The Dutch Quality System for Milking-Machine Maintenance

摘要

Without doubt, the milking machine is one of the most intensively used machines on a dairy farm. A well-functioning milking machine is a prerequisite for good udder health and excellent milk quality. As a consequence, each milking system should be serviced and checked at least once a year. In the eighties and nineties ISO standards were developed for milking machines. In the Netherlands, these standards were implemented in a quality system for the maintenance of milking machines and the accuracy check on milk-recording equipment. Certified technicians of the milking-machine dealers conduct these checks. An independent organization, KOM, established as a result of an agreement between the national farmers union, the milking-machine manufacturers union and the national breeding and milk-recording organization, is responsible for the quality control KOM has developed several activities to control the quality system, like registration and evaluation of all test reports made by the technicians includingreports on the accuracy of milk meters and jars, annual control and calibration of the test equipment used by technicians, performing random checks on the 'quality of work' of the technician, and education and certification of (new) technicians. Moreover studies on the relation between milking-machine settings and milk quality are carried out and guidelines for new areas like automatic milking systems are developed. The system guarantees the farmer that the maintenance of his milking machine and the necessary accuracy checks of milk meters and jars are performed well against minimal costs. The system has been incorporated in the total quality management system for dairy producers of the Dutch dairy industry.