What is the full form of AMCU?
Automatic milk collection unit.
Automatic milk collection unitAMCU full form: automatic milk collection unit
AMCU stands for automatic milk collection unit: a scale, a milk analyser and a computer joined at the counter.
A DPU does the same job without a full computer.
What is in one
AMCU and DPU side by side
DPU stands for data processing unit, a small box in place of the computer. Vendors also call it a DPMCU.
| AMCU | DPU | |
|---|---|---|
| The brain | A personal computer | A small data processing unit |
| Joined to it | Scale, analyser, printer | Scale, analyser, thermal printer |
| Sends data to a server | Depends on the set-up | Over a 4G modem on some models |
Sources: NDDB AMCU specification 01.13.020.00 (2017) and a vendor's DPMCU page.
Worked number
How many suppliers one unit can handle
NDDB's two 2017 specifications give the speed.
The ultrasonic AMCU runs about 70 samples an hour and the EMT one about 120.
At 70 an hour, a shift of 150 suppliers takes a little over two hours. That is why the rush hour decides which unit you buy.
An older NABARD model scheme treats these units as worth financing above 350 litres a day, at ₹1.25 lakh. Get a fresh quote, because that price is years old.
One shift150 suppliers
Ultrasonic, 70 an hour2 h 9 min
EMT, 120 an hour1 h 15 min
Using an AMCU with Doodh Master
The Windows app reads the serial line your analyser or AMCU already sends. It is switched on for your account after a call. We have not bench tested specific models, so ask us first and send the model name.
See the analyser and AMCU pageHow it works
What happens when a can reaches an AMCU
Automatic means the machines pass the numbers to each other, so nobody types them. A person still pours the milk and takes the sample. NDDB's specification describes a cycle like this one.
- Identify the supplier. The operator enters the member code.
- Weigh. The milk goes on the scale, up to 200 kg a batch.
- Clear the air. A stirrer vibrates the sample to take air out of fresh milk.
- Test. The analyser takes about 40 seconds and gives fat, SNF and added water.
- Price. The computer finds the rate and works out the amount.
- Show and print. A wall display shows the supplier his figures, and the printer gives him a slip.
- Save. The entry goes into the centre's records.
Ultrasonic or EMT?
NDDB publishes two versions. The ultrasonic one uses sound waves to test fat, SNF and added water. The EMT one, electronic milk tester, reads fat and works out SNF by calculation. It runs faster, about 120 samples an hour against 70. If your plant pays on SNF, ask how each machine arrives at that number.
Analyser alone, or a full unit?
An analyser alone gives you the numbers, and someone still writes them down. That is the step where a 3 becomes an 8 at 7 in the morning. A full unit removes that step. Weigh the cost against your rush hour: if the queue is short and one person keeps up, an analyser and software will do. At 70 samples an hour one machine also sets the pace of your queue. The NDDB analyser and scale both use a serial connection, so check that any software you pick can read them.
AMCU, DPU and AMCS
These three get mixed up. AMCU is the whole counter set on a computer. DPU is the same set around a small box. AMCS, automatic milk collection system, is usually the software side, and NDDB runs one by that name for co-operatives.
What an AMCU cannot do
It does not make milk clean. It reads fat, SNF and added water, and urea, starch or detergent need their own tests. NDDB's list ships daily, weekly and monthly cleaning solutions with the analyser, so cleaning is part of the job. We found no Indian Standard for an AMCU or an electronic milk analyser, so state federation tenders copy the NDDB document.
The parts
What NDDB asks of each part of an AMCU
Use this list when a seller gives you a quote. The accuracy line is the one to read twice: 0.1 FAT on a 500 litre lot is about ₹275.
| Part | What the specification asks |
|---|---|
| Scale | 200 kg, reads to 20 g, stamped by Weights and Measures on site |
| Milk analyser | Fat 0.5 to 12 percent within 0.1. SNF 6 to 12 percent within 0.2. Added water 0 to 60 percent within 5 |
| Stirrer | Ultrasonic, table top, takes air out of the sample |
| Computer | Business class desktop with two serial ports |
| Printer | 24 pin dot matrix, 80 columns |
| Wall display | Member code, cattle type, weight, fat, SNF, rate and amount |
| UPS | 1,500 VA or more, 3 hours at full load |
Source: NDDB specification 01.13.020.00 (2017). The full clause by clause reading is in our AMCU specification guide, and machine prices are in the analyser price guide.
What is the difference between an AMCU and a DPU?
An AMCU runs on a personal computer. A DPU, data processing unit, does the same counter job in a small box.
PC or small boxDo I need an AMCU to start a collection centre?
No. You can start with a scale, a FAT test and software, and add a unit when the rush hour is too long for hand entry.
Not on day oneDoes Doodh Master replace my AMCU's software?
It reads the line the machine sends and does the bills and ledger from there. Whether your model works is a question to ask us first.
Ask us firstHow accurate is an AMCU?
NDDB asks for fat within 0.1 and SNF within 0.2 on the ultrasonic unit. Check it often with a known sample.
Fat within 0.1What does an AMCU cost?
An older NABARD model used ₹1.25 lakh, and that figure is years old. The analyser alone lists at about ₹23,000 to ₹45,000, so get a fresh quote.
Get a fresh quoteEnter one supplier.Print one slip.
Open the demoStep 1 of 3
Open the demo
It opens straight away. No sign-up.
Step 2 of 3
Enter one supplier
Code, litres, FAT and CLR.
Step 3 of 3
Print one slip
The demo keeps nothing. Your own account starts with the 7 free days.