INTERCONNECTION
Connecting farmers with agriculture 4.0
How PEI-Genesis helped a precision agriculture technology company streamline the procurement of electrical connectors
T
illett and Hague Technology (THT) is a company that provides computer vision guidance and control systems for agriculture. When assembling the control modules and cameras for its systems, it encountered problems with connector procurement as it needed to sort various electrical connectors from different vendors, increasing project delivery costs and lead times. To combat the problem, THT turned to connector specialist PEI-Genesis who could provide solutions the company was looking for. According to Statista, the gross production value in the UK agriculture market is projected to be $40.37 billion in 2024. Agriculture 4.0 is significantly influencing the UK’s agricultural sector and has the potential to help meet the increasing food demands.
One of the key aspects of Agriculture 4.0 is the shift from traditional farming methods to more advanced, IoT technology-driven approaches. This includes the use of sensors, devices, machines and information technology. These tools enable precision
agriculture, allowing farmers to apply only the necessary quantities of water, fertiliser and pesticide to specific areas, enhancing efficiency and reducing waste. However, as this technology helps to streamline agricultural processes and increase production, it brings a new set of challenges, like the procurement of parts for specific and complex agricultural systems. Tillett and Hague Technology is a British company specialising in precision agriculture. It develops advanced control systems for agricultural machinery, focusing on technologies like computer vision and robotics. Its innovations are designed to improve efficiency and accuracy in farming practices, with a focus on weeding. “Our camera systems and control technologies are specifically engineered to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of crop protection,” explained Timothy Hales, applications engineer at Tillett and Hague Technology. “We place a strong emphasis on innovation, particularly in developing solutions
26 JULY/AUGUST 2024 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
that reduce environmental impact and support sustainable farming. One of our key requirements is the reliability and durability of components, as our equipment operates in challenging outdoor conditions.” One of the core components THT provides as part of the inter-row guidance system, which facilitates automatic crop row alignment, is a mounted control module. This module is mounted onto an implement that is connected to the tractor. The company also provides CMOS Ethernet cameras in this system, which can identify features of interest like crop rows, individual crop plants or weeds. These components need to be waterproof and robust. As such, they require connectors that are equally as robust and with a high ingress protection (IP) rating to withstand challenging outdoor environments.
A procurement nightmare One of the key issues for THT was the procurement process of the electrical connectors for these modules. Certain
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