OCS helps Swedish company Ljusgarda with automated salad production- from 2 to 60 ton salad per months

Ljusgarda’s production, which so far has been managed partly manually on a smaller scale on an area of 650 sqm, has now been transformed into an automated production system of 7,000 sqm with high ambitions for continued expansion and growth. Ljusgarda contacted OCS and requested a solution that could handle and automatically transport 2.5 meter long vertical pipes for salad cultivation. The plants should be transported through various stations and cultivation rooms.

300 000 plants
Ljusgarda is located in Tibro, in a facility previously used for wood industry now upgraded to a state-of-the-art indoor vertical farm. The plant is climate certified where air, light and water are regulated to create perfect growing conditions for each specific plant. The cultivation rooms are designed as closed cells to minimize contamination of any pests between the tubes in the different chambers.

The system handles 48 wagons in each cultivation room and a total of 672 pipes are harvested every day. The carriages are positioned in such a way that irrigation is possible from above the pipes. Lighting and ventilation are integrated with the conveyor system. At maximum capacity, the system holds approximately 300 000 plants.

Improved quality
Studies show that today’s fruits and vegetables contain less vitamins and minerals than 50 years ago. The main explanation for this is that the nutrient content has been neglected during decades of plant breeding with a one-sided focus on high yields. By growing indoors, under controlled conditions, you ensure both the production process, the environment and the quality of the products.

After planting, the crops stay in the cultivation room for about 14 days. The crops are harvested at least twice to achieve the highest productivity and growth. While the tubes are in the cultivation room, it is easy to request a cart from a desired position in the room to perform inspection of the plants. When the crops are ready for harvest, they are automatically transported to the harvesting room, via a transport section by using the OCS 500 system. The salad is harvested, checked and packaged before it is time for transport to the stores.

– Having a fully automatic transport system has been obvious to us from the beginning, and OCS’ overhead conveyor solution is really smart. The fact that the whole installation process was conducted in an extremely professional way is an extra plus, says Mats Hellman”, Main Project Manager at Ljusgarda.

– Ljusgårda is an exciting customer for us, who challenged us to think new and creative. Our specially designed hanging conveyor solutions, help the booming vertical farming industry with maximized production. If our system can contribute to increased quality and facilitate cultivation, we feel very satisfied and proud, describes OCS CEO Kenth Almqvist.

Thanks to the new way of growing salad, more than 600 pallets of salad will leave Ljusgarda to be distributed to more than 800 supermarkets in Sweden every week. OCS with their core values Lean, Clean and Green contributes to climate smart indoor farming at Ljusgarda.

For more information, please contact:

OCS Sales Director Christer Lundgren
christer.lundgren@ocs.se 
+46 33 – 23 33 83

OCS Business Development Manager Patrick Djerf
patrick.djerf@ocs.se
+ 46 33 – 20 04 30

OCS is part of Axel Johnson International, a global industrial group of more than 150 companies in 30 countries. Axel Johnson International drives business development and growth through a long-term approach to ownership in strategically selected niche markets, primarily technical components and solutions for industrial processes. Axel Johnson International is organised in six business groups: Driveline Solutions, Fluid Handling Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Lifting Solutions, Power Transmission Solutions and Transport Solutions. Axel Johnson International is part of the Swedish family-owned corporate group Axel Johnson.

www.axinter.com