Bimetec, specialists in control automation for agriculture located in the Netherlands, selected Unitronics’ UniStream® PLCs, AC Servo Drives, & VFDs to automate a delicate procedure traditionally carried out by hand: preparing hyacinth bulbs.

The Challenge

To cut and hollow hyacinth bulbs—to fully automate a process traditionally carried out by hand in a time-consuming, delicate procedure, while enabling the entire process to be managed by the machine operator.

Hyacinth Bulbs that have flowered

The Solution

  • Using a Unitronics’ AC Servo Drive to convey a row of hyacinth bulbs to the entrance to the cutting chamber and push them, row by row, into the chamber, with a uniform force to ensure an equal reference point.
  • Measuring each hyacinth bulb.
  • Coordinating 4 Unitronics’ AC Servo Drives to drive 4 linear actuators to push each row of 4 bulbs into 4 rotating knives. The knives cut into the bulbs, hollowing each on out to the exact depth that has been pre-defined by the machine operator.
  • Controlling the operation and speed of rotation of each knife with Unitronics’ VFDs.

The Results

Unitronics All-in-One Solution allows:

  • All control components to be purchased from a single supplier, PLCs and HMIs, servo drives, motors, and VFDs.
  • Easy programming–seamless commissioning, and programming of all control, motion, and HMI aspects via UniLogic software
  • A high level of support from Unitronics motion experts, available throughout the project.

The Unitronics approach to motion, Servo Made Simple, enabled Bimetics to define axes, implement control, analyze, and track processes, while Unitronics motion experts were available to aid them throughout the project.

To learn more about Unitronics products, you can get in touch with our team here

Emolice are the UK distributor for UNITRONICS. Unitronics designs, manufactures, and markets quality combined PLC + HMIs for the global market. Known for their easy to use, efficient, and affordable products have been automating processes, systems, and stand-alone applications since 1989.