Have you booked in your milk machine testing?

Testing early in the season not only ensures that potential problems are picked up, but it also reduces delays due to the last-minute rush to compliance.

Milk machine testing is now a requirement and for good reason. Nobody likes the sound of a full plant failure and the associated cost of that downtime. Machine malfunctions can cause teat damage, increasing the risk of infection in your stock. An annual test by a registered milk machine tester will help keep things running smoothly, and ensure you meet compliance.

Milk Machine Testing

Milk machine testing is now part of regulation, with all dairy sheds needing to undertake a test twice a year. There are practical reasons as to why testing takes place. Faulting milking equipment is estimated to cause between 40-50% of clinical cases within NZ dairy herds. As a major exporter of dairy products and equipment, New Zealand must conform to milking machine standards set by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

What’s involved in Milk Machine Testing?

Testers must be MPTA Certified, this ensures they’re up with the latest information on milk machine testing, and their work is checked against the rest of the industry.

Milk Machine Testing has three parts:

• A vacuum test checking for any leaks, restrictions or damage
• A visual report with all the components checked and ticked off
• A summary of recommendations with what is required to the machine working back to full capacity

Any deficiencies are noted in the report and whether minor or major, it’s good to address them all – as minor faults can become major if disregarded. When you’re using the dairy plant day after day, little drops won’t be picked up on, but this test will ensure those issues are picked up on immediately and can be addressed. It can pre-empt equipment failure, saving you from some major failures that can be time-consuming and costly.

Why choose Nind Dairy Services for Milk Machine Testing?

The Nind Dairy Services team have fully certified testers (Farm Dairy Assessor qualification) and carry state-of-the-art testing equipment to make the process as quick and easy as possible. All Nind Dairy Services vehicles are fully equipped with consumables and tools to fix any small problems that may arise. This can be a huge saving, as some small fixes can stop larger problems developing and on-the-spot fixes cut return visit costs.