High-tech and nature: intelligent technologies for outdoor cultivation
Milking robots with solutions from Festo have been demonstrating for more than 20 years how automation makes everyday life easier for farmers. Today, robot technology, camera technology and intelligent controllers handle complex tasks in plant cultivation. This reduces physical strain, time, pesticides and costs, while increasing yields and protecting the crop at the same time. This enables farmers to work more efficiently, economically and sustainably.
Festo makes agriculture smarter, easier and more efficient. Our innovations ensure high yields, while durable components reliably cope with dust, moisture and with being used continuously, whether in fields, in barns or in fruit and vegetable growing. Our systems are easy to integrate and run smoothly, for anything from gripping and moving to controlling. This allows you to get machines into the field faster, increase yields and minimise effort.
Are you looking for innovative ideas for automated agricultural machinery, be they intelligent harvesting assistants or scalable field robots?
Get in touch with us!Practical applications and suitable products
Plants & propagating
Do you develop intelligent planting machines for healthy growth and maximum efficiency? Our products help you do this and ensure uniform growth and top-quality young plants. The electric toothed belt axis ELGD separates and positions seedlings quickly and precisely, while the compact cylinder DSNU moves delicate plants gently. The solenoid valve VUVS can control grippers precisely – perfect for fast and clean gripper opening.
Spot spraying
Significantly reduce the cost of chemicals and protect the environment at the same time. The decentralised I/O system CPX-AP-I – a communication node between sensors, cameras and valves – transmits data and images in real-time. The central control unit CPX-E processes this information in milliseconds and controls the customised valve solution with maximum precision so spraying is only done where it is needed. The result: maximum effect with minimum use of resources.
Hoeing
Automated hoeing reduces manual labour and increases precision both in and between the rows. Our durable stepper motors EMMT-ST with matching motor controllers CMMT-ST reliably achieve the required cycle time. With the electric toothed belt axis ELGD, tools can be moved from row to row quickly and dynamically. Our customer H2L is already using this solution successfully in tulip cultivation, where precise and reliable work in confined spaces is crucial.
Harvest automation
Automated systems for harvesting increase efficiency and ensure the quality of delicate crops. With the parallel gripper HGPL and angle gripper DHAS fruit and vegetables can be gripped gently and securely, while the rotary module DSM can carry out precise movements like a human wrist. In combination with the soft gripper HPSX and our vacuum generators – which gently draw in products – the result is a solution that reduces waste, maintains quality and makes harvesting processes more economical.
Sorting
Optimise your post-harvest processes with automated high-speed sorting for a faster pace and consistent quality. Thousands of products per minute are precisely sorted according to size and quality thanks to the compact cylinder DSNU which ensures fast movements, and the service unit MSB6 which provides a clean air supply. The automated platforms CPX-AP-I and CPX-E take care of communication and control so that the sorting operations run synchronously and waste is minimised.
High-tech and nature: intelligent technologies for outdoor cultivation
Our automation solutions set protected cultivation in motion. Our technology ensures that the conditions for all plants are optimal, whether they are tender young plants that need to be carefully repotted or reliably transported using automated conveyor systems. This saves you time and money and allows you to get more out of your systems for protected cultivation, hydroponics or vertical farming.
Do you want to get more new ideas for automation, digital technology and scalable systems for modern protected cultivation?
Get in touch with us!Sensitive and precise: automated propagation of young plants
Automated handling of plug plants is a key step in modern plant production. Sensitive seedlings have to be identified, carefully gripped and planted with precision – a task that requires maximum precision and speed.
Festo offers customised solutions for all these processes:
- The MultiChoiceGripper adapts flexibly to different plant sizes and enables damage-free gripping.
- The valve terminal VTUX ensures fast control and high cycle rates.
- The vacuum generator VN makes handling operations reliable thanks to constant negative pressure.
- The automation platform CPX-E offers powerful computing performance for the required image processing.
These components support machine builders with the development of efficient and powerful automation solutions for demanding environments that are reliable, precise and gentle on every plant.
Automated repotting: solutions for modern planting machines
Transplanters play a key role in the modern horticultural industry. They automate the delicate transplanting of plug plants from small trays to larger trays or growing areas. These systems grip and transport seedlings, sort them according to quality and place them precisely, quickly and gently. Automation is essential to ensure the plants are evenly spaced and growing conditions are optimum.
Festo offers customised solutions for this demanding task:
- 2-axis handling systems with servo drives CMMT-ST, stepper motors EMMT-ST and toothed belt axes ELGD-TB provide the precision required for accurately placing and sorting plants.
- Compressed air service units (MS series) provide clean, constant compressed air for precise gripping and smooth movements.
- Valve terminals VTUX make sure the pneumatic actuators are controlled quickly and precisely, ideal for rapidly moving and sorting plants.
The combination of clean compressed air, fast control and precise positioning forms the basis for powerful and reliable transplanters and for achieving maximum efficiency and minimising plant damage.
Automated plant transport: increasing productivity with reliable components
Automated plant transport systems are crucial for optimising the flow of materials in large nurseries and greenhouses. These systems move plants efficiently between different growth phases and processing stations, ensuring a smooth process. Plants are sorted according to size and quality and then transported to the appropriate stations. Automation reduces manual labour and increases productivity.
Festo offers sturdy and reliable components for these systems:
- Our Simplified Motion Series helps you to solve the simplest motion and positioning tasks electrically and cost-effectively.
- Valves VUVG enable cylinders to be controlled quickly and accurately for synchronised movements.
- Linear drives DGC-K offer smooth transport over longer distances, ideal for conveyor belts or transport between workspaces.
- PUN-H tubing provides a reliable and efficient supply of compressed air.
These components work together seamlessly, creating a high-performance system that minimises downtime and maximises productivity.
Automation in the flower industry: sorting and packing flowers and ornamental plants
Sorting and packing flowers is a special automation task in horticulture. Modern systems efficiently pack flowers ready for distribution. The process includes sorting by quality and variety, inserting them into protective sleeves and feeding the packaged flowers into downstream processes. This automation is crucial for gently processing the delicate flowers once they have been harvested and for ensuring they are delivered to the consumer in optimum condition.
Festo offers electric and pneumatic solutions for this demanding task:
- Servo drives CMMT-ST and stepper motors EMMT-ST in combination with the toothed belt axis ELGD-TB enable synchronised movements of the robot grippers, guaranteeing the flowers are handled gently.
- Festo gripper solutions, which are customised for different flower sizes and shapes, ensure a secure grip without causing any damage.
- Compact cylinders ADN-S perform additional tasks such as adjusting the sleeves and precisely positioning the flowers.
With a combination of electric drives, flexible grippers and reliable pneumatic components, Festo offers comprehensive automation solutions for sorting and packing flowers and ornamental plants.
We are your automation partner for sustainable agriculture
The video shows in just 1:48 minutes how our customers are successfully using smart technologies from Festo to make their greenhouses more productive.
"Agriculture is becoming increasingly digitalised and electrified. Our automation solutions, both electric and pneumatic, enable precise and tactile motion applications in greenhouses as well as reliable solutions in open field farming. From harvesting aubergines to chopping onions, we are ready to master future challenges together with you!"
Christine Marie von der Ohe
Global Agriculture Business Development, Festo SE & Co KG
Get started with hydroponics with the online course in Festo LX
Agriculture today involves facing huge challenges, but also exciting new journeys. One of these is hydroponics – an innovative complementary concept to conventional production. Broaden your knowledge of farming without soil in our online course in Festo LX, co-funded by the European Union.
More about hydroponics