This centre is perhaps the only place in India pursuing an active research programme in design and development in Farm Machinery and Power spanning the broad areas of conservation agriculture, including straw management, sensor based agricultural machinery, human factors in design, tillage and traction, off-road vehicle design and testing. It was recognized as centre for advanced studies in Farm Machinery and Power during the IXth Plan by the ICAR (1997-2002). It has a well established and duly approved farm machinery testing centre to cater to needs of farm machinery manufacturing industry and has an active liaison with the industry in R&D. Institute has dedicated prototype production and manufacturer training centre (PPMTC) towards the advancement of knowledge to the users through continuous research. Recently the department has established tractor and combine diagnostic facility to provide hands-on training to the budding engineers and entrepreneurs in collaboration with New Holland Tractors and CLAAS Combines respectively, a unique venture in the country. Department since inception has granted 157 M.Tech. ( 5 pursuing presently) and 63 Ph.D. degrees. (2 pursuing presently) scholars apart from contributing its efforts in training nearly 2500 highly capable graduate engineers. It would be worthwhile to mention that during on campus recruitments, most of the graduate engineers from the college have got employment with tractor industry. Department has also developed more than four dozen technologies. Most of these technologies have been commercialized and are being extensively used by the farmers in the region. The Department has also trained more than two hundred fifty engineers and managers from the tractor industries, bankers, IAS probationers and international trainees from Afro-Asian countries. Departmental research hall has become important visiting site for visitors from all over the country and dignitaries from across the world.

• Design and development of farm machinery
• Precision agriculture
• Ergonomics
• Rescource conservation and residue management
• Farm Power

INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES AVAILABLE

Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering has the following infrastructural facilities:

1) Farm Power Laboratory

The farm power laboratory is an important component in teaching UG and PG classes in the department. The laboratory caters to the needs of the students with respect to their study on power on the farm for doing various farm operations. The laboratory has facility for exposing the students to tractors, engines and their systems. The laboratory contains cut sections and models for various tractor and engine systems such as the crank arrangement, valve system, lubrication system, fuel system, gear system, differential, electrical system, complete tractor assembly and a hydraulic trainer. The experiments conducted in the laboratory include familiarization with various systems, their working principles, types, study of tractor mechanics, prediction of moment of inertia, rolling resistance, hydraulic systems, finding centre of gravity of vehicles and design problems on these subjects.

2) Research Hall

The department has a well-equipped Research Hall where new machines are designed, developed and fabricated. This hall is also used for teaching U.G. and P.G. students and carrying out the P.G. research. Modern machine tools such as hydraulic press, balancing machine, surface grinding etc. are installed in research hall. Newly developed farm machines are displayed in the research hall. Visitors for knowledge exchange purposes visit this research hall quite often.

3) Farm Machinery Testing Centre

The department has a well-established farm machinery testing center since 1969 for the testing of commercially manufacturedagricultural machinery. A large numbers of agricultural machine manufactured in Punjab and other parts of the country like rotavator, disc harrow, disc plough, seed-cum-fertilizer drill, no-till-drill, plant protection equipment, potato planter, potato digger, reaper, reaper binder, tractor operated combines, centrifugal pump, general purpose diesel engine etc. have been tested. Farm Machinery Testing Centre is also approved by Govt. of India for testing agricultural machinery throughout the country.

4) CAD Laboratory

The department has developed a CAD laboratory for designing of farm equipment and training students. The department has been using ProE, NX, CATIA, IDEAS and SOILD EDGE softwares. It also helps in conducting practical classes for P.G. courses and is being extensively used for P.G. research.

5) CNC Laboratory

The department has recently established a CNC laboratory to equip the students and trainees with the knowledge and hands on skill of operating the CNC machines. The machines installed in the laboratory include CNC milling, CNC lathe, CNC drilling and EDM. These are especially useful for the UG students of the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology and can also be used for fabricating parts in process of developing new prototypes.

6) Ergonomics Laboratory

The Ergonomics Laboratory houses equipment for the study of anthropometry of agricultural workers, physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, calibration of subject, general fatigue, overall discomfort audiometeric examination, dust concentration, noise and vibration. The safety gadgets for tractors and tractor-trailer, slow moving vehicle emblem (SMVE) and reflectors, safety provisions for chaff cutters, thresher moving parts, spraying and for dust protection equipment.

7) Precision Agriculture Laboratory

A World Class state of the art laboratory on “Precision Ag” was developed in the department during the year 2010-2011 under the NAIP sub project entitled “Development of Spectral Reflectance Methods and Low Cost Sensors for Real-Time Application of Variable Rate Inputs in Precision Farming”. The various instruments/equipments/ softwares placed in the laboratory are: Real time soil sensor, N-sensor, Multi-spectral Camera, Differential GPS, Spectro-radiometer (350-2500 nm), Portable Spectro-radiometer (350-1000 nm), Variable rate controller, Plotter, Arc Info GIS, ENVI, Un-scrambler softwares, Chlorophyll content meter and N-Tester were importedfrom different countries. These instruments/equipments are used to measure the various characteristics of soil and plant based on the spectral analysis. Further analysis and correlation of spectra with different soil and plant properties is done by using these softwares.

8) Soil Dynamics Laboratory

The department has the facilities of soil bin for testing tillage tools. It has circular as well as linear soil bin, where tillage tools with single and multiple shear in straight movement or rotary blades can be tested in natural as well as artificial soils of desired compaction. It has the facilities to test rotary tillage blades for wear and tear. It has a tool carrier which can be operated at different linear speeds. It has provision for mounting different type of tillage tools. This tool trolley is equipped with sensors to measure the power, draft, speed and other parameters as desired in an experiment.

9)Tractor Training Workshop (In collaboration with New Holland Pvt. Ltd.)

The tractor training workshop was developed in collaboration with the New Holland Fiat (India) Pvt. Limited, Greater Noida. This laboratory has cut models of various systems of the New Holland tractor. This facility is used for hands-on training to the students, mechanics and service personnel of the company.

10) Harvesting Technology Laboratory

Promoting the concept of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Industry Institution Interface activities in a planned manner for collaborative programmes aiming mutual benefits, a training lab on harvesting technology was established in collaboration with CLAAS India Pvt. Ltd., Faridabad. A formal MoU was signed between PAU and CLAAS India for collaborative programmes. An advanced technology on harvesting equipment has been installed/displayed by the company in the college of Agricultural Engineering and technology with training aids helping students to upgrade their knowledge on technologies to come in Indian agriculture.

11) Spraying Technolgy Laboratory

The department has a spray technology laboratory where spray deposition pattern of different types of spray nozzles can be determined in terms of droplet size, droplet density, volume of spray deposition and efficacy of spray. The laboratory includes a patternameter assembly for measuring spray angle of a nozzle, spray volume and spray pattern and a spray deposition platform for creating artificial spray deposition on a plant in laboratory conditions, a droplet analyzer for measuring droplet size and other spray deposition parameters and a Olympus BX 61 microscope for measuring the orifice diameters of nozzles to access the wear rate of nozzle tip materials after use.

12) AR/VR Lab

The department has established a new AR/VR Lab under NAHEP Component 2 with the help of IASRI, New Delhi. It helps students, researchers, scientists and farmers understand the role of VR in Agriculture through modules developed like GBUAT Seed Lifecycle, ICAR Sun Farm Fridge, ICAR Hydroponics system, ICAR Phenomics, ICAR Protected Cultivation, ICAR Sugarcane, IVRI Utrine Torsion, NDRI Asst Reproductive Tech, UAS Advance Irrigation Methods and CIFE Fish Dissection and Anatomy. They can experience these mdoules through VR Headsets available in Lab. The department is also developing one module on Tractor Driving simulation which will also be uploaded in these headsets.

13) Tractor Section

The department has a dedicated tractor section with tractors of various makes including latest technology such as power steering, dual clutch, hydraulic brakes, auxiliary hydraulic points, ROPS (Roll Over Protection System), air conditioned cabin etc. and a high speed tractor. The department also has the first trolley with hydraulic brakes developed with safety consideration for road operations. The tractor section provides hands on training to the B.Tech. (Agril. Engg.) students on various aspects of tractor operation, upkeep and maintenance scheduling. This section also provides necessary support for research experiments; student’s practical and testing of new machines in the field.

14) Farmer Training Centre

This center provides training support to farmers. It organizes trainings for the farmers on proper usage of machines. Farmer training center organizes training also for the small scale manufactures and artisans on new techniques being used in manufacturing of agricultural machines.The center is a hub of extension activities of the department.

15) Farm Machinery Display Hall

The department has a display hall where machines developed in the department as well as commercial machines have been displayed for the convenience of visitors. Various farm machinery for different field operations like tillage, sowing, planting, inter-culture, spraying, harvesting, threshing etc. are displayed at one place. These include various versions of farm machines i.e. old to latest ones including advanced technologies. It is useful to the visitors and students to acquaint about various versions of farm machinery. Bullock operated equipment are also displayed for study purposes.This also helps in U.G. and P.G. teaching and research.

16) Prototype Production Centre

With a view of promoting the latest technology and popularizing the new machines developed in the department, a Prototype Production Centre has been set up. This centre develops prototypes of new machines so that the latest machines can be made available to the farmers to demonstrate the usefulness of such technologies at a stage when commercial manufacturers are apprehensive about manufacturing the new machine because market demand is not established.

17) Departmental Library

The department is well served by a departmental library which houses a collection of books, reports, thesis and codes required by the faculty and students of the department. There is a reading room with a computer provided for the benefit of the UG and PG students for researching material on their subject and also for doing their assignment work. The library houses nearly 550 B.Tech project reports, nearly 120 M.Tech thesis, 36 Ph.D. dissertations and around 600 books. It has advanced books on the subjects of design, materials, testing, maintenance of farm machinery, tractor and ergonomics.

18) Research Farm

The department has a research farm of about 15 acre area for testing and evaluation of newly developed farm equipments. The farm serves the useful purpose in evaluating the design, constructional, operational and managerial aspects of various machines/technologies being developed in the department. The research farm is also useful in extending the developed technologies to the end-users through demonstrations at farm.

Progress Report

The Farm Machinery Testing Centre (FMTC) was established in the Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, PAU, Ludhiana in 1969. The centre is involved in testing of agricultural machines right from seed bed preparation to harvesting and threshing operations, for both commercial and confidential purpose.

The College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, PAU, Ludhiana is an approved Testing Centre by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (M & T Division), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India.

Procedure to apply for the testing of Agricultural Machinery

The "Test Agreement" includes a Declaration and Annexure-I. The Declaration should be got typed on a stamp paper of Rs. 100/- and the Annexure-I should be typed on a Legal size paper. GST @ 18 % will be charged extra over and above the lump-sum testing fee/charges. Test fee can be paid in the form of a Demand Draft in favour of "Comptroller PAU Ludhiana" in the department on all working days between 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Duly filled (typed) application form (in triplicate) along with test agreement, covering letter and test fee may be submitted to The Head, Department of Farm Machinery & Power Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab-141004. Selection of test sample (machine/implement) through the random sampling is mandatory. Cost of to and fro charges of the staff going for random sampling has to be borne by the respective manufacturer.