Worm farming automation

The Langhoff family breeds giant redworms, which anglers use as food worms for animals, for example. In order to fully automate the feeding and watering process, Martin Langhoff, owner of Superwurm, developed a completely new machine. This includes two robots, a conveyor belt and an automated guided vehicle (AGV). The system allows feeding and watering to be carried out around the clock, even when staff are unavailable.
The AGV collects stacks of Euro containers filled with soil and worms from the bearing to the new feeding and watering system. Once at the new feeding and irrigation system, the AGV moves the containers to the first robot, which places them one after the other from the trolley stack onto a conveyor belt. The containers are then automatically watered on the conveyor belt and feed is scattered on the ground. At the other end of the conveyor belt, a second robot lifts the watered and fed containers from the conveyor belt back onto a trolley, the AGV picks them up and drives them back into the warehouse. 

For the system, Langhoff was looking for components that would function reliably and permanently under difficult operating conditions with dirt, soil and moisture, as the machine was designed for 24-hour continuous operation. In addition, they should not require lubrication so that worms and soil remain undamaged. This machine in particular allows soil and moisture to reach the bearing points.

Today, the AGV uses two parallel, synchronously driven drylin® ZLW toothed belt axles, which pull the container stacks on a trolley into the transport vehicle. This required toothed belt axles with a stepper motor that can pull containers weighing 120 kg. This complete system is particularly light, requires only low power for operation and is insensitive to impact and dirt.
The cables are guided by an E6 e-chain® to move the toothed belt axles. This increases their service life and protects them from external influences. Once the containers have been fully retracted into the AGV, a barrier is closed by a igus® stepper motor to provide additional safety during transport.
Shafts are mounted in igubal® ESTM pillow block bearings for opening and closing the robot gripper. They withstand high radial load trade show, are self-lubricating and therefore maintenance-free. An energy chain from the E4 series is used to guide the cable safely during the robot's fast movements and to ensure long-lasting cables. In addition, igus® stepper motors with gearboxes are used so that the gripper can move the containers onto the conveyor belt.