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Insights From the Food Production Industry

Automated greenhouse

The food industry is a growing and rapidly changing industry. As the global population continues to grow, the industry is constantly evolving and becoming more automated to account for the increased demand. Like many of the other industries we have covered on our blog, this industry is also being affected by the growth of Industry 4.0 and IoT, and we are seeing a growing demand for connectivity. In this blog post, we will cover the recent trends within food production, highlight both poultry and greenhouse productions, and the B-COMMAND products that can be used in these applications.

The Food Production Industry

Due to governmental regulations, the food industry is required to follow strict procedures regarding cleanliness, health, safety, and environmental regulations. As the world’s population continues to grow, there is an increased need for food which has led to the rise of factory farming. The rise of technology within agriculture and food production is known as “agtech”. This term highlights the increased use of technology within this industry, and its increasingly automated processes.   

Greenhouse Automation

Greenhouses are experiencing a boom in new innovations, with vertical farming and smart greenhouses becoming more common. Technology makes growing food more productive and less time-consuming. Where farmers in the past had to rely on weather, modern farmers have a lot more control over the environment in their greenhouses. Many growers now use smart irrigation to water plants from afar. Through a smartphone app, farmers are able to see when plants need watering. Similarly, they can track the lighting, pest control, and temperature within the greenhouse remotely.

B-COMMAND limit switch FRS

At B-COMMAND, we are seeing a lot of farmers use pendant stations to regulate airflow in their greenhouse. This is a great option for farmers who are still physically present, but want an easy solution for opening or closing many windows at once. The pendant station is typically used in conjunction with our FRS limit switch. This is our smallest rotary limit switch and is perfect for use on the windows of a greenhouse, to meter the movement of the window. The revolutions of the shaft are transmitted to a cam switch mechanism, which actuates mechanical switching contacts. In addition, all materials in direct contact with the environment are resistant to oils, gases, and extreme temperature changes. 

Poultry Farming

As more of the world’s population has entered the global middle class, consumption of meat, and especially poultry, is becoming more commonplace. It is expected that the global consumption of poultry will exceed pork by 2022, making it the preferred meat across the globe. Due to this increase in demand, the industry is experiencing an advance in technology as farmers automate management of their flock. Poultry houses require a lot of attention in the cleaning, sanitizing, and feeding of the birds, all of which can be automated with the help of robots. Similarly, a lot of sensors are placed throughout the housing to regulate the environment, temperature, and ventilation within the production hall.

B-COMMAND pendant station

Like their use in greenhouses, pendant stations and limit switches are commonly used in poultry farming to regulate the airflow. Our Lady pendant station is a single row operating device for auxiliary power applications. It’s designed for easy installation and handling, and is ergonomic and easy to use. All materials that are in direct contact with the environment are resistant to gases, oils, and extreme temperature changes. The all-round rubber seal provides optimum protection against dust and water, so that protection degree IP65 can be achieved without any problems. 

As the food production and agtech industry continues to become highly technical, we strive to remain your trusted partner for innovative solutions. Most of our solutions can be highly customized based upon our client’s needs and our consultants will work with you to ensure that the chosen product is the right fit for your application. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.