What needs to be automated?

Hash and Stuff Extraction
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We’re looking for our next automation project. We’re trying to figure out the best place to put our time and energy to develop a new product that we can release by the end of the year. That timeline includes, design, prototype, testing, final design, documentation, and manufacturing which means we’re planning for a smaller project. I know there are a ton of simple processes that would benefit from automation, we’re just looking for ideas. We’re probably staying away filling / packaging because there are enough good options out there already.

Some things we’ve started to work on in the past but never finished:

  • Decarb
    • Option 1: add-on package for existing decarb vessels. Connect your vessel and vacuum source and we control pressure, temp, and heating.
    • Option 2: complete decarb package with vessels and controller
  • Diamond mining
  • Automation retrofit kit for existing extraction equipment – we’ve done this before, just need to polish the design and make it more “universal.” But I’m not sure what the market is out there.
  • Automation package for vac ovens - closed loop vac and heat controller with feedback for muffin control.

And just to be clear, we are a business and we will be making a product that we will sell. I don’t want anyone to be confused about that. Our idea with this thread is to figure out where automation would be most helpful in the lives/businesses of processors so we can design a product to meet that need (not stealing peoples’ IP…)

Anyone have anything they hate doing manually???

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Automate your automation process so your prices can be feasible :sweat_smile::skull:. Ive seen your luna extractor sit unused at many facilities. Quite a shame people dropped over 250k for an ornament and toll with us on our machine that was a fraction of the cost and dumps on your thruput. No one cares about automation if a near minimum wage employee can double-3x your output. You can bait some chads and get some sales dont get me wrong but when anyone can add a corken to a large machine and get it certified there really is no competition​:man_shrugging:. Ive seen bhogarts pumping 12 pounds every 12 min using 2 collection vessels and a t91

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yeah there are other machines that can do bigger runs obviously, but the benefit of the Luna IMO is how little you have to be involved during the runs which allows you to focus on other things instead of micro adjusting valves and constantly checking gauges. You can have 1 employee and they can easily run the luna, unpack/pack socks, work on post processing and do the paperwork.

Meanwhile fully manual machines, especially something as big as you are describing would take at least 2-3 people per shift to run efficiently.

Plus a single Luna can produce more than enough extract in a week for any cities market. The people doing the massive runs pumping 12lbs in 12 minutes are literally what destroyed the market.

ps i dont work for luna, just a big fan of their system and how easy it is to operate and be able to do other things. i dont know about you, but watching gauges and micro adjusting valves all day every day is boring as fuck to me and I would rather be able to work on other things while the runs are going on.

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have you actually ran a Luna before?

there’s already automated decarb reactors out there. late to the punch on that one.

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adjusting valves all day? what do you think this is an eden extractor from 2012? you open and close valves to move the solution to the next step… you do it 2-3 times per column… 2 columns at once is a max of 6 90 degree turns in 12 min. you have 1 packer 1 operator and the operator has plenty time do metrc and everything else. sincerely the guy you hate that that destroyed the market… It was a race to the bottom years before legalization sorry you dont understand how manufacturing works.

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If we really wanted we couldve added a 2nd pump and another rack to the other wall but 4500 units a day was plenty in 2018 and our initial total investment for the extractor was under 150k :dead: . not to mention if ireally wanted that feature i could call any manufacturer in the brewing industry as they already make these plcs for 2000 gallon tanks/1000 gallon fermenters etc for less than 20k. stop dick riding canna taxers

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how bout this for automation. a proper decarb to terp strip, a proper terp strip as well, and have that fed into a WFE. all automated.

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already done :man_shrugging:

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still a lot more twisting than hitting a start button lmao

you need to calm down buddy, youre ego/edgyness is getting the best of you, did you just chug a redbull without smoking all day before hopping on this forum today?

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And a massive amount less product at a higher cost rate. Nope im good your just delusional and uneducated acting like you know things. Imagine not being able to operate for a month cause ur plc went down :skull:

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lol calm down

no one said the Luna is flawless, I was simply pointing out the benefits vs running a fully manual machine.

are you having a manic episode or something?

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yeah i know

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So im having a medical condition cause i have an opinion thats different from yours? you should seek a therapist.

careful for your comments guys dont mention reality or he might call you psycho :rofl:

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did i ever say anything about your opinion? again, i just simply stated why I see the luna as beneficial and YOU started attacking lmfao

you really have issues buddy, get some help

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pretty sure thats a reply to an opinion. and your reply is an opinion. so… you believe what you want and ill believe what i want thanks have a good day is the appropraite response or lets agree to disagree than walk away… again seek help :slight_smile:

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LOL

seriously dude, get some help, your social skills are fucked

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holy shit mans has 203 days visited since he joined 9 months ago rofl. ok im talking to a keyboard warrior carry on go touch some grass.

Imagine telling people they have medical conditions because they stand by their beliefs i fukn cant im crying laughing over here

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its ok buddy, you need a hug. sorry you got worked up by me saying manual extractors need valves adjusted

lmfao

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I said there are more effective process’ and there are. anyways blocked

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Sure there are plenty of places that turn valves and do it well. Does not mean that I personally want to turn the valves.

I try to automate all kinds of things - from packing, to taping things, to counting things, to turning valves, to turning lights on and off. I do this to maximize efficiency of movement by reducing waste and energy usage where I can.

If we had slightly cheaper automated equipment AND we have people with more realistic expectations of ROI… I feel like it would be pretty solid.

I hate doing all kinds of stuff manually. You say you don’t want to look at packaging / filling - but seriously, having tried 5 different systems, they are all pretty lacking, IMO. Yes - they are starting the mission… but I used to be able to fill a fucking tube, to +/- 0.001g, label the tube, put the tube in a box, and put the box in a crate, in a 10ft by 4ft footprint, with limited utilities. Why can’t we have more of that?

I’m always looking for things like, filling semi-solids / liquids into containers, consistent weight fills, and putting the lid on, and putting the sticker on, and putting the thing safely somewhere.

I’m always thinking about things like - automating chromatography for separation of new / novel compounds. All the machines I have used so far - after about 100-200 aliquots you have to have a human there to move things around. I want to see… do the chromatography, then take additional aliquots, combine them, evap, and take a sample. Where I could legit set something down and allow HTP to happen. This is R&D level, not production level… but fuck if I’m doing 10,000 compounds this month…that chromatography takes forever. And yes there are grad students to do this work… but jesus, we could do it faster!

I’d love to see something that would do some up stream activities a bit better as well. Nice automated harvesting. Nice automated drying + bucking + curing. And yes, I realize that is far outside your wheelhouse, but why not ask?

If I could have a better tool for LEL and remediation activities - that would be great. Better tool, automation, yay. Watching pH for me. Yay. Monitoring and recording color changes, hurrah! Could I have it so that it also has a clean in place system AND its all ASME stamped and UL listed. All the better. <3

I’ve gotten to work with 2 luna’s seems like there is probably some room for additional improvement there as well. Without reinventing the wheel. Some more data tracking - opens / closes. Temperature curves, with pressure curves, cleaning, making it safer - so that damn thing isn’t venting all the time. Allowing for better recapture - to assist with sustainability. Reducing the overall electrical footprint. I mean, I can dream, right? :slight_smile:

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