Electronic Pruning Shears Success Story

A Cut Above the Rest: Micro Motors Put the Power in Pruning

In many parts of the world, pruning continues to be among the most manual and time-consuming jobs in the viticulture and horticulture industries. In 1984, the Electrocoup pruning shear was developed to help European workers reduce pain and increase the speed of their vineyard and orchard work. As electronic pruning tools continue to be adopted, workers have been able to avoid pruning-related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive motion injuries, as these tools help reduce the strain and fatigue versus manual pruning tools.

The latest generation of pruning shears, the Electrocoup F3015 is much more than ordinary electronic pruning shears. It is a battery-powered 4-in-1 tool that enables the user to change the cutting head according to the type of work being done. This revolutionary tool allows users to optimize their investment as the single tool can be utilized for many different uses including Viticulture, Orchards and Tree pruning, Arboriculture and Forestry pruning work, and Parklands and Local Councils Maintenance. The F3015 is designed to accommodate interchangeable heads, extension poles, and includes a proprietary safety system. It is one of the most powerful electronic pruning shears in its field, with a weight of only 790 grams and a cutting capacity of 40mm providing 184 Nm of torque. The additional heads allow the F3015 to get up to 55mm and 360 Nm of cutting capacity.

Motion solutions that moves life forward in critical applications.

Portescap engineers collaborated with the INFACO team to develop an optimized motion solution for their next generation pruning shears. Through close collaboration and understanding of the specifications needed for this portable hand tool, Portescap ensured that various technical requirements could be achieved. It was critical that the motion solution achieve certain targets for lifetime, weight/size, and low power consumption.

{ Our success stems from the highly collaborative environment we create between customers and our Sales and Engineering teams. }

“What’s so exciting is that the Portescap team has been able to be collaborate with the INFACO team through numerous evolutionary stages of the pruning shears for the last 30 years,” says Dr. Norbert Veignat, Portescap.

For the F3015, Portescap proposed a special proprietary 22mm Brushless slotless 4-pole motor (Ultra EC™ 22ECT) with a custom design 31mm planetary gearbox. The slotless design of this motor helped provide the needed efficiency and higher speed, while the proprietary 4-pole rotor provided the desired higher torque. Portescap was able to fully customize the motor and gearbox assembly to include special proprietary features, such as:

• High power density and lower operating temperature allowed by optimizing the working point of the motor (high current capacity, high speed)

• Small envelope allowed by integrating the gearbox with the motor

• Robust unit less sensitive to shock and vibration

• High output torque capability of the gearbox by redesigning the output stage.

Our engineers and R&D teams were able to develop a motion solution that can provide consistent output performance, reduced noise, long battery life, and high power/torque in a small package. “INFACO enjoys our continued partnership with the Portescap team” says Mr. Daniel Delmas, President, Infaco. “The extensive collaboration that their engineering and R&D teams provides, allows us to achieve great success for product performance.”

About Portescap

Portescap is a leader in miniature motion solutions.

Our micro motors put the power in motion-critical applications. Complete assemblies can include encoders, gearheads, customized shafts, and modified design configurations to reduce assembly costs and package size. Whatever your next design challenge, Portescap can deliver an optimized solution.

About Infaco

For the past thirty years, INFACO S.A. has been dedicated exclusively to the manufacturing of the “Electrocoup” electronic pruning shear, designed for the pruning and lopping of vines, fruit trees etc.

Their president, Daniel Delmas, invented the world’s first electric pruning shears in 1984, called the “Electrocoup.” More than 350,000 “Electrocoup” electronic pruning shears have been sold to date. Today, Mr. Daniel Delmas and his son Davy continue to run INFACO S.A.S, set up in Cahuzac-sur-Vère (France, Tarn, 81), with a staff of more than 110 employees who strive every day to improve their tools in order to continue to satisfy their customer/users and earn their loyalty.

{ Whatever your next design, Portescap can deliver an optimized solution. }