Browsing by Subject "huolto"

This study focuses on machinery and equipment failures in agriculture. For example, unreliable operations, or breakages and obstructions are common failures. Usually failures interrupt the work, either temporarily or for a longer period of time. Sometimes it is possible to continue working despite the failure. On the other hand failures can cause delaying or financial losses. Repairs can cause dangerous situations for farmers. Maintenance and repair works on farms are causing the most of the work-related accidents. The main targets of the study were to determine the most common failures on agricultural machinery and equip-ment, find the main reasons for the failures and find the ways to prevent failures and accidents caused by failures. The study was intended to serve as a basis of the newsletter to be made for farmers. The study was conducted 1.5 years lasting follow-up study. This study was finally included 21 farmers from all over the Finland. Farmers reported their machinery and equipment failures according to a pre-defined form. According to the results most machinery and equipment faults occurs with tractors. That is because tractors have a lot of places for failures and they are widely used on farms. Also harvesting machines seems to have a lot of failures. Machine failures were mainly on the frame and on the mechanical parts of power transmission. About one-fifth of all were electrical failures. Around two times out of three the failure interrupts working. According to farmers most of the failures were age-related and result from a "normal" wear. The remaining causes for failures were divided almost evenly between operating environment, machinery and equipment poor quality and factors resulting from the users. A significant result is that many failures can be prevented. For farmers it is almost impossible to avoid the machine and equipment failures. This study and the earlier stud-ies show that many of failures can be prevented and farmers should prepare better for failures. According to study the most important ways to prevent failures are proactive maintenance, careful reading of the operation manual, in-vesting to good quality machinery and equipment and by focusing to the work they are doing. Machinery mainte-nance and failure solving is safe when maintenance facilities are decent, using high quality tools and protective clothes, and when using the correct methods of work and not taking extra risks. It is also important to remember that the most demanding repair work should be left to professionals. The main goals of the study were achieved. TTS has published a newsletter for farmers, "Agricultural machinery and equipment failures - prevention methods and guidelines" based on the results of this study.