e-chain and intelligent sensors for precision watering machinery with a span of 45m

• What was needed: a solution for condition monitoring of the energy chain
• Requirements: The supply cables should run safely in a fail-safe guidance above the ground.
• Industry: Agricultural engineering
• Success for the customer: The safe and low-wear guidance in the e-chain enables a long service life, and the area below the cable guide can also be used for potted plants. As a result, the customer expects amortization of the investment after just four years.

Watering machines are used in horticulture to supply plants with water, as well as the nutrients dissolved therein. In order to be able to reduce the application and use of irrigation water to just the necessary level, Dercks Gartenbau GmbH has developed the "precision watering" machine. The idea behind this is to give the plants exactly as much water as they need to grow.

With this irrigation system, the company is able to precisely apply the irrigation water to the center of the pot. However, on the farm's potted plants on around 8 hectares (almost 20 acres) of open land, there is not only a great potential for saving water. In addition to a 35% reduction of the amount of water that would otherwise have to be brought to the watering machines, the electricity consumption required to operate the pumps can also be reduced by about half.

Based on the idea in spring 2015, a first prototype for the precision watering machine was constructed, which operates on a floor space of 2,400m² and supplies plants in larger planters with a low population density. Based on the positive experiences, another, significantly larger model was finally developed in 2018. The prototype watering machine has a span of 45m, reaches a travel speed of 18m/min and covers an area of 9,180m². At 32 pots per m², the precision watering trolley achieves a water saving potential of around 60%. In total, over 4,000 cubic meters of irrigation water and over 1,400kg of nutrient salt can be saved per hectare and season.

In order to be able to safely carry the supply cables - specifically the two 1 1/4" hoses for the water supply - for the long travel distances of the irrigation system, the horticultural company was looking for suitable cable guide.

In order to route all supply cables safely above the ground, the horticultural company now relies on igus e-chain. The gentle cable guidance is complemented by a low weight of the plastic chain. At the same time, a crossbar system allows quick and easy opening of the chain and uncomplicated access to cables and hoses. Since the system moves above the plant pots and no cables hang down, not only does maintenance work decrease. The area below it can also be used for a further 10 rows of pots. This gained floor space means 3% higher efficiency - and that's profitable for operations. After all, according to the customer, the investment in the e-chain pays off after just four years. And so far, this has proven to be the case. After the first season, the horticulturist's experience with cable guidance has been consistently positive.

The e-chain is supplemented with smart plastics, an intelligent sensor system that continuously measures and transmits the existing push/pull forces and, if necessary, initiates an emergency stop of the system. If the forces exceed a limit value, greater damage and costly repairs to the cable guide can be avoided. The horticulturist installed the e-chain as well as the push/pull force monitoring himself.