The collaboration between HoBohTec and SEW-Eurodrive was initially based on smaller automation projects in the food industry and the retrofitting of old systems or system expansions. HoBohTec developed a robot that searches turkey nests for eggs in large breeding farms and collects them. This egg-searching robot, called EiSam, travels on rails that were previously suspended under the ceiling of the poultry house. In a newer version, the rails are laid on a frame on the floor of the poultry house. Key components of the solution are a camera and a gripper for detecting and picking up the turkey eggs.

Contactless energy transfer

A technical highlight of this solution is the Movitrans contactless energy supply system for supplying the transport unit. It works according to the principle of inductive energy transfer: "Electrical energy is transferred from a fixed line conductor to a mobile consumer without contact, silently and without any sliders or drag chains," explains Andreas Uhlemeyer, application engineer at SEW-Eurodrive in Bruchsal. He is responsible for this application at HoBohTec. Sliding contacts and their abrasion are not desirable in food production anyway. The electromagnetic coupling takes place via an air gap; it is wear-free. The non-contact design allows speeds of over 10 meters per second to be achieved. By laying the line conductors on the rail system, there are no additional obstacles. This type of energy supply is insensitive to soiling. This is particularly important in animal stables, where animal excrement and vapors as well as dust require robust drive and energy transmission components. The energy transmission technology has been optimized for high chemical resistance so that this technology can also be used under extreme conditions.

Increased productivity

EiSam, including the egg sorting system, significantly increases the productivity of turkey farming. The robot eliminates the manual and time-consuming collection of turkey eggs, which is associated with high labor costs. In addition, the working conditions in the stables are arduous due to dust and odors. The constantly stooped posture also makes the work more difficult. By using the EiSam, a constant and exceptional repetition accuracy is achieved in the work process. This recurring process contributes to significantly improved animal welfare.

Compared to manual searching, EiSam with an egg sorting system requires only 20 percent less manpower. The system even carries out the pallet change of the egg trays fully automatically and independently. The entire design meets the highest hygiene requirements. It is the logical next step towards a smart barn for animal husbandry.

Animal welfare was an important concern right from the start. The animals are no longer acyclically disturbed by people looking for eggs. All laying boxes are checked individually for the presence of eggs. The robot carries out all work steps at exactly the same time, always in the same order and with identical noise and movement patterns. This creates routine, calm and trust among the animals and prevents stress from arising in the first place. This system also means that no germs can be introduced from outside, which further reduces hygiene requirements.

The article appeared in materialfluss 8-9/21.