Although the greenhouse company Rosa Danica in Denmark (now part of the horticulture group ByGrowers) was recently acquired, development in the greenhouse has not slowed down.
Director Torben Moth Madsen continues to focus on improving workflows and making better use of employee expertise. One of the newest initiatives is a collaborative four-arm robot from 4XROBOTS, which now plants cuttings or plugs directly on the production line alongside the greenhouse staff.
The robot has become a new colleague in daily production, quietly working on the conveyor line from pot filling to the irrigation tables.
Watch how collaborative robotics supports greenhouse production at Rosa Danica:
Relieving employees from repetitive work
Anyone who has ever visited a greenhouse knows that the environment stimulates several senses: the colours of the plants, the scent of flowers — and now, at Rosa Danica, the quiet rhythm of a robot working along the production line.
The collaborative robot assists employees with the repetitive task of transplanting cuttings into pots. Instead of performing the same manual movement throughout the day, employees can now supervise the process and manage other parts of the production line.
According to Torben Moth Madsen, this was one of the main motivations for investing in robotics.
“It’s not always fun to do repetitive tasks like planting pots all day. Now our colleague Adrian, who is responsible for planting, can both supervise the robot and manage the rest of the process line at the same time.”
Skilled workers should focus on skilled work
For the director of Rosa Danica, the goal of automation is not to replace employees, but to allow them to use their expertise where it matters most.
“It is very important to me that my skilled employees can use their competencies where they really make a difference. They should have the opportunity to apply their expertise where it matters in production — and that is not necessarily on the assembly line.”
The robot solution made it possible to automate a repetitive task without changing the existing greenhouse layout.
A robot designed for greenhouse production
One of the reasons Rosa Danica chose the solution from 4XROBOTS was the robot’s simple design and ability to integrate into existing production lines.
The lightweight collaborative robot can be installed above the conveyor system, where it supports plant propagation workflows by automating the transplanting of cuttings. It works safely alongside employees without the need for safety fencing.
This means the system can be implemented quickly without major changes to the greenhouse layout.
Learn more about the robot here
In this video, Torben Moth Madsen and representatives from 4XROBOTS explain the installation and its impact on daily greenhouse production:
Easy to operate for greenhouse staff
According to Michael Møller Nielsen, co-founder of 4XROBOTS, the robot was designed specifically to be simple for greenhouse employees to use.v
“It is a collaborative four-armed delta robot — actually the world’s first — and it is easy to operate. All it requires is the ability to use a tablet.”
Growers can adjust the robot’s work themselves without relying on complex technical support.
This flexibility is important in greenhouse environments where production tasks often change throughout the season.
You can read more about flexible greenhouse automation here
Fast installation and quick results
Another advantage of the collaborative robot was the speed of implementation.
Because the robot can operate safely next to employees, installation did not require major changes to the production setup.
According to Torben Moth Madsen:
“We had a very smooth start with the robot on the process line. In fact, we could keep production running while it was being installed because it can stand next to people.”
In practice, the robot was operational within a day and a half after installation.
A future with more greenhouse robots
The successful implementation means that the collaborative robot may not be the last automation project at Rosa Danica.
According to Torben Moth Madsen, the relatively low risk of smaller automation solutions makes it easier to continue investing in robotics.
“I hope and believe the robot has a big future here at the greenhouse. And I also expect that it won’t be the only collaborative robot we get. We’re having a significant effect from an investment that, according to the plan, will pay for itself within a year.”
Interested in seeing the solution in action?
The installation at Rosa Danica is one example of how collaborative robots can support greenhouse production.
We offer on-site visits in Denmark, where you can experience the robot transplanting in a working greenhouse.
Tell us a bit about your crops and setup, and we will follow up with a relevant next step.
Learn more about greenhouse automation
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