Do-it-yourself milking machine for cows: how to properly assemble and care

Farmers and private owners are thinking about creating milking equipment with their own hands, on their own. And this idea can be realized. The choice of design is up to the future owner. Ready-made solutions are offered below, you only need to give preference to the most successful ones. If necessary, they are easy to modify, adapt to your own needs. Therefore, we prepare the tool, equipment and start designing the unit.

Design is the most important assembly process

Creating a milking machine for 3-4 cows is not a luxury and a fixed idea, but a conscious necessity.Before you start designing your own milking machine, it makes sense to pay attention to ready-made amateur developments or industrial designs. For example, such as in this video:

Every little thing, the nuance of the design should be taken into account. Otherwise, instead of a workable device, you will get an unfinished, unfinished device. The main parts are best bought off the shelf rather than trying to make your own.

This will save assembly time, as well as increase the chances of getting a completely ready-to-use, really useful unit. Which will help to facilitate the work on the farm, increase productivity.

Advice on component selection

Before proceeding with the direct implementation of the plan, it is imperative to study any available information, data regarding factory products.It is necessary to understand the principle of operation of the apparatus, so it will be possible to most fully realize the plan in metal. It is better to take transparent milk hoses, so you can clearly see whether the milking machine is working or not.

It doesn't hurt to look at manufacturers' websites. There are sometimes placed the most detailed technical specifications, even schemes of devices. Particular attention should be paid to the pump and motor.

For ease of movement of the machine, it can be mounted on a trolley. This is how industrial models of milking machines "Dairyushka", "Dairy Farm" and others are organized. It is best to choose wide wheels, this will provide the required mobility.

One of the examples of successful implementation is shown in the video:

The milking machine consists of several main components and parts:

Engine.
Pump.
Hoses.
Balloon.
Exhaust pipe.
Pressure (vacuum) indicator.
Hanging part.

Each element is important, you can't do without it. An insulator insert must be provided to prevent electric shock. The indicator should be designed for a pressure of 50 kilopascals. Next, consider each detail, its design and principle of operation.

Pump and motor selection

These are the 2 main units that form the backbone of the apparatus. The engine drives all components of the milking machine. And the pump is the part that is responsible for pumping milk. The motor is selected only electric. This choice is justified by economy, reliability, low noise level.

The second component, the pump, must create sufficient vacuum, vacuum. It can be dry or oil based, piston type.The dry model seems to be more durable: it does not require careful maintenance, it is unpretentious. But it has an increased noise level, which can scare animals.

Wet, the oil pump is good, but it needs constant attention. The oil is changed once a year. Its level is periodically measured. Make sure that the rubbing parts (piston, chamber, connecting rod) are covered with an oil film.

Neither the motor nor the pump should be made by yourself. There is a high probability of error, in addition, these nodes are too important in the operation of the unit. It is better to take ready. The engine power must provide sufficient performance of the unit, and the pump must provide a vacuum for pumping milk.

Hanging knot

The design of the suspension unit of the device consists of a pulsator, glasses and a collector.Every month, the device is assembled and disassembled. A glass is a metal cylinder with a rubber cuff inside. To prevent metal from contacting the delicate skin of the udder, a special silicone rim is put on top of the glass.

This knot is bought ready-made. It makes no sense to try to make, remake, assemble the part yourself.

Selection of pulsators and collectors

The pulsator is designed to create dosed portions of vacuum so that milk is pumped. A rhythm of 64 beats per minute is considered appropriate: this is close to the natural process of feeding a calf for a cow.

The collector is a special assembly that collects milk from glasses and then transfers it to a bucket or tank. It is also purchased ready-made. An attempt to reduce costs, to assemble these nodes with your own hands is fraught with serious miscalculations.

Besides, an independent design is not without flaws, miscalculations. It can also lead to injury to animals, serious diseases.

What tools and materials do you need?

In addition to the fundamental components (motor, pump, collector, pulsator and teat cups), some more components will be needed. This is:

Can or bucket for milk.
Main air hose. Needed for air supply.
Vacuum regulator. Required to create a dosed pressure. Too much will cause discomfort, too little will not allow normal performance.
Belt for transferring torque from the motor to the pump.
Cock for air access to the milk container.
Silicone transfer hoses.

An example of the design of a homemade device is shown in the video:

From the tools you will need a screwdriver, a set of keys, a sharp knife. If the trolley is assembled on its own, then metal-cutting equipment (grinder, hand saw for metal) will be needed. It still does not hurt to prepare a drill, hardware. It is better to confine yourself to a minimum of operations when assembling the device, to quickly get a ready-made, efficient unit as soon as possible.

Assembling the apparatus

If desired, the vacuum pump is not difficult to assemble from a household vacuum cleaner. It creates enough pressure to pump milk. An example of how to do this is shown in the video:

If the mobile design option is selected, the motor and pump are attached to the trolley first. For this, ready-made brackets, hardware are used. It is advisable to think over the assembly scheme in advance in order to avoid possible errors. In installation, there are a number of nuances. Firstly, it is the reliability of fastening. Secondly, the electric motor and the vacuum pump are connected by a belt drive.

That is, 2 of these units should be located in such a way that the belt is in a taut state, remains dry, clean from oil, dirt. It does not hurt to provide the engine with protection that protects it from the ingress of debris, liquid.

Carry handles with hose hooks are a useful accessory. The main thing is that the device is comfortable to use. The vacuum tubes are connected to the pump, then a vacuum gauge and a vacuum regulator are mounted. It remains to attach the hose, pulsator and connect these nodes to the lid of a pre-selected can.

The length of the tubes should not be minimal, it is recommended to choose about 2 meters for the line. Before starting the device is tested. The pulsator must provide the set number of cycles, the pump must create a vacuum, and the complete unit must pump milk.

Rules for working with a homemade device

Preparation for work, the process itself regarding a home-made installation is similar to the rules for handling a factory milking machine. First, the engine is connected to a 220 V network. While the milking machine is being checked without a cow: in the event of a malfunction, a breakdown, the animal may be injured, electric shock.

If the design of the milking machine has a button, a switch, then they are activated. Listen carefully to the sound of the engine: no noises, clanging are allowed. Low background, vibration indicate that the equipment is loose. Tighten all connections again.

Knocking in the pump indicates a lack of lubrication. A hissing sound occurs when the lid on the can is loose. When the performance of the milking machine has been checked, before attaching the cups to the udder, you should wait a period of 5 minutes: this will create the required vacuum in the system. The pressure is regulated by a control device (vacuum regulator).

It is useful to lightly massage the udder to calm the cow and set her up for the process. Then put on glasses, start pumping. At the first sign of a malfunction, the milking machine is turned off, they check it, search for the causes.

Care of the milking machine

Installation requires periodic maintenance. It includes lubrication, cleaning, checking the condition (if necessary, replacing damaged ones) of the hoses. You should also monitor the drive belt, keep it in a tight position, clean. If extraneous overtones appear in operation, the device should be turned off immediately.

Electrical wires, connections must be insulated. Periodically, a complete disassembly of the milking equipment is carried out, the pump is inspected and the oil level is checked (complete replacement - 1 time per year).

Rubber inserts, cuffs are checked for integrity. Disassembly is carried out carefully so as not to damage parts of the device. With regular, thorough maintenance, a homemade installation will last no less than a factory one.