• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

The authors of this study have developed a robot milking system composed of a multi-articular manipulator, a teat-cup attachment system, and an image processing system. In order to verify the efficacy of this system, we have conducted a performance analysis and measurement experiment of milk yield, using dairy cattle. It was concluded that teat recognition using the image processing system, teat-cup attachment, and detachment system did not binder milking. The milking yield of the robot milking system was analyzed based on a lactation curve. As a result, it was determined that the use of a robot milking system had no significant effects on milking yields. The robot milking system described in this study is designed specifically with a focus on teat-cup attachment and detachment performance, as well as the effect of these factors on milking yield. In the future, in-depth studies regarding the washing of the teats prior to milking, teat massage, pre-treatment and post-treatment processes after milking, and disinfection processes shall be conducted, in order to render this system feasible for use in an actual milking parlor.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2000

A Robotic milking cluster system with the manipulator for an automatic milking system was designed and built for farmer to work easily and comfortably during milking processing. The cluster system was composed of screws, cams and links for power transmission, DC motors, the Quick Basic one-chip microprocessor, the vision system for image processing, and tea-cups. Software, written in Visual C+ and Quick Basic, combined the function of image capture, image processing, milking cluster control, and control into one control. The unit was made to transfer from four fixed points to four teats with four teat-cups. Performance tests of the cluster unit, the fully integrated system, were conducted to attach and detach the teat-cup on the teat of a artificial cow. The transfer programming provided for a teat-cup milking loop during the system starts and comes back the original fixed point at the manipulator of it for milking. It transferred the teat-cup with a success rate of more than 70%. The average time it took ot perform the milking loop was about 20 seconds.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.63-76
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• 2001

A survey was conducted for dairy farmer to manage efficiently of a milking machine and equipment. Labor hours, operation costs, and milking cares for each dairy farmer to estimate the expected numbers of machine and equipment on the basis of the desired dairy farm scale. Based on the results of this research the following conclusions were made: Those who possessed a herringborn system and a tandem parlour system were relatively small portion 2% and 25% respectively of the whole dairy farmer. To improve dairy farmer\`s life, or to reduce his hard labor hours. it was necessary for most of dairy farmers to possess a herringborn system and a tandem parlour system. However, it was difficult for most of farmers to purchase a herringborn system and a tadem parlour system, because these system were very expensive. Only 20% farmers of the whole farmers repaired their milking system, which needed to be repaired quickly enough so that it might was used everyday. Among the parts of milking system, pulsator was found to have the highest breakdown ratio 59%, and vacuum pump was the breakdown ratio 27%. It took more than 2 hours to be milked twice a cow per one day. It means that milking spend so much time. Therefore, the auto milking system should be supplied to decrease hard labor hour.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2001

This research was carried out to investigate the daily amount and characteristics of wastewater produced from bucket milkers, pipeline, tandem ad herringbone milking system for washing operations after milking included 28 dairy farms. The average amount of wastewater produced from milking system was 9.8l/head/day. The amount of wastewater varied from a low of 8.2 litters/head/day(pipeline milking system) to 13.4 litter/head/day(herringbone milking system). The moisture content, Biochemical Oxygen Demand($BOD_5$), Chemical Oxygen Demand($COD_{Mn}$), Suspended Solids(SS), Total Nitrogen(T-N) and Total Phosphorus(T-P) concentration of wastewater were 99.9%, 394mg/l, 417.3mg/l, 1,201.3mg/l, 3.78mg/l, 0.51mg/l.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 1997

This study was peformed to compare work routine time and performance of milking systems by measuring motion and time in milking procedure. Data were collected from thirteen dairy farms among which milking was done by bucket in two farms, by pipelines in three, by tandem parlors in four including one remodeled side-opening, by herringborn parlors in three and by a parallel milking parlor. Recording time and motion for milking parlor. Recording time and motion for milking procedure was performed by stopwatch and notebook computer. Work routine elements were recorded and calculated into cows milked per-man-hour(CMPH). The results are as follows : Average milking time per cow(MTPC) in bucket and pipeline milking systems usually installed in cow stall were 442.7 and 395.8 seconds, respectively. And average CMPH of bucket and pipeline milking system were 144.5, 303.3, 272.5 and 380.3 seconds, respectively. And CMPH of tandem, herringbone, parallel and modified side-opening systems were 24.9, 11.9, 13.2 and 9.5 heads, respectively. CMPH was the highest in the tandem milking system and the lowest in the bucket milking facilities. CMPH, when milked in a parlor resulted in high value compared with bucket or pipeline milking systems installed in cow stable. They showed considerably low CMPH compared with the results of other countries. The reason why so low CMPH could be derived from type and mechanization of facilities and equipment, operator's ability, number of operator, idle time and milking procedure.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2015

Total three hundred and fourteen dairy cows were used in this study to analysis of correlation between milking levels and automatic milking system (AMS). Cows were divided into five groups according to their milking levels (over 50 kg/day, 49~40 kg/day, 39~30 kg/day, 29~20 kg/day, 19~10 kg/day). All groups were compared with daily milking number, rejected number by AMS, residence time at AMS, milking time, flow rate of milk. Daily milking number and milking time were higher in the group of over 50 kg and 49~40 kg than that of other groups (p<0.05). There are no correlation on rejected number by AMS, residence time at AMS and flow rate of milk between milking levels and AMS. In addition, we found that the milk yield affected to feed intake and rumination of dairy cows. In conclusion, present results indicated that installation of AMS on dairy farms with high milk producing cows might be affected positively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1093-1098
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of the current study was to describe the relationship between milk yield and lactation number, stage, length and milking frequency in Korean Holstein dairy cows using an automatic milking system (AMS). Methods: The original data set consisted of observations from April to October 2016 of 780 Holstein cows, with a total of 10,751 milkings. Each time a cow was milked by an AMS during the 24 h, the AMS management system recorded identification numbers of the AMS unit, the cow being milking, date and time of the milking, and milk yield (kg) as measured by the milk meters installed on each AMS unit, date and time of the lactation, lactation stage, milking frequency (NoM). Lactation stage is defined as the number of days milking per cows per lactation. Milk yield was calculated per udder quarter in the AMS and was added to 1 record per cow and trait for each milking. Milking frequency was measured the number of milkings per cow per 24 hour. Results: From the study results, a significant relationship was found between the milk yield and lactation number (p<0.001), with the maximum milk yield occurring in the third lactation cows. We recorded the highest milk yield, in a greater lactation length period of early stage (55 to 90 days) at a $4{\times}$ milking frequency/d, and the lowest milk yield was observed in the later stage (>201 days) of cows. Also, milking frequency had a significant influence on milk yield (p<0.001) in Korean Holstein cows using AMS. Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of these factors such as lactation number, stage, length, and milking frequency associated with increasing milk yield using AMS will help guide future recommendations to producers for maximizing milk yield in Korean Dairy industries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.587-591
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• 2014

Automatic milking systems (AMS) rely upon voluntary cow traffic (the voluntary movement of cattle around a farm) for milk harvesting and feed consumption. Previous research on conventional milking systems has shown differences between dairy cow breeds for intake and milk production, however, the ability to manipulate voluntary cow traffic and milking frequency on AMS farms through breed selection is unknown. This study investigated the effect of breed (Holstein Friesian versus Illawarra) on voluntary cow traffic as determined by gate passes at the Camden AMS research farm dairy facility. Daily data on days in milk, milk yield, gate passes and milking frequency for 158 Holstein Friesian cows and 24 Illawarra cows were collated by month for the 2007 and 2008 years. Illawarra cows had 9% more gate passes/day than Holstein cows over the duration of the study; however, the milking frequency and milk yield of both breeds were similar. Gate passes were greatest for both breeds in early lactation and in the winter (June to August) and summer (December to February) seasons. These findings highlight an opportunity to translate increased voluntary cow movement associated with breed selection into increased milking frequencies, milk production and overall pasture-based AMS performance.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2014

Automatic milking systems (AMS) have been increasingly introduced to Korean dairy farms. However, in comparison with conventional milking systems (CMS), some negative changes in milk quality are being observed. The use of AMS leads to an increase in milking frequency, which in turn might result in higher physical stress on the milk, possibly causing changes in the milk fat globule (MFG) membrane. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the different milking systems on the milk quality, with a focus on milk fat properties. At the same time, we studied the effect of feeding the dairy cows with protected fat. Raw milk samples were taken monthly from individual cows as well as from bulk tanks at four AMS and four CMS dairy farms. We measured quality-related parameters such as MFG size distribution, free fatty acid content and composition, and acid values. Although most results showed no significant differences with regard to the milking system, we found a relatively high positive correlation between MFG size and milk fat content. Moreover, larger MFG size was observed in the milk when cows had been fed protected fat. The significantly higher (P< 0.05) free fatty acid content of milk observed under this experimental condition could be attributed to higher milking frequency as a result of using AMS.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of milking system type on milking center effluent production through the four seasons. Four different types of milking systems (Bucket, Pipeline, Tandem and Herringbone) were estimated, in duplicate, through the different seasons. The following conclusions can be drawn from this study. 1. The quantity of wastewater produced from Tandem and Herringbone milking systems were significantly larger than Bucket milking system (p<0.05). 2. The main wastewater production was from the washing of milking apparatus. Tandem and Herringbone milking systems produced 398.8 and $407.7{\ell}$/day of wastewater, respectively, for apparatus washing. These values were significantly higher than the other milking systems during the summer (p<0.05). 3. The average wastewater production from the various milking systems was $15.4{\ell}$/head/day. The quantity of wastewater production during summer ($16.4{\ell}$/head/day) season was higher than of the other seasons. 4. The highest level of $BOD_5$ ($906.4mg/\ell$) was produced from the washing of the parlor floor and the lowest level of $BOD_5$ ($212.4mg/\ell$) was produced from the washing of the udders of the cows. 5. The pH of dairy wastewater was in the range of $7.3{\sim}8.2$ and the average levels of $BOD_5$, COD, SS, T-N, and T-P were 731.2, 479.0, 751.6, 79.1, $14.7mg/\ell$, respectively. Following conclusions can be drawn from this experiment. The quantities of wastewater production from Bucket, Pipeline, Tandem and Herringbone milking system were 143.9, 487.9, 914.0, and $856.7{\ell}$, respectively. The average wastewater produced from the milking systems was $15.4{\ell}$/head per day. In order to effectively manage on the wastewater from milking systems, dairy farms need to consider the milking system type and farm size when determining the optimum wastewater treatment system.