New Entry Into the Agribusiness Through Equipment Automation

Seeking profitability, the concern was always, "How can we increase production efficiency with a small number of workers?”

Please start by telling us how your company got into agriculture.

Automation and high efficiency in the Netherlands, an advanced country in agriculture and horticulture, have been attracting attention, and companies in Japan have been working on such projects since 2006. Our parent company, also decided to focus not only on building greenhouses, but also on creating systems for internal facilities and cultivation, and established our company as an agricultural production corporation.

Smart agriculture and agricultural automation have been the focus of daily features on TV, and in newspapers and magazines.

More recently, tours and inspections have increased considerably. There are about two cases a week, sometimes four at the most. We often receive representatives from agricultural cooperatives and major corporations who are considering entering the agricultural industry from other industries. The hydroponics, air conditioning, and other facility gardening systems developed in cooperation with Hokkou have also been selling quite well. The new equipment has touch panels and can be operated remotely by PC.

Were you active in task automation from the beginning?

Yes. To be profitable, large-scale agricultural production had to be stable. When we began our efforts in 2007, there were only four or five employees, including myself, and we were always thinking about how we could increase production efficiency with a small number of people. The greenhouses produce and ship 12 to 24 crops per year, year-round, depending on the type of vegetable. To achieve this, automation of the work was essential.

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We often hear people say, "We can't go back to the way things were before we installed the equipment”.

Hydroponic Planter Bed Driving System

The beds are movable to provide space for work between the hydroponic planter beds. The objective is to maximize the area under cultivation.

How does the equipment work?

An AC motor allows the bed to be moved from side to side. A single motor drives the bed, which is over 30 meters long. The conventional method was to use rollers, but this method requires laying rails on the ground, which has the following problems: stumbling over the rails, difficulty in running the work cart, and difficulty in installing a large number of rails horizontally. In the case of Koro, we thought that the advantage was the free range of motion of the left and right sides, but we came to the conclusion that it is actually not necessary to move them that much, so we reviewed the mechanics and made improvements to the present device. It is sufficient if the space is wide enough for a person and a work cart to pass through.

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Automatic Sifter for Leaf Dirt Removal

The purpose of this equipment is to sift out roots and dirt from the harvested baby leaves. A chain sprocket combined with a brushless motor rotates a large sieve basket. Prior to the introduction of this equipment, sieving was done manually. The process of mixing multiple leaves was also spread out on a large desk and stirred by hand. Both tasks were hard work, and we often hear employees say, "We can't go back to the way things were before we installed the equipment now”.

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We are satisfied with the same-day shipping and the follow-up system.

We used to purchase AC motors from other companies, but since they were manufactured overseas, we were not able to be flexible in terms of delivery dates, and we often could not get them within the desired delivery time. That's when I was introduced to Oriental Motor. Depending on the number of units, the speedy delivery time, with same-day shipping, was what was first attractive. I had heard of the company's name, and the fact that it was a domestic product gave me a sense of security. After researching the company, I decided to go with them because of their excellent after-sales service.

How about post-employment communication and support?

I am very grateful for the free after-sales service and close communication, as well as the comprehensive support to make Oriental Motor products easier to use, such as when the sales staff worked with us, making suggestions as we considered new equipment. With large manufacturers, it was often difficult to get in contact with them with my inquiries.

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