Recent European Community directives have increasingly limited use of pesticides and chemical fu- migants, such as methyl bromide, to counteract soilborne pathogens. An efficient option to these dis- couraged chemical treatments can be the adoption of disease resistant grafted plants (as e.g. toma- toes or peppers), even if this technique is labour consuming and involves tedious repetitive actions. These aspects encourage the development of automated machines, in order to increase the productiv- ity and the rooting success rate and to reduce costs, allowing grafting to be more economically sus- tainable. The design and implementation of the supplying and sorting system of a new prototype of a grafting machine is presented in this paper. Target of developing a mechanical structure simplest and cheapest possible was achieved basing the supplying system on a passive linear guide with six single- axis independent robot modules, relying on automation and control for the fulfilment of performance specifications. While modules translate along the guide, a grip can drop off seedlings with shoots picked up from the feeding trays and shoots can be classified, in terms of diameter, by a vision system positioned along the guide. The same system is also devoted to handling produced grafted seedling to the outlet grip. The optimal design of the system, in terms of number of single-axis robots and control strategy principles, has been obtained with the goal to maximize the throughput of the machine and minimize the occurrence of scions and rootstock mismatches.
Multiple single-axis robots for automated grafting machine supplying system
COMBA, Lorenzo;GAY, Paolo;RICAUDA AIMONINO, Davide;TORTIA, Cristina
2014-01-01
Abstract
Recent European Community directives have increasingly limited use of pesticides and chemical fu- migants, such as methyl bromide, to counteract soilborne pathogens. An efficient option to these dis- couraged chemical treatments can be the adoption of disease resistant grafted plants (as e.g. toma- toes or peppers), even if this technique is labour consuming and involves tedious repetitive actions. These aspects encourage the development of automated machines, in order to increase the productiv- ity and the rooting success rate and to reduce costs, allowing grafting to be more economically sus- tainable. The design and implementation of the supplying and sorting system of a new prototype of a grafting machine is presented in this paper. Target of developing a mechanical structure simplest and cheapest possible was achieved basing the supplying system on a passive linear guide with six single- axis independent robot modules, relying on automation and control for the fulfilment of performance specifications. While modules translate along the guide, a grip can drop off seedlings with shoots picked up from the feeding trays and shoots can be classified, in terms of diameter, by a vision system positioned along the guide. The same system is also devoted to handling produced grafted seedling to the outlet grip. The optimal design of the system, in terms of number of single-axis robots and control strategy principles, has been obtained with the goal to maximize the throughput of the machine and minimize the occurrence of scions and rootstock mismatches.
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