the solution - part 2
the posi-flow automatic transplanting system
With the unprecedented success of The Posi-Flow Planting System in its ability to plant seed, our next step was to develop an adaptation of this system that would have the same success in its ability to automatically transplant seedlings from a tray without human hands ever touching the plants.
With previous transplanters, one of the biggest problems encountered is the extraction method of removing the transplant from the tray. Most all trays used are of the inverted pyramid type and require the transplant to be pulled from the top, whether by human or machine. Some of these earlier methods used to extract the plant cause extensive damage to the transplant. One method uses a pusher foot through the drain hole of the tray which can cause extensive damage to roots at the tip of the transplant plug (the most critical area). Another method employed is a pincher device that grabs the stem and pulls the transplant plug. This concept usually damages the stem, foliage and sometimes the heart of the plant.
The Posi-Flow Planting System takes a much simpler—and less damaging—approach to extracting the transplant from the tray. The plant trays utilized are of an open bottom type; when a transplant is extracted, a high vacuum impulse is applied to the bottom of the transplant, pulling it into the ejector chamber. By pulling the plants through the tray, the foliage folds inward, thus protecting the plant heart which has proven to cause the least amount of injury to the plant. As part of a pneumatic plant transfer system, this new concept is simple in that it only has two moving parts per ejector.
Most automatic planters previously developed used a single tray indexing system per row. To be effectively utilized, automatic planters were constructed in multiple row configurations. Consequently, this resulted in the number of components and moving parts to be multiplied by the number of rows, resulting in high initial cost and high operating maintenance costs. The most important aspect we have developed is a single centralized feeder, which is extremely adaptable to almost any configuration (i.e. 1 to 10 rows of plants at a time, bare ground fields, mulch covered beds & even other manufacturer's planters). The centralized feeder allows the machine to minimize the amount of shaking and shock and operate smoothly, with soft start and stop motions, while still planting large numbers of plants per hour (i.e. 5,400 per 1 line unit and 54,000 per 10 line unit).
To minimize sophistication, the "X" and "Y" movements of the tray indexer also utilize a simple, highly efficient design. Focusing heavily on the importance of these mechanical component movements, result in a system with greater durability and longevity.To perform the indexing of the tray and plant extraction, most of the previous systems utilized sensors, servos, and computers. In an environment where these complex systems are exposed to all elements of nature, from hot sun, to dust and rain, electronic sophistication quickly becomes an on-going maintenance problem. Because of this sophistication, highly trained and expensive labor is needed to keep the planters running. Physical size of these previous indexers and the planter components limit the adaptability of the planter to be set up for different regional needs. Physical limitation, as to how fast the system can run without damage to the equipment and the transplant, has many times reduced the potential labor savings and economic benefit of an automatic planter.
The Posi-Flow Automatic Transplanting System addresses and solves all of these issues. Our simple design concept can be easily serviced and easily adapted to meet the specific regional needs of individual growers and their ground conditions with multiple configurations. See The Posi-Flow Automatic Transplanting System in action in the video below.
The Accomplishments
The system efficiently plants more transplants in less time, when compared with previous automatic transplanting systems, with less moving parts, which equals less wear-and-tear on the machinery, and without compromising the integrity of the plant as it is moved from the growing tray to the ground. Less labor, faster planting times, and higher yields result in higher cost savings for the grower.