International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Increasing the reliability of machinery and technical devices is currently a critical issue, as it is directly linked to technical and economic performance. No machine or device will be competitive in the global market without high reliability. It should be noted that the reliability of agricultural machinery is still low and does not meet modern scientific and industrial requirements. According to official data, the cost of producing new agricultural machinery accounts for 22% of total production capacity, spare parts account for 34%, and repairs account for 44%. Increasing reliability is an inexhaustible resource and is equivalent to increasing the number of machines without any investment. Machine reliability can be improved during design, manufacturing, and repair. Our research focuses on improving the reliability of agricultural machinery using resource-saving technologies for restoring worn parts, specifically spark etching. We have developed and implemented a methodology for assessing the technical and economic efficiency of restoring worn parts of agricultural machinery using electro-alloying. Calculations have shown that using this method of restoring cultivator blades with a program N=500 amounts to E=$2000.

Agricultural machinery operates in special soil-climatic and dynamic conditions of Georgia. Its working parts are constantly exposed to alternating dynamic loads, abrasive particles in the cultivated soil, exposure and slope of the relief, high humidity, high radiation, etc. All these factors cause intensive wear of their working parts and therefore such machines are subject to special reliability requirements. In addition, agricultural machinery must be highly reliable due to the fact that harvesting is carried out in a short time and failures of such machines lead to significant losses of agricultural products. To improve the reliability and performance of worn parts, we have developed a new, resource-saving, alternative technology using spark alloying. Theoretical foundations and methods for optimizing the adhesion strength of metal coatings obtained by spark alloying have also been developed using multifactorial experiment planning. To optimize the process of restoring worn parts, the Box-Wilson steep climb method was u sed. The work was supported by the Shota Rustaveli Georgian National Science Foundation FR – 23-1855.

The article studies the process of restoration of worn parts of agricultural machinery by submerged arc welding, defines similarity criteria characterizing this restoration process and revealing their physical essence. A technique has been developed and a general criteria equation has been obtained for determining and optimizing the hardness of the resulting metal coatings, which is the scientific basis for conducting targeted experiments. For surfacing of plowshares and other parts under flux, the existing standard installation was modified in order to automate the process and increase productivity, and several devices were manufactured taking into account the shape of the working elements being restored. Experimental studies were conducted as a result of which an analytical form of the criterial equation was obtained and rational modes for restoring parts during electric arc surfacing under flux were established. The composition and structure of the obtained metal coatings were studied and different compositions were proposed as new fluxes. obtained in Georgia using the remains of manganese processing in the city of Chiatura.

The introduction of a testing system for agricultural machinery and implements, from the very beginning of the emergence of this research and production industry, is possible only with the establishment of a machine testing station, which reproduces the full cycle of crop cultivation. To do this, it is necessary to have appropriate land plots where crops are grown and subsequently tested, appropriate management personnel (agronomist and ordinary workers) and traction vehicles, i.e. horses. It is mandatory to have measuring instruments and various measuring equipment that can be used by scientists, testers and engineers during the tests. They should carry out preparatory work on the adaptation, adjustment, calibration and use of these devices. The next necessary condition is also the methodology for conducting the tests and processing the results of these measurements. The first testing station for agricultural machinery and implements in Ukraine that met these requirements was founded, established and began to operate successfully in Kharkiv, namely at the Kharkiv Practical Technological Institute in 1889.

Calculating and increasing the reliability indicators of machines is an important problem as they won’t be competitive in the world market without this high indicator. Currently, many scientists have developed scientific foundations for calculating the reliability of machines, installations, instruments and devices in radio electronics, aviation, space, mechanical engineering and other industries, but such research is not acceptable for agricultural machines that operate in special soil-climatic and dynamic conditions. Their working bodies are constantly subject to alternating dynamic loads, abrasive particles in the cultivated soil, exposure and inclination of the relief, high humidity, high radiation, etc. All these factors cause intensive wear of their working bodies and therefore, such machines are subject to special requirements for reliability. In addition, agricultural machines must have high reliability due to the fact that harvesting is carried out in a short time and failures of such machines lead to significant losses of agricultural products. We have developed theoretical principles and methods for calculating the reliability of agricultural machines, taking into account the specifics of their designs and operating conditions. For this purpose, modern methods of probabilistic-statistical modeling, queuing theory, similarity and dimensions were used. A methodology for calculating reliability was also developed taking into account the structural and logical diagrams of machines and such diagrams of specific machines were drawn up.

The article presents a study of the development of agricultural mechanics in Ukraine based on the coverage of scientific works in the areas of research of its patriarch, academician of VASGNIL, academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Professor Petro Vasylenko. The article analyzes not only his personal scientific works, but also the research of his immediate students. Academician Petro Vasylenko is known far beyond the borders of Ukraine for his fundamental research not only in agricultural mechanics, but also in the theory and methods of calculation of tillage,
sowing, grain harvesting and beet harvesting machines, as well as in the dynamics and stability of agricultural machinery. Petro Vasylenko was also awarded the highest award in the field of agricultural mechanics, the V.P. Goryachkin Gold Medal, for his outstanding scientific contribution to the development of the theory and practice of agricultural mechanics and for the creation of a scientific school. This award was given only to outstanding scientists with a worldwide reputation who enriched the treasury of scientific knowledge with fundamental works in the field of agricultural engineering aspects of agriculture.

The necessity of using the apparatus of mathematical statistics to obtain high reliability of the results of the evaluation of thereliability indicators of agricultural machinery in comparative tests is justified.
Two models of plant protection machines have been tested and the main numerical characteristics of the indicator production till failure of the failure-free feature have been obtained.
The application of the Student’s criterion for proving the statistical significance of the difference in the tested reliability indicator is justified.

The types of machine reliability tests and the applicability of the test plans are discussed. On this basis, a methodology for experimental testing of the reliability of the machines is proposed and the interrelation of the elements of the methodology is shown.

Adjara, with its diverse natural conditions, relief and soil and climatic features, is one of the distinctive regions of Georgia, dominated by mountainous terrain, steep slopes and small areas. Accordingly, the complex mechanization of agricultural processes by mobile agricultural machinery is inappropriate and therefore small-sized agricultural machinery is used. This technique works in difficult soil-climatic and dynamic conditions, it is constantly affected by significant dynamic forces, high humidity, abrasive particles in the environment, mountainous terrain and others. All these factors cause intensive wear and decrease in the reliability of the working bodies of machines. It should be noted that single and complex indicators of the operational reliability of small-scale mechanization equipment operating in the mountainous conditions of Adjara have not been studied and their establishment will contribute to the rational organization of technical service of small-scale mechanization machines.
The reliability indicators of motoblocks and motor cultivators, such as the probability of failure-free operation, time between failures, the failure rate parameter, the average resource, the coefficients of technical use and readiness, are considered, adequate probabilisticstatistical mathematical models are obtained, the least reliable nodes, types of failures are identified, and a set of measures is outlined to improve reliability

In this research, a survey was conducted in the Republic of Croatia in order to determine energy consumption in agriculture. The survey included collecting data on agricultural machinery based on machine type, fuel used, type of business and arable land type. There were more than 9,000 participants in the survey, of which more than 6,000 family farms. Results are shown on a national level for four land types: arable land, meadows and pastures, olive plantations and vineyards, as well as for three groups of participants: enterprises, family farms, and eco-producers. The last was found to have the lowest energy consumption and emissions on most land types, except on arable land, where all three groups have similar results. Vineyards had the highest emissions per hectare, while meadows and pastures had the lowest.

Industry 4.0 represents the newest generation of industry development. Every day the various demands in industry are getting more and more demanding. The demand for shorter production and delivery time, more efficient and automated processes has led us to the Industry 4.0. It is necessary to include and integrate the latest developments based on digital technologies as well as the interoperability process across them. The goals is to enable companies to transmit information in real time in terms of performance and behaviour. Industry 4.0 can be applied to any branch of industry. Agricultural industry is no exception. As far as agricultural machinery is concerned, it is a very important part of agricultural industry. Agricultural machinery incorporates electronic controls and it is a part of digital age, enhancing their current performance. In addition to the electronics, using sensors and drones, supports the data collection of several agriculture key aspects, such as weather, animals and crops behaviour, geographical spatialization, etc. The main tasks are how to apply the right methods and methodologies in order to support a better supply chain decision-making process, how to automate the process and how can Industry 4.0 help a person, who is in agricultural industry, in order to make effective decisions based on objective data.

Innovative scientific-technical and pedagogical bases of studying in higher education institutions by future specialists in agroengineering of the theory and calculation fundamental questions of sprinkler nozzles and devices of machines for irrigation of agricultural crops are presented. Some constructive schemes of nozzles, namely, deflector, crack, etc. are analyzed. Graphs for determining the range of the jet and determining the rational shape of the nozzle are given. It is proved that all this can be effectively applied both in the educational process during the study of agricultural machinery and equipment by students and in research and production practice. Depending on the purpose, tasks, methods of technological processes of irrigation disintegration of a water jet on drops is analyzed. An algorithm for calculating the working bodies of sprinklers is presented, it can be used by agricultural engineers during their design activities. It is established that it is effective when students first study and analyze the state of agricultural production, for example, during internships, identify shortcomings of technological processes, opportunities for improvement, level of technical support, and then, using theoretical knowledge, mastered methods of engineering calculations, design and construct working bodies of sprinklers. Formulas for determining the radius of the irrigation sector, the maximum angle of the rocker arm at which the nozzle is attached, the total travel time of the rocker arm in both directions, the speed of the liquid in the jet and more are given. The methodological features of functioning of various designs of nozzles of sprinklers are theoretically described. The results of scientific research presented in the article can be used as didactic material in lectures, during laboratory-practical classes, independent work of students, as well as graduate students and scientists at the stage of design and construction of reclamation machines. The main theoretical provisions are recommended to be included in the list of test tasks for assessing the readiness of agricultural engineering for innovative project activities. It is noted that the study of the basics of designing the working bodies of irrigation machines is one of the factors of a holistic conceptual system of protection of soils and water resources. Emphasis is placed on the fact that soil and water resources are important objects and prerequisites for the development of reclamation machines and the formation of special design competencies of agricultural engineers