A robotics-based cannabis “de-leafing” system has been introduced by Rochester Hills-based Platform Robotics LLC and is being marketed under the brand name Softrim, based in Rochester Hills.
The company says the new technology can provide “hand-trim quality at machine-trim volumes and rates,” at output levels up to one pound every 20 seconds.
The system is designed to provide cannabis growers higher yields, lower labor costs, and increased end-user satisfaction through an improved final product.
The patent-pending Softrim 2000 and Softrim 1000 cannabis cultivation systems (https://softrimusa.com/#Models ) during the conference. The 2000 system caters to the outdoor segment; the 1000 system is targeted for the indoor segment. Both systems are capable of processing 1000 pounds of product per shift.
“Cannabis producers seeking high-volume, high-quality production cannot scale with hand-trim labor only, so they have relied on blade tumbler machines to attempt to achieve their goals,” said John Baldiga, co-founder of Platform Robotics. “However, these machines shave off up to 35% of the flower bud, sending highly profitable flower into the trim containers. The Softrim system replaces bud shaving with a controlled gentle massage from robotically managed silicone fingers. The result is the similar quality and yield, or better, than hand-trim. This technology, and the results it can provide, is a true breakthrough for the industry’s volume cannabis growers.”
Softrim’s blade-free operation allows natural flower formations to remain intact during processing of the raw flower, maintaining desirable levels of THC and retaining the flower’s appealing aroma, both critical to end-user satisfaction and thus grower sales.
Company officials say the system is easy to learn and operate, reduces required labor, is extremely quiet, and is robustly designed to ensure reliable operation. Bucked flower is placed into the machine’s incoming hopper. The raw flowers then drop vertically over the rotating silicone fingers, which break the dried brittle sugar leaves off the dense flower. Processed buds and waste are captured separately.
The speed and direction of the fingers are programmable, and the combination for each strain can be saved when switching between flower strain types. One Softrim machine replaces several noisy rotary blade cutters, and consumes minimal power.
“Softrim’s performance is proven,” Baldiga said. “As part of our pre-launch trials, we processed over 100,000 pounds of flower buds, including more than 100 strains of flowers. We typically averaged the same yield or better than hand trim depending on the strain, moisture level, and other potential factors. We believe post-harvest processing is a manufacturing engineering task. The trimming process has a direct correlation between grown flower yield and profit.”
This article was published in Technology Century.