Danish company Gartneriet PKM is one of the market leaders in the production of Campanula and invests in efficiency and peace of mind. PKM focuses on sizeable labor savings, faster response times to market and tranquility in the workplace. In collaboration with WPS a delivery system was designed that meets all these requirements. This system will be operational at the beginning of 2017.
The delivery system is fully automatic and gets all plants sorted using a vision system. Next the plants are buffered with high capacity to ensure maximum capacity and speed when packing the plant.
Breakthrough in transferring and spacing robots
The plants are taken from the container and placed in a carrier by an industrial robot. After a camera evaluation the suitable plants are separated from the not yet suitable plants. The plants that are not ready for delivery yet are automatically returned to containers.
In the past linear robots were used for these actions. With this WPS innovation industrial robots can now be used. These robots can be employed more flexibly. At PKM one robot is used for two procedures: the picking up and spacing of Campanula. Both acts are performed with maximum capacity per hour.
Automated potted plant packing by robot
WPS is currently working on an innovation for which there is high demand; automatically placing plants into trays. The plant is taken out of a carrier by a robot and placed in the desired tray. Three robots in total ensure that packing can be done automatically. Every robot has its own tray stacker and can handle 6 different types of trays. For every tray stacker a buffer can be created with a capacity of 250 trays. This solution will be operational at PKM by mid-2017.
The spacing robot in action at the WPS Test Centre
For more information:
WPS
Kijckerweg 115
2678 AC De Lier
T +31 (0)174 671 371
F +31 (0)174 671 372
E: info@wps.eu
www.wps.eu/nl
Gartneriet PKM
Slettensvej 207-215
DK-5270 Odense N
T: +45 6618 9074
F: +45 6618 7954
E: pkm@pkm.dk
www.pkm.dk