogs, or even sprockets that mesh with a chain, track or other perforated or indented
material. The name 'sprocket' applies generally to any wheel upon which radial
projections engage a chain passing over it. It is distinguished from a gear in that sprockets
are never meshed together directly, and differs from a pulley in that sprockets have teeth
and pulleys are smooth.
Fig. 5.8 Sprocket and Chain

Sprockets are used in bicycles, motorcycles, cars, tracked vehicles, and other machinery
to transmit rotary motion between two shafts where gears are unsuitable or to impart
linear motion to a track, tape etc. Perhaps the most common form of sprocket may be
found in the bicycle, in which the pedal shaft carries a large sprocket-wheel, which drives
a chain, which, in turn, drives a small sprocket on the axle of the rear wheel. Early

automobiles were also largely driven by sprocket and chain mechanism, a practice largely
copied from bicycles.
Fig. 5.9 Sprocket
Characteristics
 Efficiency is high
 Cost is less
 High stiffness
 Low bending
In chain bush and pin are made by cold drawn or turned and grounded. To withstand the
wear resistance case hardening is done. The pin and bush are press fitted.
5.3 Specification of Milking Machine
Milking Capacity : 4-7 min per cow
Milking Can : 20 Liters, 304 SS (IS0 9001)
Pulse : 50-60 cycles\min
Teat liner depth : 180mm
Teat cup Dia. : 25-50mm
Pressure : 30-40kpa
Milk Hose : Silicone Food Grade, Non-Toxic & Transparent

Air to milk ratio : 50:50
Machine weight : 18kg
Bucket capacity : 20 liter made of Food Grain 202 stainless steel
Adaptability : one animal at a time
Chapter 6
FABRICATION OF MILKING MACHINE

Fabrication process mainly concern with the various physical concerns and ergonomics,
space requirements, arrangements of various components on the main frame of machine,
number of controls, positions of this controls, ease of maintenance, scope of further
improvements etc.
6.1 Scotch Yoke Mechanism
Fig. 6.1 Scotch Yoke

Scotch yoke mechanism is the main part of the system, which converts rotary motion of
the shaft into reciprocating motion. The pitch circle diameter of the scotch disc is 135mm.
It is made up of EN24, it is a very high strength steel alloy which supplied hardened and
tempered.
6.1.1 Specification
Disc diameter : 135mm

Disc thickness : 8mm
Yoke length : 270mm
Yoke thickness : 16mm
Pin length : 95mm
Pin diameter : 20mm
6.2 Frame

Fig. 6.2 Frame
Frame is the supporting structure to positioning and arrange the all the components of the
system. It is made up of EN19 Seamless tube. The tubes are cutted as per the CAD model
and it is welded using MIG welding. It is constructed as per the design of the scotch yoke
mechanism and vacuum cylinder arrangement. The design and the final constructed frame
is shown in Fig. 6.2
6.3 Fabricated Model

Fig. 6.3 Fabricated Model
The scotch yoke is mounted at the center of the frame and the two vacuum pumps are
connected each side of the yoke. One end of the shaft is welded to the scotch yoke disc
and other end is connected to a sprocket which having 18 tooth. The shaft is supported by
using a plummer block at the frame. For the easy rotation of the shaft a bearing is
connected nearer to the plummer block and the bearing is welded to the frame. The
sprocket is connected to another sprocket which is having 28 tooth by using a chain. The
final fabricated model is shown in above Fig. 6.3.

Chapter 7
MAINTENANCE, ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES
7.1 Maintenance of Milking Machine
In dairy farming the maintenance of milking machine is a very important phenomenon. If
the milking machine is not washed properly the milk may get curled. As lactic acid
accumulates, the pH of milk increases to the point where Streptococci can no longer
grow. Acid causes the casein molecules to clump together (curdle), forming soft lumps
called curds. The remaining thin yellowish liquid is known as whey. And also the curdled
milk may block some of the valves and may result in the malfunction of the milking
machine.
7.1.1 Cleaning
The milk from a healthy animal is almost sterile when it leaves the udder. To maintain a
high quality of the milk it has to be handled in a clean installation. It is therefore

necessary to clean the milking plant thoroughly after each milking. Cleaning is the
mandatory process has to be carry out before and after the milking process.
 Sufficient and good quality water is required to achieve a satisfactory cleaning result
 Water heating capacity has to match the requirements from the cleaning procedure
 Detergents have to be selected to work with the actual water quality and dosed in as
required.
 If there is an automated cleaning unit installed it has to be adjusted to the requirement
of the plant and water quality and operated accordingly.
 The hand washing must be done
 Make sure the cooling tank or cans are equally well cleaned and that you don’t forget
any part or connection in the whole milk handling chain.
 Avoid standing water in and on the cleaned equipment after cleaning and before next
milking. Allow drying by having good ventilation or air movements.
7.1.2 Cooling
To avoid rapid deterioration of the milk after milking it shall be cooled down to 2-4°C
within 2 hours. If you don’t have access to electric power or artificial cooling it is
important that you cool the milk by keeping it in the shade and putting it in water from
the well or other cold water source. If you can’t cool the milk, frequent milk collection at
least once per day is required.
 If you have a cooling tank it has to have the capacity to cool down the milk within 2
hours. You also have to make sure the milk is not collected before the milk is cooled
down.
 The agitation of the milk in the tank has to be gentle to avoid milk quality
deterioration
 If you can avoid mixing warm milk in cooled that is an advantage from quality point
of view
 Clean the tank immediately after the milk has been collected by the machine
7.1.3 Maintenance
 For a continuous trouble free operation with high quality milk regular maintenance
and exchange of wear and tear parts is necessary.
 A serious supplier and installer will offer a scheduled plant service to give the
required maintenance.

 Such a serve will include dismantling and a complete of the plant, exchange of all
required wear and tear parts according to establish time limits, checking of all
essential functions and parameters and a complete test run.
 Such preventive scheduled services will markedly reduce operational breakdowns that
by experience always will be more costly in the longer perspective. A Preventive
services work as an assurance and reduces production losses and gives peace of mind.
7.2 Advantages
 Reasonable cost to install and operate
 Low maintenance costs
 Allows flexibility in cleaning programs
 Ease of operation encourages a full cleaning procedure
 Reduces human effort
 Saves time
 Since it is pedal operated hand will be clean and hygiene so we can touch the teats in
bare hands
 Avoids disease called mastitis
 No need of electricity
7.3 Disadvantages
 Requires little effort compared to electrical one
 Only suitable for small daily farmers with 8-10 cows

Chapter 8
RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Milking-time tests describe measurements or observations made while milking cows. The
results of milking-time tests are the best and most direct indicator of the performance of
any milking system.

Fig. 8.1 Testing the Cow for Performance Result

Overall the receiver vacuum was stable during all of the milking sessions with the drops
of vacuum is not of more than 2kPa. A drop of vacuum with a magnitude that is higher
than 2kPa indicates a development of a slug in the milk line that should be resolved upon
its entrance in the receiver. This could be reduce the efficiency of the machine during the
process. Milking duration of each milking of every cow, calculated from the claw
vacuum, together with average claw chamber vacuum claw chamber vacuum level can
influence the milk-flow rate and thereby the duration of milking. Depending on the
priority of the milking operation either a higher claw vacuum will be chosen for faster
parlour output or a lower vacuum level that favors gentler and more complete milking.
Table shows the different trials has been carried out to evaluate the performance and
efficiency of the machine. The milk flow rate is totally depends on the milk yield of the
cow and the claw vacuum pressure. We maintained a claw vacuum pressure between
35kpa to 40kpa during milking process.
Table 7.1 Test Result of Pedal Powered Milking Machine
Vacuum Time Milk Average Flow
Animal pressure Taken Stored Rate
in kpa in Minute in Liter Liter/ Minute
Cow 1 30 2.5 3.3 1.32
Cow 2 30 3 4.2 1.40

Cow 3 30 2.8 3.5 1.25
Table 7.2 Test Result of Electrical operated Milking Machine

Vacuum Time Milk Average Flow
Animal pressure Taken Stored Rate
in kpa in Minute in Liter Liter/ Minute
Cow 1 40 2.1 3.1 1.42
Cow 2 40 2.8 3.9 1.39
Cow 3 40 2.5 3.2 1.28
From the above table it is evident that the maximum rate of flow has the greatest
influence on the milking time of the cow, and since most milk flow determinations are
influenced by milk yield of the animal.
From the above two tables it is evident that performance of both the machines are almost
same but we can save the electrical energy by using pedal powered milking machine.
Chapter 9
CONCLUSION
The severe shortage of skilled labor for milking cows is a problem faced by dairy farms
throughout the State. Initially we observes that failure in a nearest small dairy farms,
those who are uses electric milking machine. Imported milking machines are unaffordable
for small dairy farmers and also injure the cow's mammary tissue and teats, resulting in
diseases like mastitis, and also it requires more maintenance and operating cost. After that
we started to study the literature. From the studies and also by visiting small dairy farms
we got this solution to dairy problem and farmer need. Because, this will solve the
problem of electricity, can milk one cow in about five minutes and allow the farmer to
milk faster and to keep everything clean. In this project we have learnt the development
of new idea and technique of milking from cow effectively and economically.

Chapter 10
SCOPE OF FUTURE WORK

 By connecting an electric motor to the sprocket this machine can be converted into
both pedal operated and electrical operated.
 Milking of two cows at a time using the same machine can be done by attaching one
more milking cluster unit and mechanism to other side of the frame.
 By adding an automatic detacher unit, that detaches the milking claw and allow cows
to move and shift freely during milking, based on the rate of milk flow, the detacher
can also detect the end of milking, shutting the vacuum and actually removing the
claw from the cow.
 By introducing a solar powered electric motor the machine can be converted into
electrically operated.

REFERENCES
[1] Gadekar S. V., Karle R. B., Mali P. K., “Design and Fabrication of Bicycle
Operated Milking Machine”, International Journal of Advance Research and
Innovative Ideas in Education, Volume 3, Issue 1, pp. 25-35, February 2017.
[2] Kale Aniket, Pavan Rakshe, Kachale Sanket, Thorat Subhash and Patil A. S.,
“Paper Review on Bicycle Operated Milking Machine”, Global Journal of
Engineering Science and Researches, Volume 5, Issue 3, pp. 20-25, February
2016.
[3] Elizabeth A. Berry, Mark Scrivens, J. Eric Hillerton, “Milking Machine Test
Survey of British Installations: An Update”, Volume 69, Issue 4, pp. 25-40,
September 2016.
[4] Douglas J. Reinemann, “Handbook of Farm, Dairy and Food Machinery
Engineering (Second Edition)”, Volume 3, Chapter 8, pp. 120-155, August 2013.
[5] Jandool Khan, “Testing and Performance Evaluation of an Imported Mobile
Bucket Milking Machine for Water Buffaloes”. ARPN Journal of Engineering
and Applied Sciences. Volume 3, Issue 5, pp. 20-36, October 2008.
[6] George Berkley Cramp, “Electric Vacuum Milking Machine”. United States
Patent Office, pp. 1-8, serial no 502,716, June 17 1990.

APPENDIX A
PHOTOS AND DRAWINGS
Fig. Final Assembly of the Milking Machine

Fig. CATIA Drawing of the Scotch Yoke Mechanism
Fig. CATIA Drawing of the Final Assembly

APPENDIX B
BILL OF MATERIAL
SL
PART NAME QTY
NO.
1 Frame 1
2 Vacuum Pump 2
3 Sprocket 2
4 Chain 1
5 Pedal 2
6 Scotch and Yoke 1
7 Plummer Block 1
8 Milking Cluster Assembly 1
9 Pressure Gauge 1
10 Milk Can 1
11 Nut and Bolt 8
12 Bearing 2
13 Small Screws 4

APPENDIX C
COST ESTIMATION
SL
COMPONENTS OTY PRICE (₹)
NO.
1 Frame 1 1500
2 Vacuum Pump 2 2000
3 Sprocket and Chain 2 850
4 Scotch Yoke Mechanism 1 750
5 Milking Cluster Assembly 1 2850
6 shafts 2 800
7 Vacuum Gauge 1 583
8 Milk Can 1 2000
9 Pedal 2 300
10 Nut and Bolts 8 250
11 Net 1 500
12 Vacuum pipe 1 100
13 Plummer Block & Bearings 1 760
14 Paint 1 200
15 Others - 500
Total ₹13943

Fabrication of Low-Cost Pedal Milking Machine

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Fabrication of Pedal Operated Milking Machine

1.1 Problem Description

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 2

1.2 The Microbiological Safety of Raw Milk

1.2.1 Environmental Sources of Contamination Personnel

1.2.2 Aerial Contamination

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 4

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 5

Jandool Khan [2008], he conducted an experiment on “Performance Evaluation of an

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 7

OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY

Selection and Finalizing the Mechanism

Fig. 3.1 Methodology

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 8

WORKING AND OPERATION

4.1.1 Massaging Phase

Fig. 4.1 Massaging Phase

Fig. 4.2 Teat Giving a Massaging Action

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 9

4.1.2 Milking Phase

Fig. 4.3 Milking Phase

Fig. 4.4 Milk Flow from Teat

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 10

4.1.3 Action of the Milking Machine in each Pulsation Cycle

Fig. 4.5 Liners Opens and Milk Flows

4.2 Vacuum Fluctuations

Fig. 4.6 Vacuum versus Pulsation Cycle while no Milk Flowing

Fig. 4.7 Vacuum versus Pulsation Cycle while Milk Flowing

4.2.1 Vacuum and Milk Flow

Fig. 4.8 Vacuum and Milk Flow

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 14

4.2.2 Vacuum Measurement

Vacuum is a pressure below atmospheric pressure. It can be measured as pressure

30kPa = 8.86 inch Hg = 225mmHg

40kPa = 11.81 inch Hg = 300mmHg

Fig. 4.9 Mercury Manometer

4.3 Operation of Milking Machine

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 16

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 17

SELECTION OF MECHANISM AND COMPONENTS

Fig. 5.1 Scotch Yoke Mechanism

5.2 Components of Milking Machine

Vacuum Hose pipe

Fig. 5.2 Components of Milking Machine

Fig. 5.3 3D diagram of frame

5.2.2 Vacuum Pump

Fig. 5.4 Single Acting Cylinder

5.2.3 Vacuum Gauge

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 21

Fig. 5.5 Bourdon Tube Pressure Gauge

5.2.4 Bucket or Milk Can

5.2.5 Milking Cluster

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 22

Fig. 5.6 Cross Section of Teat Cup Cluster

Fig. 5.7 Teat Cup Shells and Shell Liners

5.2.6 Sprocket and Chain

Fig. 5.8 Sprocket and Chain

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT, Hassan. 24

Fig. 5.9 Sprocket

5.3 Specification of Milking Machine

Milking Capacity : 4-7 min per cow

Milking Can : 20 Liters, 304 SS (IS0 9001)

Pulse : 50-60 cycles\min