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How Milking machines work?

Discover how to get milk from a cow


The milk is extracted using a vacuum applied to the cow’s teats. Milk stored in the udder is drawn into a system of pipes leading to a receiver tank where the milk is collected before being passed to the cooling tank. A ‘cluster’ of four teat cups – each consisting of a stainless steel shell, a fl exible rubber lining and a short pulse pipe – are attached to the teats. Between the outer shell and lining is a pulsation chamber that collapses with the addition of air from a pulsator. When the chamber is devoid of air (milk phase) a vacuum is created, which gently draws milk from the teat. When the chamber is fi lled with air (rest phase) the lining of the teat cup collapses and massages the teat. Continued repetition of these phases not only aids milk production by mimicking the action of a suckling calf, it also promotes blood circulation. To help the milk fl ow away through the pipeline, once out of the cow the milk is mixed with air added by a claw, the claw connects the teat cups to the milk and pulse tubes. 

1. Teat cups

 Each cluster consists of four teat cups themselves each made up of a metal shell, a rubber lining and a short milk pipe.

2. Pulsator 

 The pulsator is the valve on a pipe that’s connected to the claw and adjusts the air pressure in the pulsation chamber. The pulsator is attached to a main air pipeline that feeds into the claw.

3. Milk phase 

When air is drawn out of the pulsation chamber inside the teat cup, a vacuum (suction) is created around the teat. The pressure difference opens the teat canal and draws the milk out.

4. Rest phase

 When air is pumped into the pulsation chamber inside the teat cup, the lining collapses, massaging the teat and closing the teat canal.


5. Long milk pipe

 A short milk hose connected to the teat cup directs milk away from the cow to the claw where it’s transported – together with the milk from other cows – to the main milking pipeline.


6. Claw

Beneath the teat cups is the claw, which connects the short pulse pipe and milk pipes to the main system’s long air pipes and long milk pipes. Here air is added to the milk to help it fl ow through the system. 

7. Milk pump

 A motor-driven milk pump removes the collected milk from the main pipeline and transports it to the receiver tank for chilling and processing.



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