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Garford Farm Machinery

Fibox’s ALN aluminium enclosures safeguard Garford’s Robocrop AI solution, which detects and removes weeds mechanically with high precision.

Industry

Agriculture

Location

United Kingdom

Business Line

Fibox customisation services, Enclosures & cabinets

About the company

Garford Farm Machinery is a UK-based agricultural engineering company founded in 1986 by the Garford family, combining farming expertise with mechanical innovation. The company specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced precision farming equipment, particularly camera-guided mechanical weed control systems.

In its work with advanced control and monitoring systems, the company has benefited from highly tailored enclosure customisation services that help reduce manual processing steps and streamline installation requirements.

Challenges

Garform Farm Machinery’s equipment operates in a world of vibration, dust, and moisture, but the real challenge often comes after the work is done. Agricultural machinery is routinely cleaned with high-pressure jet washes, a process that can easily destroy sensitive electronics if the enclosure is not up to the task.

Garford has used Fibox products for years, but the development of their Robocrop AI system brought an even higher need for precision, customization, and a more streamlined manufacturing process.

Robocrop AI uses cameras and AI to recognise individual plants, allowing the machine to remove weeds mechanically with high precision. At the centre of this system is an Electronic Control Module (ECM), which processes data and controls the machine in real time.

Their latest technology required a heavy-duty housing that was perfectly sized for the ECM, and they needed a more efficient way to handle the customisation of the units.

Garford recognised that moving away from manual, in-house modifications would allow them to integrate the enclosure more effectively into their production line.

Removing manual work and improving production efficiency

Instead of drilling and modifying each unit themselves, Garford now send design files directly to Fibox, who machine and prepare the enclosures to exact specifications. Garford receives fully finished components ready for installation.

This change has had a clear impact on their day-to-day operations. It reduces manual work, removes the risk of misalignment, and ensures consistency across every unit. For an OEM managing multiple configurations and ongoing product development, this level of precision and repeatability is essential.

Reliable partner

Beyond the product itself, Garford values the way Fibox operates as a partner with good communication, clear lead times, and a responsive supply chain.

“Dealing with Fibox is really easy, their delivery times are quick, and they are very efficient," Brown says. “They've always looked after us. The product itself is second to none, really.”

With regular contact and updates, Garford does not have to deal with uncertainty around deliveries. This reliability supports their own production planning and reduces pressure on internal teams.

By having Fibox take over the customisation process, we no longer have to worry about drilling holes or ensuring everything lines up. It allows us to focus entirely on building our own systems rather than spending time on secondary processes.

Nathan Brown

Mechatronics Manager at Garford

Key takeaways

Reducing Manual Work Through Customisation

Tailored enclosure modifications helped reduce manual cutting and preparation work for Garford’s equipment. By adapting standard components to specific needs, the production process became more efficient and less labour-intensive.

Precision Engineering for Agricultural Machinery

Customization of the enclosures ensured that components fit seamlessly into Garford’s precision farming systems.

Faster and more efficient installation

By delivering modified, ready-to-use components, installation time was significantly reduced. This eliminated the need for extensive on-site adjustments and streamlined assembly in the field.

Collaboration driving practical solution

Close cooperation between engineering teams enabled a solution tailored to real-world farming requirements. Strong communication and technical support ensured that the final design matched both operational and environmental demands.

Products used in Garford project

Fibox offers a wide range of durable enclosure and cabinet solutions for extreme weather conditions. In this project, Garford Farm used products from ALN and PICCOLO range. The standard products were customised to suit project specific needs.

Missing from Table

Aln

ALN aluminium enclosure range is designed to house DIN-rail mounted terminal block and various types of ...