Design and manufacturing of a new milk sampling device

Cow's milk is a food product with a high nutritional value that stands out in human nutrition worldwide. Therefore, raw milk production in our country is significant. The amount produced for 2024 is estimated to be 22 487 757 tons. The chemical composition of milk is affected by various environmental, genetic, and management factors. Analyses of milk to measure these changes are crucial for determining the animal's nutrition, health status, genetic potential, the value of milk products, and potential adulteration. Because the nutritional content of milk is not uniform during milking, the entire milk should be sampled after milking or analyzed by sampling over time. Milk samples obtained from farms affiliated with the Manavgat Milk and Dairy Products Producers Association were analyzed at the association's milk analysis laboratory. Analysis of milk samples from 130 farms revealed that the milk nutritional elements were below the standards set by the National Milk Council (NMC). Based on the fat-to-protein ratio calculated from the farms' milk analysis results, 17% were found to be in acidosis and 3.1% were found to be in ketosis. The low milk nutritional content of the remaining farms also indicated serious deficiencies in animal nutrition. In this study, three different milk sampling devices were produced to accurately sample milk during milking. The analysis of milk samples collected using a 3D printer was compared with a commercially available milk sampling device. The results revealed no significant differences between the parameters examined, with the exception of the amount of sample collected. While the new milk sampling prototype has been proven to provide accurate sampling without affecting the milking system, further, more comprehensive studies are needed to bring it to commercial scale.