We can handle any product in any shape, size and weight

OCS supports the vertical farming industry to maximise production through automation. Swedish vertical farm Ljusgårda, increased production from 2 to 60 ton salad/month after installing an automated overhead conveyor system for growing and handling salad.

The installation at Ljusgårda involved a new technical solution that required some extra development work to achieve what is actually a very simple, smart and cost-effective solution.
“We’re still in the learning phase when it comes to Vertical Farming. However, with extensive experience from material handling solutions in a range of different industries, we bring our know-how and work in close collaboration with our customers to find the best solution for their business! I believe we can support in far more applications than many may think. Often an overhead solution is not even considered from the customer’s point of view and that is where we can come in. We like to challenge our customers to think outside the box and see all the benefits of choosing an overhead solution”, says Patrick Djerf, Business Development Manager at OCS.

The OCS conveyors are based on a patented technology that provides an oil-free, quiet and flexible conveyor solution. This creates a clean environment which obviously is essential for this type of industry. OCS’ ambition is to come in contact with new kinds of farmers to find new and innovative solutions for this booming industry.
“We are used to handle everything from buffers of dashboards, bumpers and big elements that can weigh up to 1000s of kilos, to lightweight products such as salad. We can handle every product in any shape, size and weight”, Patrick affirms.

Delight material handling

OCS is currently working together with a European insect farm that wants them to handle 2 m3 cages, with the weight of only 1-3 kgs per cage as they only contain insects. In that case, thousands of cages will be handled on a daily basis to produce large amounts of proteins that can be processed for food. At the same time, lighting and humidity needs to be at the correct levels in order to keep the insects alive, using fabric cages to prevent them from escaping.
Taking the step into the insect industry includes some solution adjustments with a number of hanging cages that create volume and scalability. OCS’s hanging conveyors can play an important role within the insect industry in driving sustainable food production. Especially when it comes to the flexibility and precision of the conveyor.

When and why to automate

In order to make a large-scale facility profitable, automation needs to be implemented. There are, for instance, a few factors that drive innovation. Firstly, reducing labour costs. Moving things around manually isn’t efficient when it’s up to thousands of trays and cages. Depending on the geographics, either cheap labour or automation has to be applied to smoothen the process. In the long run, farmers can save money and increase production through automation as it allows production to run 24/7, in any weather condition. The automation investment needs off course, to have a reasonable ROI in the end.

When farming takes place in a high cost country where the cost of labour is high, automation can play an even bigger roll. OCS can play a role in both worlds, with the fully automated lines, driven by motors and fully controlled. In other words, OCS can offer manual overhead conveyors where operators pull/push the carriers or a fully automated system which dramatically decrease the need for labour. For companies that start with a manual solution, the system can always be scaled up/automated at a later stage.

From an ergonomics perspective, carrying heavy boxes is definitely an issue. By eliminating that risk, OCS can help reduce the need for labour and at the same time, maximize production per m2 as the density can be increased as isles aren’t needed in-between. Automation helps to remove isles, enabling growers to optimally use their floor space to work or grow in multiple rooms at once.
The OCS technology is unique and comes with a very low cost of ownership (TCO). It is both energy efficient and has a long life time with minimum maintenance. Both labour and maintenance cost may otherwise be one of the greatest economical burdens for growers today.