A word of welcome by

Prof. Josse De Baerdemaeker	Prof. Herman Ramon

The research programmes at the Laboratory for Agro-Machinery and Processing concentrate on the acquisition and exploitation of knowledge on the interaction between physical processes and biological products. From the field to the consumer, the processes involved in the food production chain or the biological material chain form the subject of the laboratory's activities, activities that contribute to the generation of novel or improved technologies.
Various research angles are addressed. One area of research concerns the measurement of physical characteristics of crops and raw materials and how they change in response to different handling or storage conditions. In order to respond to consumer demand and given the availability of natural resources, a second area of research focuses on the development of measurement equipment and protocols for processing operations, by means of modelling, control methods and experimental work. Expertise is present at the laboratory and continuously improves in all areas of research.
For organisational purposes, the research activities at the laboratory are grouped under the following headings:

• Physical properties of biological materials
• Postharvest and processing operations, modelling, design and control
• Discrete element modelling
• Mechatronics - Equipment design, modelling and control
• Precision agriculture

Many activities are carried out in collaboration with laboratories specialised in various fields, including plant and animal sciences, food microbiology and technology, electronics and systems science and mechanical engineering. These laboratories are located at the K.U.Leuven itself or in Belgium, the European Union and beyond. The university, Flanders' regional government, the Belgian government, the European Union and numerous industrial partners fund the research. Their interest and support is gratefully acknowledged.