• Visual Introduction
• Thematic Focus and Development of the Centre
• Scientific and Technological Quality

Thematic Focus and Development of the Centre

Our Centre operates in the part of Poland where agriculture was dominated by large state run farms giving employment to majority of rural population. After the year 1989 most of these farms have been liquidated, struggling these days many adversities.

During last decade investments and sources of income were concentrating more in large cities. The progress in villages and small towns, which are a lot in this part of Poland, is small, especially in the food processing. The system of distribution of agriculture products strongly needs a modern market information system and professional marketing. The agriculture, craft and trade of the Central Pomerania have potential for the economic growth. We can see that the conditions for trade, services and craft improved from the beginning of the 90's. Since then many trade facilities have appeared in the region. This sphere of activity has stimulated the region's development, but a significant growth in the Central Pomerania is possible with progress of the food processing industry.

Common efforts of the local government and The Technical University of Koszalin over several past years aim at improvement of this situation. Giant role in this program has our Centre whose scientific activity is trying to meet the needs of the region.

Our main goal is to create several links between our researchers, European Union's scientists and food companies and business that provide supplies and services. This goal can be realized by:
- joining research and practice into the area of food production include processing, packaging and storage of meat and poultry, seafood, cereals and dairy products;
preparing submission of projects for the Sixth Framework Programme with the research groups from EU's Universities interested in that problem as well as food companies.

The beginnings of the Centre go back to the 70's when a group of scientists has been working on problems directly related to agriculture and its mechanization. Over more than 20 years of development the scope was extending successively finally coming to today's multi-disciplinal level. Our Centre gathers leading scientists of many fields of knowledge. The idea of common work for the development of the Pomerania region integrates us even farther. We conduct research on the following areas:

• investigation and optimization of processes and installations of food industry,
• theoretical and experimental research of processes of plastics extrusion using screw extruders,
• theoretical and experimental research of processes mixing of raw materials,
• application of ellelopathy phenomenon and useful entomofauna in plant protection,
• theory, construction, diagnostics, exploitation and repair of working machines and vehicles,
• increasing of machines durability by technological methods,
• variational and finite elements methods in modeling and analysis of strongly non-linear phenomena in processes,
• regeneration and exploitation of machine parts,
• construction optimization of working machines and vehicles, ˇ ecological energy conversion,
• investigation of boiling in channel flow,
• work quality of harvest machines,
• feed stuff processing machines and dispensers,
• ecological agricultural production machines,
• investigation of heat exchange and flow resistance of diphase systems in boiling and condensation processes,
• heat-flow research of refrigerant-conditioning exchangers,
• construction, exploitation and measurements of machines and energetic installations within the range of heat management,
• processes of food products thermal processing using refrigeration methods (refrigeration and freezing),
• industry control engineering: computer control, non-conventional control algorithms (neural, fuzzy),
• digital control of electrical pneumatic propulsions and servo-mechanisms,
• automation of food products storage processes,
• food processing technology,
• technological lines and machines for food processing,
• morphological, nutritive and mechanical properties of food products,
• hygienic aspects of food processing,
• food safety,
• quality of food,
• polymer processing: extrusion of thermoplasts,
• auto thermal extrusion and mixing of thermoplasts,
• methodology of technical designing (Engineering Design)

The years of communist the era were full in projects ordered by the industry. One can say that this was the "golden age" when the most of researches ended up with practical implementations. As the potato growing was specific for our region, the Centre were building potato harvesters and other agriculture machines, grew several new species of potatoes. Unfortunately problems related to changing political-economic system have had direct impact on agriculture as well as on research. Thanks to not diminishing involvement of the staff research were still made but on a much smaller scale. Nowadays new links with the industry are being established and we can boast a several successful implementations. Experience of the past proves that our team is creative enough to go on even in very difficult conditions.