Automation with a systems approach

Photo courtesy of Edwin Dijkshoorn

Labor constraints that have only been exacerbated by COVID-19 disruptions have driven commercial greenhouse growers to take a closer look at where automating processes makes the most sense.

Traditionally, spacing and moving plants to and from the various bays is likely the most labor-intensive aspect — aside from potting up and transplanting — of growing under glass. It involves many people, carts and tractors to move these plants.

WPS (We Prove Solutions), a Dutch horticultural automation firm with an office in the USA, is one of the industry's best-known designers and suppliers of conveyor-based plant mover systems. The word “systems” specifically is where WPS sets itself apart, according to North America director of business development Edwin Dijkshoorn.

“Many industries have solved labor problems in the past with fixed conveyor belt systems,” Dijkshoorn says. “We sell full systems because the labor of hauling movable belts around is also costly.”

A WPS SmartFlo conveyor system can be as simple or sophisticated as the grower wants it to be. It can include everything from QR-scanners that scan the sides of pots and move them to different bays based on parameters set by the head grower, or even fully robotic arms that can complete a multitude of tasks around the clock. Or it can be a simple routing of logistical transport conveyors around the greenhouse that alleviates the need to cart plants around.

“Everything we offer is scalable, and we can go from pretty low technology [setups] to fairly high technology, and everything in between,” Dijkshoorn says. “For instance, our first industrial robotic arms were implemented in one of our systems more than a decade ago.”

Dijkshoorn (pictured above) adds that WPS can help solve labor issues with its systems. By creating more ease and comfort for greenhouse employees, instead of backbreaking work, employee retention goes up and flattens peak requirement of extra labor. This is what most of his clients name as the greatest benefit.

WPS has set a dot on the horizon to help growers achieve as much of 100% hands free growing as possible.