When is someone in agribusiness going to communicate with the pump manufacturers about design of flanges?
One of my best helpers is a dairy farmer who was shocked at the design of the pumping equipment for breast milk expression.  He said they were designed to cause mastitis.  He was referring to the older models we used in hospital, with glass flanges and adjustable suction.  They regularly led to edema at the nipple and plugged ducts because of the pressure required to maintain a seal between flange and breast.  I haven't noticed any revolutionary design changes except the air cushions in some models, and that was 15 years ago.
BTW, this man is a sales agent for goat milking equipment.  Check out the flanges available for dairy animals-- they are much more sophisticated.  Peristaltic action on the teat, softer flanges, designed for each species.  If the pumps don't work, farmers won't use them because they end up with sick animals and no milk yields.   Money is everything!
Rachel Myr
sunny and frighteningly mild in Norway on this first day of the new year

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