Scale up your cannabis production through automation

Every cannabis harvest is built on the quality of its cultivars. The DNA stored in these delicate cultivars provides the foundation for the entire plant production, as well as the quality of the end-product. The ability to store the plant materials safely in a stable state, is of utmost importance.

Cryopreservation is the most effective method of preserving the cannabis genetics. As the name suggests, it stores the cannabis cultivars at the freezing temperature of -196°C (-320°F) by using liquid nitrogen. A major advantage of this technique is the compact size of the tanks, allowing for on-site preservation.

Tissue culture plays a major role in defining and tweaking the characteristics of the cannabis plants and in increasing the multiplication rate of plantlets. Viscon has developed turn-key laboratories for cannabis tissue culture. These labs are fully equipped with the latest technologies in climate control, air-flow regulation and LED lighting, in order to perfectly accommodate every type of cultivar and growing media.

In addition to tissue culture, another viable method of young plant production is cloning. Commonly used for the reproduction of cannabis plants with specific genetics, cloning is a surefire way of maintaining quality on a larger scale. Our transplanting machines are the best in the industry, as the AutoStix^® transplanters are able to handle up to 10.000 clones per hour. The entire cloning process is optimized through the usage of our patented biodegradable cartridges.

As the first step in the growth cycle, proper seeding separates the fruitful greenhouses from the rest. The right soil, depth and position are all key factors that influence the eventual yield of your cannabis crops. We have developed seeding machines that can accurately place the seeds to the 99^th percentile, while maintaining the fastest output rates on the market.

Combined with the aforementioned transplanting lines, we ensure that this part of the process will never be the bottleneck of large scale cannabis production facilities. These machines can be installed as stand-alone units or integrated into a  fully automated young plant production line.

The right amount of water and the correct method of distribution can vary based on many different factors. Cannabis plants that are grown in pots on ebb and flow tables require a different approach than those grown in a vertical farming setup. Through our experience in the horticultural sector, we have developed numerous methods of irrigation. Viscon’s watering booms can span the entire length of a greenhouse, effortlessly watering large scale productions with precise quantities on set intervals.

After the crops are harvested, cannabis needs to be properly cured. At Viscon, we have developed industrial grade drying chambers. These units offer a fully controlled climate with laminar airflow, and can handle multiple batches of harvested crops simultaneously. This is important for throughput rates, as the cannabis curing process naturally takes some time.

All the necessary steps in the post-harvesting process of cannabis can be quite labor-intensive. The trimming or de-budding of the crops is no exception. It is important to separate the leaves from the stems at the right place, in order to maintain the quality without wasting any usable crop.

Accuracy and speed are our forte, which is why we have build efficient cannabis trimming machines. This equipment provides a quality controlled output that can be scaled in line with the rest of your processing lines.

At the end of processing, you are left with large quantities of high-quality, precisely trimmed and expertly cured cannabis. The last vital step in a sizeable production facility is to properly package the end-product in order to retain all the qualities of the crop. Naturally, we have come up with an automated solution for this stage of the production cycle.

The packaging machines of Viscon can be custom build to cater to the needs of your facility, whether it be on volume or packaging material. The entire post-harvesting process can be interconnected through our internal transport lines, with the ability to integrate dedicated cannabis inspection/sorting stations. Viscon also offers automated industrial cleaning of all the product carriers used throughout the production.

A hardly visible, yet highly critical component of a large scale cannabis production is the software that runs the automation and provides tracking and tracing. Companies in the cannabis industry need to comply with a meticulous list of rules and regulations, in order to ensure the legitimacy of the business. As a result, facilities have to account for each and every crop as well as end-product.

At Viscon, we have developed the perfect software solution. Our ‘Factory Intelligence Software’ interlinks all the robots and automated equipment throughout the production process, enabling full traceability and oversight of every cannabis plant, no matter how large or small the facility. Furthermore, our software can be linked to existing inventory management systems.

Reliable support is a gamechanger in day-to-day production. As a successful cannabis production grows in size, it inevitably reaches an ever-growing output and the machinery arsenal to match it. Properly maintaining and repairing said equipment is the silent force that keeps the production running, and we are always available for either on-site or remote support.

Consultancy is another natural part of a healthy partnership. At Viscon, we love to help our partners optimize their factory layout and supply chain logistics. We are also at the ready to train your human capital, enabling teams to effortlessly handle new machinery and software.

Lastly, we look towards the future. As we continually invest in R&D, we focus on creating the solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. This leaves our customers with the insurance that we can always provide the best technology, and opens up fruitful collaboration opportunities. Together, we can venture out and develop new cultivation techniques, unique tissue culture protocols, and much more.