A milking system includes a milking apparatus for milking of dairy animals, and a plurality of wearing parts, inclusive of teat liners and/or milk lines and/or pulsation lines. The system further includes a computer system configured to control and/or monitor the milking apparatus, and to generate a signal which indicates that one of the wearing parts should be replaced and provides a characterization of that wearing part. The milking system further includes a 3D printer operatively connected to the computer system and configured to print the characterized part on the basis of the generated signal. Thus it is not necessary to keep an unnecessarily large stock of spare parts, but it becomes possible to directly provide the spare parts quickly, cheaply and with less chance of errors. Moreover, it is thus possible to tailor the parts, especially teat liners, to animals.

A milking device for milking a dairy animal includes a teat cup with a cup wall and a teat liner and a pulsation space situated in between, to which pulsation space a pulsation device is connected which is configured to apply a pressure that varies in pulsations to the pulsation space in order to open and close the teat liner. The pulsation device includes a supply line which is controllable by a first operable valve, in particular closable, for supplying a first pressure, a supply line which is controllable by a second operable valve, in particular closable, for supplying a second pressure, which is a lower pressure than the first pressure, and a control unit which is configured to generate control signals for operating the first valve and the second valve, wherein the first valve, and preferably also the second valve, is a controllable valve having a passage which is adjustable by means of the control signals, wherein the passage of the first valve, and preferably of the second valve, respectively, is adjustable during at least one pulsation phase by the control unit via the control signals.

A milking robot for completely automatically performing a teat-related action on a dairy animal. The robot includes a frame with a movable arm structure and a robot arm and actuators, a teat cup, a flexible connecting means connected between the teat cup and the arm structure, a retracting device for pulling the teat cup back onto the arm structure by means of the connecting means, a vacuum device for applying a milking vacuum to the teat cup, and a control unit for controlling the milking robot. The robot further includes at least one of an arm structure position-determining device for determining a measured value relating to an arm structure position, and an arm structure acceleration-determining device for determining an arm structure acceleration. The control unit is configured to control the retracting device and/or the vacuum device, if the determined measured value satisfies a predetermined measured value criterion.

A milking robot comprises a movable arm having a length in a longitudinal direction, and at least one gripper swivably mounted to the movable arm such that it moves between a first position parallel to the movable arm's longitudinal direction and a second position at which the gripper extends sideways in a horizontal plane away from the movable arm's longitudinal direction.

The invention provides a milking device comprising at least one milking cup with a teat space and a pulsation space, a pulsator connected by means of a pulsation line to the pulsation space of the milking cup and provided with a vacuum source, a vacuum line provided with a first controllable valve between the vacuum source and the pulsation line, an aeration line provided with a second controllable valve between the pulsation line and a source of higher pressure, and a pulsator control system for the first and second valves, wherein the pulsator control system comprises a flushing mode for opening and holding open the first and second valves during at least a predefined flushing time which is at least as long as and preferably longer than the pulsation period. In this way it is possible to have both valves open simultaneously and the pulsator will draw in air from the environment in an initially unhindered flow. This flow may be used for example to flush the system with air (blow through) but also for example to measure the air flow and/or pressure drops in the system, and on the basis thereof to determine the degree of soiling of the system.

Milking clusters for a miling installation have four teat cups, each teat cup having a cup housing and a teat cup liner with a top region and a suction region. A connection for a milk tube is arranged at the cup bottom or at the end of the suction region of the teat cup liner. A mouth portion of a sterile air pressure line is arranged in the top region of the teat cup liner, through which pressure line sterile air is introduced at a volumetric flow rate greater than a fluid aspiration volumetric flow rate at the milk tube, such that a sterile air blanket is established in the top region of the teat cup liner. The milking clusters with the cup liner and sterile air blanket prevent milked milk from being contaminated by contaminants and microorganisms from the shed air, extending storage life for untreated raw milk.

A arrangement for milking animals includes a milking station, a transport conduit, a main milk tank storing milk from the milking station, a connection conduit extending from the transport conduit to the main milk tank, a cleaning liquid arrangement, and a valve arrangement. From the milking station a connection pipe leads to the transport conduit at a connection point. The cleaning liquid arrangement is connected to the transport conduit via the valve arrangement. The valve arrangement is positionable in at least a first position and a second position. In the first position the transport conduit forms a loop such that two flow paths from the connection point to the connection conduit are provided by the transport conduit, and in the second position the loop is interrupted such that one flow path only from the connection point to the connection conduit is provided by the transport conduit.

Disclosed is a system for treating dairy livestock having fore legs and hind legs, wherein the system comprises a parallel milking parlor ramp, livestock stalls positioned along at least part of the parallel milking parlor ramp, wherein each stall is configured to contain one dairy livestock, at least one vertical upright teat cup holder comprising teat cups and a mobile unit. The mobile unit comprises equipment for treating livestock and a processor, where the mobile unit is configured to travel between the fore legs and hind legs of the dairy livestock on the parallel milking parlor ramp and use the equipment to perform at least one action related to a treatment of the dairy livestock. Also disclosed is that the equipment includes an arm configured to withdraw the teat cups from the vertical upright teat cup holder and connect them to the dairy livestock.

A claw for a milking machine includes an enclosure having an upper part and a lower part and enclosing an inner space for a milk flow during a milking operation. A center axis extends through the enclosure and through the upper lower parts. The upper part includes an upper end defining an upper end point, and a lower annular end extending along a periphery of the claw in a connection plane. The lower part is detachably connected to the upper part along the connection plane, and rotary symmetric with respect to an axis of rotation being perpendicular to the connection plane. The connection plane is inclined with respect to the center axis so that the enclosure has a first height at a first peripheral position greater than and a second height at a second peripheral position diametrically opposite to the first peripheral position.

A pressure control device for a milking machine includes a housing, a vacuum inlet, and two control circuits. Each circuit includes a main vacuum passage extending through the housing from the vacuum inlet to an outlet, and a main valve configured to take one of an open position and a closed position. A pilot passage extends from the main vacuum passage and includes a pilot valve body configured to take one of an open pilot position and a closed pilot position. The pilot passage acts in the open pilot position on the main valve to move to the open position, and permits in the closed pilot position the main valve to move to the closed position. A solenoid controls the pilot valve body. A holding member receives the solenoid and is attached to the housing through a first bayonet coupling.