Milking Liner Changeouts – When and Why
How many milkings is too many milkings for a liner?
Lifespan of a milking liner:
Every milking liner brand has different recommendations for when to call it quits and swap out for a new set. Overtime all liners start to lose their integrity after they hit a certain number of milkings. The need to change milking liners is very similar to why we change the oil in a car after hitting the recommend miles or why it is recommended to swap out toothbrushes every 3 months. (Recommended milkings for liners across commonly available brands range from 1200 to 7000.)
Why do milking liners have a recommended lifespan:
Degradation of material – Things like butterfat absorption, continued flexing, and exposure to wash chemicals contribute to changing the physical properties of materials used to produce milking liners. These everyday elements can result in liner tears, changes in touchpoint, and difficulties forming a proper seal with the shell which are all visible signs that liners need changed.
Continued flexing – A milking liner flexes an average 300 times during a single milking! Some liner materials and designs handle this better than others, however, continued flexing eventually results in relaxed material, causing changes in touchpoint, cracks/crevices (usually not in silicone), and reduced cleanability.
Deformation over time – Stretching and shape distortion can cause issues with sealing, general shell fit, teat fit, and can create squawking. This is often noticeable on the mouth piece of the liner, and can negatively affect milking performance.
Damage to milking liners over time – Damage isn’t always visible to the eye and often happens in the milk tube. Things like small undetectable holes from a liner getting stepped on, bacteria forming in microscopic cracks, and general wear and tear can cause serious ongoing undetectable issues.
The Lauren Liner is considered a long lifespan liner with a recommended optimal liner life guaranteed for a minimum of 5000 milkings. Lauren AgriSystems holds our materials and designs to the highest standards possible. Our liners are made with a patented Tri-Circle® barrel and proprietary DairyGrade® silicone compound that is designed to withstand the diverse elements found in milking parlors, thus providing dairies with a long-lasting, high-performing, easy to clean, and quiet milking liner.
Lauren AgriSystems’ Liners improve your bottom line by reducing expenses and increasing productivity.
Want to see our testing and research? Contact Us and we will show you.