Powering Safety in Hyundai’s Smart Farm

The Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS), opened in 2023, features a cutting-edge automated smart farm designed by HOPE Technik. This two-storey farm leverages advanced robotics and hydroponics to grow 600 heads of vegetables daily, with regular maintenance being crucial to prevent malfunctions and ensure optimal performance. As the preferred safety partner by HOPE Technik, Pilz was commissioned to implement a robust maintenance safeguarding system, enhancing safety with their PSENcode key and non-contact safety door switch sensors, ensuring secure and efficient operations.

Widely recognised for being Singapore’s first car assembly plant after four decades – HMGICS is more than just that.

Since its doors opened in 2023, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS) has been capturing significant attention for its groundbreaking approach to automotive manufacturing along with the exceptional experiences it provides to customers.

One of the standout features at the Innovation Centre is its automated farming system which captivates visitors with its hydroponic system for growing fresh produce.

Singapore, a city-state with limited agricultural land, imports a staggering 90 percent of its food. To reduce this dependency, the Singapore government has introduced the ambitious 30 by 30 policy, which aims to produce 30 percent of the nation’s nutritional needs locally by 2030. A major strategy to reach this target is the adoption of smart farms, which leverage advanced technology to enhance agricultural output.

Aligned with Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to innovation and sustainable growth, a two-storey fully automated smart farm has been established in their newly opened Innovation Centre. HOPE Technik, a leading system integrator in Singapore specialising in robotics, automation, and special vehicles, was one of the key partners entrusted with the mission of designing and implementing this cutting-edge indoor farming solution.

While technology is set to significantly reduce labour demands in smart farming, it will not entirely eliminate them. In line with Singapore’s vision to upskill the workforce for competence in advanced agricultural technologies, the focus now shifts to a smaller, more specialised workforce dedicated to maintaining the optimal performance and longevity of advanced systems in automated smart farms.

Regular maintenance is crucial to prevent malfunctions, extend the lifespan of costly equipment, and avoid unplanned downtime that can disrupt crop growth cycles. Key maintenance tasks include monitoring and calibrating sensors, robotics, and lighting systems, and ensuring facility cleanliness and structural integrity. Some of these maintenance tasks require daily attention making maintenance safeguarding a key safety and security concern in these smart farms.

As the preferred safety partner of HOPE Technik, Pilz developed and implemented a comprehensive safety concept. Central to this concept is the coded safety switch PSENcode key, designed to prevent unwanted machine restarts during maintenance.

Given the expansive layout of the smart farm, with numerous blind spots and multiple personnel potentially working simultaneously, the restart prevention functionality of the PSENcode key is crucial. It ensures that maintenance, cleaning, loading, and unloading activities can be conducted safely.

The process involves the operator removing the key from the machine before maintenance, preventing unintentional restart. The machine can only be restarted once the operator has signed out by reinserting the key and enabling a manual restart. This mitigates one of the primary risks during maintenance work by ensuring the danger zone is cleared before operations resume, thereby preventing injuries or even fatal accidents.

Additionally, non-contact safety door switch sensors are installed on all doors surrounding the smart farm, with special access controls for the maintenance team. If any door is opened, operations halt immediately, protecting individuals from moving parts and robots. These sensors ensure that access is controlled and monitored by authorised and trained personnel only, enhancing workplace safety.

“With Pilz’s expertise in safety and their robust maintenance safeguarding system, we were able to deliver advanced, safety-compliant automation systems with confidence. The consistent and timely support by the Pilz team, coupled with their comprehensive maintenance safeguarding, has left a lasting impression and has significantly contributed to the successful execution of the project.”

• Suganth, Lead Automation Engineer, HOPE Technik

Today, the fully automated smart farm produces 600 heads of vegetables a day. Plants such as ice plants and kale are grown in see-through fully automated hydroponic gardens where robots do everything from planting seeds to harvesting. Visitors are allowed to interactively experience the entire farming process, safely and with confidence. When the farm is open to visitors, the sensors can be set to a safe state, allowing for a secure and interactive exploration of the smart farm.

Harvested produce is given to customers as a memento of their visit, as well as donated to local communities in Singapore. The crops are also featured on the menu of the tasting lounge and at Na Oh, HMGICS’s farm-to-table restaurant, for customers to enjoy sustainable dishes.

HOPE Technik is a system integration engineering firm specialising in robotics, automation and special vehicles. Our core business involves developing bespoke solutions to address unique problem statements. With expertise across the entire engineering spectrum and support from in-house manufacturing, maintenance and industrial design capabilities, HOPE Technik has delivered world-class products to a global clientele.