Robot takes over the grape harvest

On arrival, a side ramp on the trailer folds out, the vehicle drives down and into the vineyard row. A winch connects the vehicle to the trailer and supports it with a tractive force of 1.5 tonnes, which allows gradients of up to 75% to be climbed. In these steep locations, the operator can incline their seat to a position which reduces strain on the body.

motion plastics reduce maintenance costs

A major achievement in the machine’s design is the development of a vehicle that copes with the harsh conditions of the vineyard while simultaneously minimising the machine’s maintenance. The key to success:  the best technical components. The engineers opted for energy chains made of high-performance plastic from igus®, to guide the hydraulic and electrical cables from the vehicle to the harvesting head. The e-chains® not only prevent the cables from kinking and jamming but also eliminate the risk of them getting caught in the vines.

“They also help increase the longevity of the machine,” says Justin Leonard, director of e-chains and cables at igus® UK. “Our energy chains are made of durable, corrosion-free, UV-resistant high-performance plastic, meaning that they retain their mechanical properties for years without maintenance.” The engineers have also replaced classic metal bearings with igus® polymer bearings. In the past, ball bearings were so badly corroded that they only lasted one season before needing replacement, despite daily lubrication. For this reason, plastic plain bearings from igus® are now also being used. They are corrosion-free, robust and require no added lubrication, as solid lubricants already integrated in the material enable low-friction dry running.

Shaking vines

The other main component of the vehicle is the CH 500 steep slope harvester, an attachment that can be connected to the front-loading area of the tracked vehicle in 30 minutes using just six screws. Shaped like a giant nutcracker, it has two movable arms, connected to the upper part of the machine enclosing the vine. On the insides of these arms is a mechanism that vibrates the vine with up to 620 vibrations per minute that shake off the grapes.

A collection system under the machine collects the grapes and transports them to a collection container. The harvester moves down the vineyard at a speed of up to 2.8 miles per hour – significantly faster than any human harvester. On the way back, it can even reach speeds of up to 5.6 miles per hour, pulled by the winch. Back on the trailer, operators empty the container and position the vehicle for the next row of vines until the entire vineyard has been harvested.

Cheers to a neat and autonomous solution with help from igus®!