Systems and methods for providing an assembly line grow pod are provided. One embodiment of a grow pod includes an exterior enclosure that defines an environmentally enclosed volume, a track that that is shaped into a plurality of helical structures defining a path, and a cart that receives a plant and traverses the track. Some embodiments include a sensor for determining output of the plant, a plurality of environmental affecters that alter an environment of the environmentally enclosed volume to alter the output of the plant, and a pod computing device that stores a grow recipe that, when executed by a processor of the pod computing device, actuates at least one of the plurality of environmental affecters. In some embodiments, the grow recipe alters a planned actuation of the at least one of the plurality of environmental affecters in response to data from the sensor indicating a current output of the plant.

A buffer device for temporary storage and flow control in a product conveying system includes a plurality of vertically movable product holders at an inlet end and outlet end, and an elevator system for placing product holders in a conveying plane of the conveying system and vertically moving the product holders. The elevator system preferably includes a chain loop at the inlet end and a chain loop at the outlet end, both of which are equipped all around with product holders, and the chain loops can move in opposite directions.

According to one embodiment, a paper sheet processing system includes a paper sheet processing apparatus which includes an inspection device, a reject device, and a first communication module, and a robot device which includes a robot arm and a second communication module. The reject device rejects a rejected paper sheet and a batch card to a rejecting port. When the batch card is detected, the first communication module transmits a predetermined signal to the robot device. Upon receiving the predetermined signal, the robot device takes the rejected paper sheet and the batch card out of the rejecting port by the robot arm, moves them to another storage section, and transmits a move completion signal to the paper sheet processing apparatus.

A cable-processing system comprising a cable-processing machine for processing ends of cables. The cable-processing machine has: an input side for receiving the cables; a plurality of cable-processing stations; a cable transport device for transporting at least one cable with a movable gripper; and an output side for discharging a processed cable. The cable transport device has a cable conveying device designed as a multiple-store device having a plurality of cable holders. The multiple-store device is designed as an autonomous or guided transporter. At least one of the grippers is designed as a transfer gripper to remove the cables from the cable holder and to feed them to at least one of the cable-processing stations and/or to at least one further gripper acting as a transfer gripper which can be moved using a frame-supported transfer mechanism to transfer the cable to one of the cable-processing stations.

A production plant (22) for books (23) printed with digital technologies. comprising one or more forming stations (26) of book blocks (32), one or more cover binding machines (27) for assembling the book blocks with respective covers (33), an electronic center (29) and a plurality of spiral towers (39) for accommodating the book blocks of the forming stations and transfer them to the binding machines. The book blocks and the covers have respective book codes (34) and cover codes (36) uniquely associated with the respective books of a given working order. Each tower (39) includes a conveyor belt (42) that can be moved along a spiral path. a belt motorization group and an electronic control unit (44). The towers serve as a temporary storage for the blocks and capacity of movement between loading areas (49) adjacent to the forming station and unloading areas (50) adjacent to the binding machines. The electronic control units (44) pre-set the towers to store in an optimized way along the conveyor belt the book blocks from the forming stations. to supply the binding machines with the stored book blocks and to form and memorize databases identifying the stored book blocks. The electronic center (29) of the plant is interfaced with the electronic control units (44) of the towers and with the binding machines for a survey of the loading data and for a functional coupling of the loaded towers with the binding machines.

A commercial-scale sous-vide system (10) includes a conveyor (20) for carrying food products (FP) vacuum sealed in plastic food-grade pouch or container (222) through a chamber (40) heated with saturated steam. The conveyor is in the form of first and second spiral stacks (26) and (28). A control system controls the steam supply and the movement of the conveyor.

A commercial-scale sous-vide system (10) includes a conveyor (20) for carrying food products (FP) vacuum sealed in plastic food-grade pouch or container (222) through a chamber (40) heated with saturated steam. The conveyor is in the form of first and second spiral stacks (26) and (28). A control system controls the steam supply and the movement of the conveyor.

A manufacturing method for customized fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) comprising the production of the customized goods in a main production process stream or a side stream. The method further comprises temporarily storing the customized goods in a side stream process and subsequently re-inserting said goods into the main production process stream. The customized goods may be finally packaged in a dedicated pack or in a pack that also contains non-customized goods. The method is suitable for, but not limited to, articles such as diapers, absorbent products, tissues and other hygienic products.

A packaging system and associated method for use with a pharmaceutical dispenser provides a turnkey solution for packaging pharmaceutical products such as solid medications and nutritional supplements to be taken orally in health care settings, including but not limited to long term care (LTC) and assisted living settings. An overall pharmacy system and methodology begins with bulk medications and supplements introduced into the work flow, individually packaged and assembled into medpass orders per patient and delivered to the LTC facility or other institution for patient consumption. The process begins by converting bulk medications and supplements to packaged unit doses and ultimately individually packaged medpass bags for each patient on a 24-hour schedule. The design of the overall system and its individual components allows for physical control of each unit dose package from start to finish without any unit dose package free fall in the system.

A buffer device for temporary storage and flow control in a product conveying system includes a plurality of vertically movable product holders at an inlet end and outlet end, and an elevator system for placing product holders in a conveying plane of the conveying system and vertically moving the product holders. The elevator system preferably includes a chain loop at the inlet end and a chain loop at the outlet end, both of which are equipped all around with product holders, and the chain loops can move in opposite directions.