Automated sample milling - a way to improve staff well-being and efficiency
Challenge
The AGES' (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety GmbH) central task is the protection of the health of humans, animals, and plants as well as the safety and quality of food. This also includes the examination, assessment, and certification of seeds.
A variety of agricultural crops are tested in the AGES laboratories according to precisely defined guidelines and standards before being placed into the market. Samples of cereals, oilseeds and feed are sent to the laboratory and examined according to defined parameters. In htis manner approximately 8,000 cereal samples and 4,000 feed samples are tested annually. Due to seasonality, the workload is not evenly distributed throughout the year and peaks during the main harvest season.
In the testing of the seed varieties, crops such as wheat, barley, maize, rye, oats, and soybeans are analyzed. Depending on the crop, between 400 and 2,000 samples are submitted to the laboratory for analysis. The milling of these samples is very resource-intensive and is carried out under unfavourable working conditions.
For each analysis, the laboratory staff must perform sample pre-cleaning and analysis, followed by extensive machine cleaning. The frequent cleaning of the milling equipment takes up a lot of time that could be used more effectively for sample analysis. In addition, during the analysis the laboratory staff is exposed to physical stress from dust and noise. The protective clothing against dust is cumbersome and affects the well-being of the staff.
In summary, the current sample milling process is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and physically demanding for employees.
Question
Desired result
The aim is to find a solution that automates the laboratory milling process. The solution should recognize the sample label, transfer the sample to the mill, and re-package and re-label the sample after milling. The machine should then perform a self-cleaning process. A continual milling process to reduce cleaning effort could be considered. Additionally, a pre-cleaning system that detects and removes foreign objects in samples before they are loaded into the mill, would be an added benefit.
Desired features include:
• Pre-cleaning
• Dehulling
• Possibility of NIR measurement coupling before and/or after grinding
• Automated hectoliter weight determination
• Easily accessible grinding chamber to facilitate sieve changes
Call for submissions
As part of this market exploration, you have the opportunity to present your innovative approaches and demonstrate the potential for automating and optimizing the sample milling of seeds. Submit your innovations via the online forms by 23.07.2025:
• A meaningful and comprehensible description of your solution. Focus on feasibility and keep the evaluation criteria in mind. Provide practical use cases and reference projects.
• The added value of your proposed solution. Highlight the benefits clearly.
• Confidential information. Use this field to provide the jury with, for example, a cost estimate (this information is only visible to the jury and the moderation team).
• A PDF file as an upload. Files with additional information and, for example, infographics can help to concretize and clearly present the solution approach.
• A cover image. This serves as a visual showcase for your submission.
NOTE: Submissions in a consortium are possible.
Keep it brief (guideline: a maximum of three A4 pages or ten presentation slides in total).
We are in the market exploration phase with the challenge. Therefore, the following is not necessary: completely new and specially developed concepts, drafts, or feasibility studies for this occasion.
Benefits of the challenge and further project development
The sponsor gains an overview of solution approaches and potential partners through this challenge. The jury of internal experts will invite those companies whose solutions best met the evaluation criteria to an innovation dialoge.
For companies a submission will get you get on the radar of the public client. Your submission remains visible as your business card for further interested parties even after the challenge is over. You position yourself for further public procurement projects.
If you are among the winners and are invited to the final innovation dialogue, you can present your solution in a market discussion. You exchange ideas directly with the project managers. This creates sensitivity and understanding for suitable innovations on the part of the public client. This is important so that the public client can consider innovative approaches in the possible procurement project after the market exploration.
Please keep 03. Sept. 2025 open for a possible invitation to the innovation dialog.
Depending on the results, the further project plan foresees the following:
The AGES would like to drive process automation. Your submission is an important step in this goal.
Subsequent steps depend on the degree of maturity of your innovative solution, the entrepreneurial profile of the submitting company, the complexity of implementation and the final assessment of the jury.
Possible options include further testing, a pilot project or the purchase of an innovative solution. The joint development of a solution is also conceivable.
In the event of an award, this will take place in accordance with BVergG 2018. Companies that did not take part in the market exploration challenge are also eligible for this.
Do you have the right solution?
Then submit!
Questions about the challenge
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