The vacuum system is the means by which a parlour is driven and it enables the milk collecting process to function. One or more pumps put the whole system under vacuum thus making it easy to draw milk from an animal and transfer it, under pressure, to a receiving vessel.

Figure 1. Looped pulsation and vacuum system diagram

The vacuum line is looped so that it is a closed system. The balance tank is put as close to the milk receiver as possible to enable the system to provide instant recovery should a cluster fall off. Each vacuum pump is individually plumbed into the balance tank.

Horizontal receiver vessel	Balance tank (vacuum reserve)	Vacuum regulator

A vacuum regulator is located between the balance tank and the receiver so that it can monitor claw vacuum requirements as they happen.
The vacuum system is plumbed with test points to enable each part of the milking system to be checked that it is working correctly at any time in the future.

Electronic controls

Based on the latest cow milking pulsation research available, this system is flexible enough to milk all types of dairy cows, sheep and goats for both high and low yielding herds. Providing gentle but stable pulsation, you will milk your animals quickly and efficiently.

The SURE-Line 8 channel pulsation control spreads the load on the pulsators to reduce vacuum loss. Designed to operate 12 V or 24 V pulsators.	Two versions of the SURE-Line 8 channel pulsation control exist. This lower power unit is suitable for smaller parlours. Designed to operate 12 V or 24 V pulsators.	Whisper pulsator

This low power pulsator unit has a built in clean air filter, which reduces the cost of fitting a clean air line in the milking parlour. Standard issue units run at 24V with only 0.13 Amp current consumption per coil. The unit drives a diaphragm via the solenoid, which reduces the noise considerably, over conventional pulsators.

Pneumatic controls

Pneumatic pulsators are used mainly with barn milking equipment and with dump buckets.  The advantage of these pulsators are their portability as they need no electric power for operation.  Once vacuum is applied to the unit, the pulsation action is automatic and self-sustaining.

Dump bucket	Clear dump bucket

Barn milking equipment is a low cost alternative to electronic pulsation. 
A direct-to-line, clamp system setup can utilise electronic pulsators or the pneumatic type pictured here.

The dump bucket is a familiar sight in every milking parlour and there are a wide variety of types. Cows on antibiotics are usually milked into a bucket to avoid contaminating the milk collecting tank. Calving cows will also be milked into a bucket for feeding their young. 

Pneumatic pulsators are standard issue on portable milking machines which is one of the most cost effective ways to efficiently milk a small herd of animals.

Portable milking machine  with pneumatic pulsator	Complete milking bucket with 2 sheep clusters	Small, compact and portable pneumatic pulsator

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