MILKOTRONIC – ANALYSEURS DE LAIT ULTRASONIQUES
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Lactoscan?

2. How and Where can I use Lactoscan?

3. What are the advantages of the ultrasonic method compared to the infrared technology?

4. What are the advantages of Lactoscan when compared to the rest of the ultrasonic milk analyzers?

5. What are the advantages of Lactoscan when compared to the traditional chemical methods?

6. What are the most frequent falsifications in milk and in what way Lactoscan helps preventing them?

7. What has to be done in case I need to print out the measurement results?

8. Which are the data necessary to be told to the service specialist in case that in the process of exploitation there is a need to ask question regarding the analyzer?

9. Measuring water samples
I received the milk analyser from the supplier and decided to try it right away. As there wasn't any milk in the office I've poured water and started measurement. The results seemed to me disturbing.
Example for several consequent measurements:
Fat = 0.05%
Fat = 0.02%
Fat = 0.08%
The results for the rest of the parameters were analogus, even the results for Freezing Point and Added Water were not shown. But when I've changed the water with milk on the following day I was pleasantly surprised, as the results were stable and even with smaller deviations compared to the water samples.
Question: What is the reason?

10. When analyzing a reference sample without added water, the analyzer measures all parameters correctly, but shows 8% added water. How is it possible to correct the added water to 0%?


1. What is Lactoscan?
Lactoscan is portable ultrasonic milk analyzer for quick analyses of fat, solids-non-fat (SNF), proteins, lactose, added water, temperature, freezing point, pH, solids, conductivity as well as density of one and the same milk sample directly after milking, at collection and during processing.

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2. How and Where can I use Lactoscan?
Lactoscan changes milk collection – the milk analyses pass from milk laboratories towards milk collecting centers, farms, and small dairy farms. With 12 V adapters, milk analysis can be moved on the milk collection trucks. Possessing high accuracy and speed, minimal power consumption and lack of consumables make milk analyser Lactoscan attractive for the dairy industry. Easy to work with, low cost maintenance and low price make milk analyzer Lactoscan suitable for dairy farms, milk collection centers, dairy enterprises, milk selection centers and laboratories. Lactoscan can be used in small dairy plants for quality assurance and control of important economic parameters as fat and protein where fast and accurate results enable quick adjustments in the production for optimal production economy. Lactoscan can also be used for pioneering quality-based payment schemes in places where payment analysis is decentralizes and require a smaller number of daily tests. The fast and accurate results enables offering immediate and fair payment to the milk producers. Lactoscan is a solution for milk composition analysis used within: milk payment analysis to ensure a fair payment to the dairy farmers, milk standardization to improve the quality, process control and economy in dairies, Dairy Herd Improvement to optimize feeding and breeding practices.

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3. What are the advantages of the ultrasonic method compared to the infrared technology?
The ultrasound technology overcomes some of the basic disadvantages of the infrared technology. Due to the ultrasound technology:
1. Lactoscan measures directly cold milk samples starting at 5°C.
2. There is no need of Lactoscan's periodical calibration.
3. The measurement accuracy of Lactoscan is not dependent on milk's acidity.
4. Analyzing any kind of milk.

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4. What are the advantages of Lactoscan when compared to the rest of the ultrasonic milk analyzers?
LACTOSCAN OTHER ULTRASONIC MILK ANALYZERS
Milk sample temperature from 5 to 40°C Milk sample temperature only from 15 to 30°C
FAT measuring range 0 — 25% FAT measuring range only 0,5 — 9%
Ambient temperature range 5 — 35°C Ambient temperature range only 15 — 30°C
Calibration, possible to be done in every laboratory Can be calibrated only from the producing company
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5. What are the advantages of Lactoscan when compared to the traditional chemical methods?
Features Lactoscan Chemical fat testing
Analysis time Approx. 90, 60, 30 sec. > 12 minutes
Parameters fat, protein, lactose, solids-non-fat, freezing point depression, added water, milk temperature, solids, density. Fat only
Operation Operator independent
For non-skilled users
Very operator dependent
For skilled laboratory personnel
Measurement Automatic Manual
Stability Simple and robust construction and no human errors Includes many accessories in testing and human handling
Accuracy 2% CV ~ 2.5% CV
Sample handling No sample treatment - analysis of cold samples Centrifuging, water bath, chemicals
Reagents No reagents Hazardous chemicals — e.g.sulphuric acid
Technology Ultrasonic technology Approved reference method
Safety Offers operator safety Not safe to use
Value of ownership Low cost per analysis and quick adjustment in production for optimal production economy. For Cost per Milk Sample Comparison click here Costs for glass bottles, butyrometers, centrifuge, chemicals, labor and long testing time => delay inproduction adjustment
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6. What are the most frequent falsifications in milk and in what way Lactoscan helps preventing them?
1. Falsifications - aiming increasing the volume of the milk – added water, fat detraction, double falsification (simultaneously added water and fat detraction), adding whey, or other liquids.
2. Falsifications, when unusual substances are added. The aim of this is to cover another kind of falsification or to stop turning the milk foxy. For this purpose are used flour or farina when there is added water to the milk, and soda bicarbonate when the milk is with increased acidity and different aseptic substances.
3. Mixing different kinds of milk and offering it as more valuable kind. Mixing goat and sheep’s milk and offering it as a sheep's, have skimmed cow milk with whole buffalo for whole sheep’s etc.
For more details: Milk falsifications

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7. What has to be done in case I need to print out the measurement results?
In order to print out the results connect the printer towards the analyzer via two cables: interface cable and power cable 12V and switch on the printer.
The way of connecting is shown on the scheme in the Operation manual. If you prepare cables yourselves or want to connect another printer, they have to correspond to those, pointed out in the manual.
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8. Which are the data necessary to be told to the service specialist in case that in the process of exploitation there is a need to ask question regarding the analyzer?Which are the data necessary to be told to the service specialist in case that in the process of exploitation there is a need to ask question regarding the analyzer?
Due to the big variety of the analyzers as a result of their continuous improvement you have to send the data, written on the display during the below described initialization procedure i.e. the analyzer’s identity.
Receiving the identity of the analyzer:
In case of analyzer with LCD display, independently what is its version – 60, 90-sec. etc.
Switch on the “POWER” button, which starts the identification procedure. For a short time the display shows the number of the software versions, for example:

where:
Milkanalyzer 60 is the time for measurement.
LCD vers XX is display control software version.
MA vers YY is the motherboard software version.
MA ser. N. xxxx is the serial number – written on the rear panel of the analyzer.

In case of analyser with LED display, independently what is its version – 60, 90-sec. etc.
The first 4 messages, appearing on the display in 2 sec. intervals.
Example:
LA.90 is the time for measurement.
1.36 is the motherboard software version.
r 1.1
36.67 is the serial number of the analyser

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9. Measuring water samples
The main reason is that you've tried to use the milk analysers as "wateranalyzer".
In fact the reasults from water measurements are in the scope of the absolute minimum of the measuring scale i.e. in the zone with the smallest sensibility. When measuring water instead of real milk samples the results for Freezing Point and Added Water are not valid and that's why not shown on the display and on the printer as well.
The device has been calibrated to measure milk and dairy products with normal parameters, but not water or other liquids. In case that Freezing Point and Added Water results are not displayed when measuring real milk sample, then a correction of the Basic Freezing Point is needed, as is explained in the Operation Manual. The reaction of the analyser will be the same if you try to measure the pH of liquids in range, different form that of the milk.
Water measurement can be used only as a trial is the analyzer working and for personnel training, but please, do not make conclusions about the exactness of the measuring system of the analyser from such trials.

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10. When analyzing a reference sample without added water, the analyzer measures all parameters correctly, but shows 8% added water. How is it possible to correct the added water to 0%?
1-st way:
Please, read carefully Appendix 6 of the Operation Manual. The readings of added water depend on the correct determination of milk’s Freezing point and Basic Freezing point.

For basic freezing point (FrPoint_base) one has to enter the measured freezing point of the control milk sample.

In order to change the value of the added water the basic freezing point needs to be changed (FrPoint_base).
Enter mode: SetUp – Settings – EditFrPoint – FrPoint1
Factory set FrPoint_base = -0,520
To decrease the value of the added water one has to increase the basic freezing point (for example from -0,520 to -0,500).
To increase the value of the added water, the basic freezing point has to be decreased (for example from -0,520 to -0,540).

2-nd way:
In order to change the readings for the added water:
SetUp – Corrections – Calibration1 – Water – (+/-)%
(+) increases, (-) decreases the correction in the value of the added water.

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