Dear Sercom relation,
There is some special news that I would like to share with you in the first quarter of 2020.
At the end of December 2019, we successfully installed the first wireless control system for greenhouses. The system was placed at a very important producer of cut flowers in the United States: Holland America Flowers.
This grower has greenhouses in both the state Washington and California. At the Californian location, different kind of flowers are grown on a surface of more than 30 hectares. The existing climate computers are replaced by nine Sercom wireless field stations. This in a radius varying up to one kilometre from the central climate computer.
In addition to the nine greenhouses, the Sercom computer also controls the heating and the cold store a little further away. The next step is to connect more greenhouse departments to the system and also the entire irrigation. The news that we have something unique has ensured that various growers from that region have already registered for a viewing on location. These viewings will take place within several months. With this system we have now definitively entered the American market with our unique wireless system, which has proven itself in practice.
Wireless debut in Honduras!
First wirelessly controlled irrigation unit
In 2015, the market leaders in the cultivation and export of oriental vegetables in Honduras already commissioned a Sercom watering unit. Due to the good and reliable results of this system, a second irrigation system was commissioned early January 2020. The unique thing about this second unit is that it communicates wirelessly with the main computer. Controlling and monitoring an irrigation system this way has never been done before in the world.
SERCOM herewith opens a completely new market in the field of wireless control and monitoring of irrigation systems. In practice, the wireless application of SERCOM appears to be more reliable than a wired system. Every irrigation system (or field station) is in individual contact with the central computer. Should one of the field stations fail due to a power failure, the communication between the other field stations and the computer will remain intact. With a conventional cable connection, a power failure, breakage or damage to the communication cable means that no control is possible any more.
2nd place Innovation award Mechanisation exhibition
The 70th Mechanisation Exhibition in Vijfhuizen was a very good start of 2020 for SERCOM. Especially on the second and third day, many visitors came to the Sercom stand. They could take a look at our innovations in user-friendly operation and automation. In addition to our innovative collaboration with LED lighting specialist Green Simplicity, the modern way of operating of leading companies in the flower bulb world (Ronico and Triflor) with a Sercom system was also shown.
After a lot of research, Green Simplicity has managed to regulate the growth speed of tulips by shining different LED colours (recipes) on the growing tulips, without sunlight. The optimal climate conditions around the emerging tulip crop ensures the optimum result. This important collaboration resulted in the second prize.
In addition to this success, we also sold a large climate computer system with MOD bus communication during the fair in the Bollenstreek. Read more about this in the upcoming SERCOMmunication. You can subscribe to our newsletter via this page or by filling in the form at the bottom of the current page. Make sure to add mailing@sercom.nl to your contacts. This way you can be sure that you receive the newsletter.
Affordable and accurate control of irrigation and climate now within reach for everyone!
Lastly, I would like to let you know that we are currently finalising the completion of a project that we have been working on for quite some time. The SC400 computer for respectively climate control or irrigation will be available very soon. This computer is an excellent alternative to greenhouses where less advanced functions are desired. Each unit focuses on almost every control function per department and the irrigation version can control up to 56 valves by connecting up to four units.
It is important to know that this system will be extremely competitively-priced. It will be supplied as one complete system and is very easy to operate. More about this development soon.
See you at a next edition of “From our director”!
Kind regards,
Jan-Willem Lut