Bühler Group will be the main supplier of grain and feed processing equipment for the Feed Technology Center, contributing more than $1 million in milling, grinding, mixing and pelleting equipment to the project, with a substantial portion of that total provided as a gift. The digitally connected facility will feature a Bühler multi-channel, inline NIR system which will monitor the compositional quality of feed ingredients in real time during diet preparation.

The data will be uploaded to Bühler Insights, their IoT cloud platform, powered by Microsoft Azure, enabling analysis by a team of data scientists. This analysis, combined with Bühler’s team of technologists and process engineers, along with the University of Illinois’ animal scientists, is expected to uncover new insights and provide new tools for feed mill operators and animal producers. The company will also supply the automation hardware and software to operate the facility, along with technical expertise.

Brian Williams, vice president, marketing and business development at Bühler said that “we commend the University of Illinois team for having the courage to build and equip the facility of the future. Our shared vision of a digitally connected facility, powered by the Bühler Insights platform, will enable data science to unlock new levels of efficiency and sustainability. We are thrilled to team-up with the Illini to create this future together!”

The Feed Technology Center, along with Bühler’s contribution, will provide experiential learning opportunities for students in the latest feed technologies. This hands-on experience, along with new courses in the Department of Animal Sciences, will position students for leadership in the animal nutrition industry. In particular, the equipment’s reliance on cloud-based data will enable students in the department’s new interdisciplinary major – computer science + animal sciences – to build highly marketable skills.