Algorithm for create network diagrams for planning maintenance of agricultural machines

¹ Don State Technical University, pl. Gagarina 1, Rostov-on-Don, 344000, Russia.
² Azov-Black Sea Engineering Institute - affiliate Don State Agrarian University str. Lenina 21, Zernograd, 347740, Russia

^* Corresponding author: popov_a_ju@mail.ru

Abstract

Reducing the maintenance man-hour is one of the ways to improve of operation efficiency of agricultural machines. The total maintenance time of the agricultural machine is determined by the critical path and other network planning parameters. The network model in the form of network diagrams is used for visualization and analysis of maintenance processes. Building network diagrams be not a trivial task and it takes a long time to build. Therefore, automating the creation of network diagrams of technological maintenance of agricultural machines is an urgent task. This work aims to develop an algorithm for creating and analyzing network diagrams for planning the processes of technological maintenance and repair of various agricultural machines. When building an algorithm for creating network diagrams, the methodological apparatus of network planning and basic algorithmic structures were used. The algorithm is realized in the Matlab programming language. The article presents the flowchart and a description of the formation of an array of all and full paths. The description of identifying fictitious operations in the network diagram is given. The present algorithm calculates the maintenance man-hour of paths, determines the critical path of the network diagram and visualizes it on the graph, and also calculates the time reserves of the specified work. The logic of the algorithm is developed in accordance with the rules for building network models and excludes dead-end and tail events, closed loops. Thus, the algorithm will increase the efficiency of solving practical tasks of network planning of maintenance of agricultural machinery, shorten working hours and time for the building of the network diagram and reduce the associated possible errors.