The characteristic features of technological reliability of flax combine harvesters as their production capacity factors

Abstract

High quality fiber flax produce can be obtained under the conditions of harvesting the crop within short agrotechnical terms with respect to the crop maturity phases. Fiber flax seeds of the corresponding quality can be obtained when harvested in the yellow ripeness phase, the duration of which with respect to the fiber flax varietal peculiarities and weather conditions of the flax harvesting period fluctuates within the period of 5–10 days. In order to ensure harvesting within the time period specified, fiber flax combine harvester must possess the corresponding production capacity.

The research is aimed at improving the efficiency of using fiber flax combine harvesters by means of looking for the reserves of enhancing their production capacity. The technique of the experimental research is based on conducting stop-watch studies on the operation of flax combine harvester units (FCHU) included as components flax combine harvesters (FCH) ЛК-4Т. Besides combines, FCHU included 1.4 class tractors and 2ПТС-4М two-axle dump trailers. The FCHU crew consisted of a tractor driver, a combine-operator and a worker for smoothing flax masses coming from the combine to the trailer flatbed. The sheets of the stop-watch study there processed according to the well-known technique which serves as a component of farm machinery industrial tests. The components of the operation time balance of FCHU replacement were determined together with the assessment of the basic and total replacement time, and the FCHU production capacity per hour of the replacement time was determined through measuring the fiber flax area harvested by the unit, as well as through its relation to the total replacement time. The following indices were taken as the factors for the FCH technological reliability: the duration of the mean-time-between failures and the removal of these failures; the part of the duration of the technological failures within the structure of FCHU replacement time; the partial coefficient of using the replacement time which takes into account the FCHU idle time caused by removing the technological failures the coefficient of the FCH technological reliability and the number of the FCH technological failures per hour of the FCHU replacement time. The durations of the mean-time-between-failures and the removal of these failures were determined by means of processing stop-watch study sheets. Depending on the mean-time-between-failures. the production capacity of combine harvesters is described by the equation of a straight line with slope-intercept form; the duration of removing the technological failures and the part of this duration in the structure of the replacement time is described  by descending hyperbolae; the partial coefficient of using replacement time which takes into account the idle time of harvesting units resulting from the removal of technological failures of harvesters and the coefficient of their technological reliability – by the equation of ascending hyperbolae; and the number of technological failures of harvesters per hour of replacement time – by the equation of descending exponent.