As the cannabis market keeps growing at an impressive rate, manufacturers are under mounting pressure to advance operations, lower prices, and ensure quality consistency. Automation is a revolutionary project in every stage of the production cycle, enabling farmers and manufacturers to achieve growth without compromise on quality.
1) Planting
One of the first labor-intensive processes of growing cannabis is planting, which is increasingly being handled by automated systems. Rather than sowing or transplanting seeds or plants manually, these systems can accurately insert plants into vertical farming towers or conventional beds. Automation trends in cannabis infusion processes mirror this shift, as automation not only speeds up planting but also allows growth to be tracked continuously, with systems capable of cleaning and replanting after harvest. This enables growers to focus more on optimizing environmental conditions and crop health while minimizing human intervention.
2) Harvesting
The harvesting time has proved to be a very critical factor in the optimisation of cannabinoid and terpene profiles and thus is very difficult to control manually. Machine-learning automated vision systems are able to measure plant maturity by monitoring visual signs of plant development including trichomes. Such systems can then be used to control cutting tools to only extract those portions of the plant that are ready to be processed leading to quality products and a lower labour expense.
3) Drying and Curing
After harvesting, plants should be dried and cured with a lot of care, which cannot be achieved without a stable environment that maintains their potency and prevents the development of molds. This level performs automation in terms of temperature, humidity, and airflow control systems and equipment used to move cannabis in and out of storage. The automated monitoring means that there is maximum drying and no manual examinations in order to reduce spoilage.
4) Bucking
Bucking refers to taking off leaves, stems, and stalks to isolate the flower, which is the most useful part of the plant. This is time-consuming and physically demanding when it is done manually. This is automated with bucking machines that separate the flowers of the plant material and put them either through extraction or sale. Other systems also grind the bud to optimum particle sizes to proceed with other downstream procedures.
5) CBD Extraction
This is because the processes of extracting cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids are complex such as CO2 or ethanol extraction. Automation is useful to sort the biomass to solvent extraction equipment, streamline the flow of solvents, and keep conditions under control. This eliminates variance that is present in manual extraction and enhances throughput.
6) Production
CBD may be used as an additive to oils, edibles, and topical products after extraction. Automated production lines deal with mixing, filling, packaging and palletising consumer goods – cutting errors, and providing uniformity. Such systems facilitate mass production and contribute towards the strict quality requirements in consumer markets.
7) Testing
Potency and purity testing is vital to testing the quality of cannabis. The automated testing platforms enhance the speed and reliability of the chemical analysis system as opposed to the manual methods. With automation, manufacturers are able to come up with precise and consistent test results, which develop consumer confidence and compliance with regulations.
8) Hemp Biomass Management
Growing cannabis always results in high volumes of biomass waste such as stalks, seeds, and leaves. This biomass can be converted to value-added products including biofuels, fibres, and oils through automation. The automated systems sort and package and transport the biomass to processing plants, eliminating wastage and creating new sources of revenue.
