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| For over 100 years Dairymen have had the benefit of some form of automatic milking, Starting with the simplest form of milker inflations to today's well engineered and compounded parts. The basic concept has remained the same and it is necessary to understand the mechanical action that takes place before you are able to consider what product may be the best not only in animal health but in the maximum product harvest. Contrary to what many laymen believe when it comes to mechanical or automated milking as we now know it, milk is sucked out of the mammal being milked and not pumped out as it would be during hand milking. Today's machine milking extracts the milk out of the mammal by directing constant partial vacuum to the teat end and sucking the milk out. Since constant vacuum on the teat would create damage to the teat and udder the vacuum is alternating, being shut on and off by the opening and closing of the inflation just below the teat end. This action is accomplished by alternating partial vacuum and atmospheric air between the shell and the inflation. The number of pulses per minute (PPM) and the amount of time between the alternations (pulsation ratio) may be a set standard or may be variable based on the manufactures equipment. The opening and closing of the inflation has a second just as important need and that is to massage the teat to sustain the blood flow that is interrupted during the open or milking phase.
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