Double the output. Not the crew.
Cannabis Trimming Automation Cut Labor Cost 49% and Lifted Yield 7%
The Challenge
A large commercial producer was doubling production in 2025. They previously utilized large, batch-style trimming machines and band sorters to trim and size sort 60,000 kg/year of dry flower with good results. They knew that expanding to 120,000 kg/year would be a problem with their existing process.
They needed to increase and simplify post-harvest processing, while maintaining low staff levels, high flower quality, and increase flower to trim yields.
The Solution
They implemented the Twister Technologies T-ZERO PRO solution coupled with Marvel AI. The complete solution allows them to trim dried, bucked flower, then grade and sort by size, quality, and potential defects.
The Results
- Increased average processing speed by 16%
- Reduced staff labor from 12 to 7
- Increased flower yield by 7% on even the most problematic strains
- Increased A grade flower by 36%
- Improved flower quality now is more aligned with gentle, hand trimmed appearance, while maintaining potency
Old Process vs. New Process
The automated line changed the look of the finished flower. The old batch process is on the left, the new T-ZERO PRO and Marvel AI process on the right.
- Old process
- Polished, rounded flower with battered buds and leaves, low pistil content, and lacking natural character.
- New process
- Strong structure with sharp bud and leaf edges, good visible trichome and pistil content, and full of natural character.
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Download PDFGlossary
- T-ZERO PRO
- Twister Technologies' automated trimming system for dried, bucked cannabis flower, designed for continuous, high-volume processing.
- Marvel AI
- A deep-learning grading and sorting machine that classifies trimmed flower by size, quality, and potential defects.
- A-grade flower
- The top quality tier of trimmed flower, usually the premium product that commands the highest price.
- Bucked flower
- Cannabis flower removed from the stem during bucking, ready to be trimmed.
- Post-harvest processing
- The steps after harvest, including bucking, drying, trimming, grading, and sorting, that prepare flower for sale.
- Band sorter
- Older sizing equipment that sorts flower across bands or screens, used here as the prior-process comparison.
- Flower-to-trim yield
- The share of usable flower recovered versus material lost as trim during processing.
- Batch trimming
- A method that trims flower in discrete batches rather than a continuous flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Cite this case study
APA
Evans, J. (2026). Cannabis trimming automation case study: Labor down 49%, yield up 7%. Twister Technologies. https://www.twistertrimmer.com/cannabis-trimming-automation-case-study-labor-savings/
MLA
Evans, Josh. "Cannabis Trimming Automation Case Study: Labor Down 49%, Yield Up 7%." Twister Technologies, 31 Mar. 2026, www.twistertrimmer.com/cannabis-trimming-automation-case-study-labor-savings/.
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