Young engineer scoops top LAMMA award

A young engineer won a top award for creating an automated moisture control system for continuous flow grain dryers.

Alexander Sluijmers won the 2025 LAMMA Young Engineer Award for creating the Grain Sentry – a device which automates grain sampling and control, including remote control operation via an app.

Mr Sluijmers is a development engineer working for grain handling experts Perry of Oakley. The award recognises the best young engineering talent in UK agriculture – and is a respected accolade.

Cost-savings

The Grain Sentry helps reduce the workload and human error associated with traditional grain drying. The automated system improves efficiency, accuracy, and cost savings for farmers managing large-scale grain handling.

The system is versatile, compatible with multiple crops and can be retrofitted for existing dryers. It reduces labour needs and improves profitability, with savings ranging from £21,500 to £53,500 per season, depending on dryer capacity.

Launched in 2024, Grain Sentry is commercially viable and uses pneumatic conveying to collect samples and employs self-teaching algorithms to regulate dryer speed, optimising moisture levels.

“It’s amazing to have won the Young Engineer Award,” said Mr Sluijmers. “When I was first nominated, I wondered if grain handling technology would really stand out against all the big machinery here at LAMMA. But to come first is incredible.

Presentation

The award was presented at last month’s LAMMA event at the NEC Birmingham. Mr Sluijmers said: “There was a lot of interest and questions from visitors who saw Grain Sentry on stand, which has given me new ideas of where to go next.”

The Young Engineer Award celebrates youngsters aged 16-35 who have developed a piece of agricultural machinery, equipment or technology that has significantly enhanced efficiency, profitability or sustainability in farming operations.

Agriconnect head of machinery and judge Toby Whatley said: “Grain Sentry is a truly innovative solution that offers a fresh approach to enhancing productivity and grain quality.”