Tendertips
Early in the season (click to enlarge)
Asparagus spears
Automation of Asparagus Grading and Packing
Harvey Barraclough
Techlink would like to thank Harvey Barraclough, Margo Shaw and Geoff Lewis for their contributions to this case study.
Introduction
The introduction of new products often requires the use of new technologies, but in manufacturing industry new products are not the main driving force of technology uptake.
In most manufacturing companies investments in new technologies are driven by considerations of cost, quality, and productive capacity. For example, industrial robots are no more versatile than humans, but they work for nothing, are capable of intricate repetitive tasks, and can be used twenty four hours per day.
The technology project described in the following pages is a classic example of how the application of existing technologies, plus some original thinking, can make for cheaper, better quality products and make best use of scarce human skills.
For general information about asparagus click here for a copy of a fact sheet produced by the NZ Asparagus Council (pdf format).
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