One recent improvement is a new machine that automatically applies customer-specific labels to the plastic sleeves protecting the plants during transport. Machine builder Akerdome developed the system together with KP Holland, while Festo provided the automation expertise and components for the different machine functions. As a result, the different sleeve sizes are processed quickly and reliably, including sleeves for pots as small as 6 cm.
KP Holland is an international horticultural company that not only cultivates Spathiphyllum, Curcuma and Kalanchoe plants, but also develops its own varieties. Its operations cover cultivation, propagation and production across several locations.
“We produce around 250,000 plants every day, which are transported to countries throughout Europe and ultimately sold by major retail chains,” says Frank de Graaf, Site Manager at KP Holland in Maasland. With these production volumes, automation is especially important for repetitive handling and transport processes.
The plastic sleeves protecting the plants during transport are typically pre-printed with information such as the plant variety and care instructions. Increasingly, retailers also want to add their own information, including individual barcodes. These labels were previously applied manually. KP Holland had already tested an automatic labelling machine, but it could not manage all the required pot sizes.
“As demand from our customers to add their own information to the sleeve grew, we decided to develop a new labelling machine that could also cope with sleeves for smaller 6 cm pots,” explains Frank de Graaf.
The new machine was designed by Akerdome, a Dutch machine builder with extensive experience in horticultural automation. “A large proportion of the machines we design are used in horticulture,” says Jesper van Rijn, Project Manager and Engineer at Akerdome. “It is a highly innovative sector that is always interested in solutions that can save time and reduce manual work.”
The machine consists of three main sections: infeed, labelling, and outfeed. A pack of 50 sleeves is fed into the machine, where each sleeve is labelled, picked up using vacuum, turned over and released with a precisely timed blast of compressed air. The sequence repeats until every sleeve in the pack has been labelled.
Akerdome involved Festo to help select the appropriate automation technology for the different machine functions. “Festo has been a partner for us for many years and is particularly good at translating technical requirements into a suitable solution,” says Jesper van Rijn.
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For the sleeve infeed, the team selected pneumatic technology. It offered a cost-effective combination of reliability, speed and sufficient precision for this application, while also being appropriate for the operating environment. Pneumatics was combined with vacuum technology for handling the sleeves and electric drives for transport and label feeding. According to Akerdome, this combination provided the most economical solution for the overall machine concept.
One of the main engineering challenges was the speed and precision required at the labelling station. The machine is designed to apply around 4,000 labels per hour. The sleeves, however, are made from very thin plastic and can easily stick together. This means that picking up a sleeve using vacuum and releasing it again after labelling must happen quickly and accurately. If the timing is not right, the sleeve could be released too early or get damaged during handling. To keep the pneumatic response as immediate as possible, three valve terminals are positioned close to the relevant machine functions:
This decentralised architecture keeps tubing lengths short and also allows the machine to be adjusted for different sleeve sizes.
A key element of the pneumatic concept is the valve terminal VTUX from Festo. The vacuum generator is integrated directly into the valve terminal, supporting the fast vacuum pick-up and compressed-air release required for the application. Its size was selected specifically for the machine requirements. This helps reduce compressed-air consumption while still providing the required performance.
Integrating the vacuum generator into the valve terminal also reduces the number of external components and contributes to a clear and compact machine layout. External filters OAFA for the vacuum generators remain easily accessible for cleaning. An air preparation unit ensures the required compressed-air quality and pressure. For label feeding, Akerdome selected a 24 V DC solution comprising the multi-protocol servo drive CMMT-ST and the corresponding stepper motor EMMT-ST.
Akerdome also placed considerable emphasis on the HMI and ease of operation. Operators can select the appropriate program for each sleeve format. Around 90% of applications are already covered by predefined programs, while additional configurations can be created directly at the machine. The recipe-based approach makes regular changes between different sleeves and labels easier to manage.
“Based on the selected recipe, the operator immediately receives instructions on how to set up the machine correctly,” explains Jesper van Rijn. “This keeps changeover times short and minimises the risk of errors.”
Both KP Holland and Akerdome are satisfied with the finished machine and with the cooperation throughout the project. “Festo offers a very broad portfolio that suits our requirements really well,” says Ruben de Horde, Engineer at Akerdome. “More importantly, the people are just as enthusiastic and involved as we are.”
For this machine, the compact and lightweight valve terminal VTUX proved particularly suitable for decentralised installation. Its modular design also lends itself well to creating the different pressure zones required by the application. In addition, Akerdome valued the engineering support available during the design phase. “Festo has so much experience that we were able to avoid several potential pitfalls during development,” says Ruben de Horde. “Instead of trial and error, we arrived at a sound design that only needed fine-tuning in practice.”
The new machine gives KP Holland an automated approach to applying retailer-specific information to plant sleeves while being able to accommodate different formats and frequent product changes. For Akerdome, the project demonstrates how pneumatic, vacuum and electric automation can be combined to meet the requirements of each machine function. And for KP Holland, it removes another repetitive manual step from a production environment where speed, flexibility and reliability are crucial.
KP Holland sleeve labelling machine: