Inventive Agriculture Monitoring and Weighing Solutions

Interface test and measurement products are ideal for agriculture industry use cases to improve machinery, facilitate planting and harvesting, as well as managing animals. Whether using techniques for single crop or mixed farming, up to commercial agriculture use cases, our solutions are used for sensor-based monitoring and weighing.

Interface standard and custom load cells, torque transducers, and data acquisition systems are ideal for monitoring and weighing agricultural applications. These products can be paired together to measure to ensure efficiency, sustainability, and proper production planning for crop cultivation and animal rearing. Farming and food production is basic to our global existence. How we manage our resources, accessibility and increasing production is highly dependent on invention and innovation that often requires constant monitoring and weighing.

Many of the use cases for Interface products require capabilities to regulate through harsh weather conditions such has humidity and unbearable temperatures while still maintaining a high testing and measurement performance. Here are a few example of how Interface products are used in various agriculture monitoring and weighing applications.

Farming Irrigation Monitoring and Regulation Solution

Advancements in food production has increased the use of vertical farming throughout the world. This type of farming is the production of produce in a vertical manner using smart technology. The system highlighted here is for indoor use, through a transducer monitoring system that is monitoring an irrigation system. A wireless force measurement solution is needed to monitor the water volume for healthy and safe production. For this application, Interface recommended installing four MBI Overload Protected Miniature Beam Load Cells at each corner of the produce trays to measure the water. Interface’s JB104SS 4-Channel Stainless Steel Junction Box is connected to each load cell, and to a WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Module that wirelessly transmits the sum weight to the WTS-BS-1-HA Wireless Handheld Display for multiple transmitters, and the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station when connected a computer. Results can be displayed, logged, and graphed seen in real time for continuous monitoring.

Silo Weighing and Monitoring

Silos are used across the farmlands throughout the world. They help in feed and storage. Technology advances the accuracy in silo management. In this application, a customer wants weigh and monitor the content inside their silos used in crop rotation farming. Seasonality and crop type each have different silo requirements. For this solution, we recommend using Interface’s A4200 or A4600 Zinc Plated Weigh-Check Load Cells, paired with a 1280 Programmable Weight Indicator and Controller. Whether using in a small farm or large commercial use, this type of smart farming solution is able to accurately monitor the amount of content by weight, independent of the type of crop. Another silo solution can be viewed in our Silo Grain Dispensing App Note.

Smart Vertical Farm Monitoring

The use of automated machines and robotics is growing in smart agriculture. This is a strong case to use this type of sensor technology in vertical farming. As machines are used in production, safety and less contamination provide added benefits. A wireless force measurement system is ideal for monitoring the robotics that pick up and move the produce to their next destination of the packaging process. Interface recommended installing SPI Low Capacity Platform Scale Load Cells, along with WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Modules, in the center of the platforms of the robotic lifting system that move around the produce. The WTS-AM-1E’s wirelessly transmit the data collected from the SPI’s to the WTS-BS-1-HA Wireless Handheld Display for multiple transmitters, and the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station for monitoring the performance live.

Livestock Weighing System

For as long as farmers have been rearing animals, the weighing of their livestock has been at the top of farm management. From the days of using simple pencil and paper used in husbandry and farm management, to sophisticated agriculture management software and equipment, the need accurately weighs their livestock is basic farm management. A successful farm will have good measurements in the management of water, shelter, storage, feed, and husbandry. The benefits of an accurate system to do so are essential, whether for small farms or large commercial farming operations. In this application, the farmer group wants to make sure their cows are at a healthy weight and want to maintain their weight. This is also valuable for help to identify optimal time for breeding based on the weight of their livestock. Read more or watch this video to learn more about this type of application.

Interface load cells and torque sensors are used to give precise data results that is reliable and quintessential for various applications in the agricultural field. If you are looking for load cells, instrumentation or need help in designing a custom solution, please contact us.

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Solutions to Advance Agriculture Smart Farming and Equipment

Interface Solutions Used in Growing Agriculture Innovation