Automatic Milking
Mobile Automatic Milking

Automatic milking has been developed the last 15 years. At this moment there are three options of which only
one is operational:

1. Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) or Voluntary Milking Systems (VMS)
The system is bases on an automatic milking unit, placed in a barn, giving the milking cow individually access
to the milking device. The process last approximately 10 minutes, where after the next cow can enter the box.
In the world there are approximately 2000 farms milking with this system. Some farms have more than one
milking box.

The situation in Denmark (Danish).

AMS situated in the barn

Milking robot (AMS), close-up

2. The mobile automatic milking also called Infield Automatic Milking (IAMS)
The mobile or infield milking parlour can be seen as the primitive ancestor of this concept.

In principle the existing Automatic Milking Units (AMS) or Voluntary Milking Systems (VMS) can be placed in a container, or on a truck, whereafter the unit can be placed close to, or in the pasture, during the grazing season. In the winter time, they can be taken back to the housing facilities. The mobility “Plug and Milk” instead of “plug and play” gives the farm manager possibilities to have herds grazing, without the traffic back and forth to the barn. Link to the system.

The Department of Agricultural Engineering started an innovation research project (Danish language) in 2007 where the concept of mobile automatic milking systems (MAMS) is developed and tested. S A Christensen A/S is a partner in the innovation project and is presently working on a proto type. Photos: Ready to go and After rain

Many practical challenges still remain to be solved. Parallel to the concept development in Denmark, a group of scientist and developers are trying out a similar concept in the Netherlands.

Poster (Danish)

Model of In Field Automatic Milking

3. Milking Robot
This concept is based on normal parlour milking where instead of a worker, a robot hangs the milking
device (teat-cups) on the cow’s udder. The system is not yet in production, but there are industries experimenting.

Nov. 2009

Video on infield-milking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXtk-AJnpNY

Automatic milking has been developed the last 15 years. At this moment there are three options of which only one is operational:

2. The mobile automatic milking also called Infield Automatic Milking (IAMS) The mobile or infield milking parlour can be seen as the primitive ancestor of this concept.

Poster (Danish)

3. Milking Robot This concept is based on normal parlour milking where instead of a worker, a robot hangs the milking device (teat-cups) on the cow’s udder. The system is not yet in production, but there are industries experimenting.

Automatic milking has been developed the last 15 years. At this moment there are three options of which only
one is operational:

2. The mobile automatic milking also called Infield Automatic Milking (IAMS)
The mobile or infield milking parlour can be seen as the primitive ancestor of this concept.

3. Milking Robot
This concept is based on normal parlour milking where instead of a worker, a robot hangs the milking
device (teat-cups) on the cow’s udder. The system is not yet in production, but there are industries experimenting.