Crea-Tech International B.V. - Satter orchids

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Spacing growth cells

Company profile;

Satter Orchids is a specialized nursery with the latest atomisation techniques. Satter Orchids has an area of 40,000 m2. All kinds and varieties of pot orchids here are carefully grown and then prepared for transport to various flower auctions in the Netherlands. From there, these orchids are their destinations across Europe!

Project Objective:

The spacing of the orchids in plant growth cells.

Concept

The orchids had their first growth phase in a container and it had been picked up by hand and placed in the growing cells. These growth cells are presented in specially designed carriers. These carriers are transported around on a loop of conveyors and only go to the put down robot when a plant is placed in the growth cell.

The put down robot is equipped with vacuum grippers. These grippers pick up the growth cell, on one side and thereby places growth cells extremely tight together in the container to get the maximum benefit of the expensive growing area.

The emptied carriers are cleaned with a simple rotating system, and transported to the “filling robot” who picks up new growth cells, and places them into the carriers. Growth cells are sometimes placed by hand into the container and are not always exactly on the same position. In order to avoid problems, the robot is equipped with special designed 3-point inside out grippers, to pick up the cells from its inside.