Optimal Design of a Supply System of an Automated Grafting Machine

Grafting is an operation aimed at the preparation of disease resistant plants (as e.g. tomatoes or peppers), which permit to contrast soilborne pathogens and to limit the use pesticides or chemical fumigants. Nowadays, this operation is typically performed manually, even if some prototype, at different level of automation, are available. In the context of a National Research Program (PRIN2009), a completely automated machine, expressly dedicated to Mediterranean nurseries and crops, is under design. Aim of this work is to study and design the supplying and sorting system of this new prototype of grafting machine. To reduce costs, mechanical complexity was minimized, maintaining the same level of performances adopting specific control strategies.