16
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • JULY 2017
• AUTOMATION
flexibility required. “In today’s fast changingmarketmany
growers decide to install automation stepby step, which
is possiblewithourmodular build-upof the equipment,”
addsBernardo. “The costs for such systems have
decreased and the experience of growers and installers to
be able to advise on the necessary logistics has grown.”
There aredifferent scales of automation, andPhillip
points to the latest introduction from Italianmanufacturer
Urbinati; a fully automatedDanish trolley loading system.
“Danish trolleys are automatically loaded from the out-
feedbelt of the transplanter. The unit can load trolleys
with shelves set at any spacing required andwill handle
a range of different tray sizes fromplasticmulti-cell trays,
shuttle or pot trays, or polystyrenebeddingplant trays.”
BothBernardo and Ianpoint out that such amodular
approachmakes the retrofittingof equipment possible in
most situations, but Ianwarns that thephysical limitations
of older glass, includinggutter heights, the number of
stanchions, floor quality andpathways can all create
barriers to efficient production. “Automation is not for
every grower, but withgrowers gettingbigger andbigger,
cost price needs tobedecreased and automation is a
way todo this,” explainsBernardo. “Todecidewhether
automation is suitable for your growing area, youneed a
longer termplanof crops and varieties, which iswhywe
advise to automate smartly and take it stepby step.”
“It is difficult tobe specific, but payback times canbe
remarkably quick,” stressesRichardHamilton. “At one
extremewe had a customer whobought adrum seeder
andpaid for it within threemonths through savings on
seedwastage and improvement of sowing consistency.”
On the other handhe cites customerswho havebought
transplanters simply to enable them to continue in
business due to the lack of available seasonal labour.
In these cases itmay take several years to recoup the
financial cost, but there are numerous factorswhich can
drive the case for automation.
01295 688422www.hortec.co.uk
JavoPlusM2
PottingMachine
Ecobasicpottingmachine fromJavo.
TeaCube 600N transporter fromHamiltonDesign.
The latest automaticDanishTrolley loading system from
Urbinati.
