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

Production planning and control (PPC) system represents a set of decisions on the acquisition, utilization and allocation of resources with the ultimate goal to satisfy customer requirements in the most effective and efficient way. PPC system involves a considerable amount of parameters and synchronizing of a high number of components is a complex process, especially in present business environment where everything has to be decided fast and precisely under an enormous pressure of external factor that undergo through constant change, as so throughout the years a number of methods have been developed with the intention of optimizing the work of PPC systems. One of the methods for optimizing PPC systems which is also used in this case is simulation module for PPC which integrates the parameters involved offering the opportunity of experimenting and analyzing the different possible scenarios in order to find the one that delivers the best possible results without affecting the current actual system and with that reducing the cost and time needed to identify the most optimal solution.

A methodological approach has been developed that allows to assess the performance and functional possibilities of systems, assemblies and mechanisms of the agricultural tractor taking part in the formation and implementation of its power potential and, if necessary, to determine requirements for modules with similar purposes by which they could be replaced in order to improve efficiency in the operation of а tractor model and machine-tractor combinations formed on its basis.

An example of practical application of the methodological approach for improving the utilization of power potential of an agricultural tractor by optimizing its ballast is presented in the article, too.