Precision Engineering for Automating Cannabis Manufacturing
In manufacturing, products undergo a progression from concept to realization—and cannabis production is no exception. The process starts with the cultivation of plants from seeds or clones, evolving through key stages such as drying, trimming and curing. The conclusion culminates in the packaging and delivery of retail-ready products.
Nestled somewhere in the middle of this value chain is Sorting Robotics, whose technology specializes in automating the complex process of pre-roll production. Using cutting-edge robotics and advanced engineering solutions, the company aims to efficiently and consistently bridge the gap between cultivation and consumer-ready products while ensuring quality control and compliance along the way.
The way Nohtal Partansky, the founder of Sorting Robotics, explains it is that once the product is at the pre-roll stage of the process, the most difficult part of the process to do by hand is infusing cannabis concentrate into or onto the pre-roll, or joint. The company specializes in making machinery for this infusion process, thereby addressing one of the more complex challenges in pre-roll production. “We have this kind of like small sliver of the value chain inside a small sliver of the market, which is pre-rolls,” Partansky said.
The company has developed two flagship systems: the JIKO robot and the Stardust coating system. Each is tailored to address specific challenges in this segment of cannabis manufacturing. The JIKO robot is particularly adapted for internal infusion, injecting concentrated forms of cannabis—including oils and waxes—directly into the pre-rolls. Stardust is used to externally infuse the pre-roll. This dual approach allows manufacturers to create pre-rolls with enhanced flavors and potency, he explained.
R&D Cracks the Code
Understanding the complexity of automated cannabis manufacture, Sorting Robotics focuses on the mechanical and technical foundations that enable their systems to operate reliably. “We have a pretty wide range of mechanical systems that are application-specific,” Partansky said.
The company’s systems are equipped with electromechanical devices, microcontrollers and heating algorithms that facilitate precise manipulation during the manufacturing process. This level of engineering ensures that the equipment can effectively handle the unique properties of cannabis products without compromising quality.
Robotic arms play a role in achieving reliable product handling. “Material manipulation is kind of the name of the game for any robotic system anywhere,” Partansky said. The JIKO robot uses a specially engineered end effector that allows for careful handling of pre-rolls to prevent contamination, which is a primary concern in cannabis production. This functionality is critical as manual processes often lead to variability and potential quality control issues, Partansky noted.
“We designed our own end effector for this application because the problem was so complicated,” he said, adding, “the end effector itself was one of the few things that we actually got right on the first try.” The engineering team drew on readily available components such as motors, bearings and gears to create an effective yet straightforward design.
One of the biggest patents that Sorting Robotics incorporated into its design is their collet pod, an essential component that addresses specific challenges in handling cannabis pre-rolls. “You need to grab only the crutch of the joint,” Partansky explained, “because you don’t want to shadow any of the places that need to get sprayed with material.
“And then you also couldn’t grab it too hard,” he continued. “You need to make sure that it’s well aligned. You need to be able to control it, and you need to be able to clean whatever mechanism you used to grab it.” He said this was a difficult set of requirements.
After some trial and error in the R&D process, the collet pod with its magnetized actuation and the use of gravity was realized. The mechanized design not only improves operational safety but also reduces contamination risks associated with traditional manual methods. By using magnetic actuation, Sorting Robotics has significantly reduced the complexity and number of moving parts in the mechanism, too. “We were able to develop a system that has two moving parts as opposed to…200 moving parts,” Partansky said.
From Mars to Marijuana Manufacturing
Partansky was not always in the cannabis space. He began his career as an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where he worked on the MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) project, a device designed to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere.
After a few years, he wanted to start his own company focused on robotics. Initially, he shifted his focus to developing a device called the Roca Sorter, a robotic card sorting system for Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon cards aimed at online and ecommerce sellers. He started this venture in 2018, but by the following year—after going full-time with his co-founders—they realized that the market for the Roca Sorter was small and that scaling to a $50 million or $100 million company would be challenging.
In pursuit of growth, they applied to Y Combinator, a prominent startup accelerator in Silicon Valley. This experience provided them with a pathway to transition into the cannabis industry. In 2020, almost after two years of working on the Roca Sorter, they pivoted to focus entirely on cannabis automation.
Partansky found that the precise engineering principles from aerospace were applicable to designing automated systems in the cannabis industry, as aerospace engineering demands a high level of accuracy. "[Aerospace engineering] background has helped significantly when building any of the products that we have in the cannabis industry,” he said.
He also noted that regulatory requirements also differ significantly between the two fields. Aerospace is governed by ITAR regulations to safeguard national security, while cannabis regulations focus on ensuring product safety and compliance.
In transitioning to cannabis manufacturing, Partansky learned to design systems for manufacturing workers as opposed to scientists. This change emphasized creating user-friendly machines that are simple to operate. At present, the company primarily targets manufacturing, particularly in the cannabis pre-roll market, aiming to serve the largest segment of the industry.
Be sure to watch our three-part interview series with Nohtal Partansky at the links below:
