Disposal and repair of equipment as circular economy elements

Introduction. The article deals with the criteria for the further use of agricultural machinery that has reached the serviceability limit state: to carry out major repairs or dispose of it, as much as possible saving material resources, as required by the principles of the circular economy. Materials and Methods. The technical conditions and costs of the equipment components at the agricultural repair workshops in 12 Russian regions were studied. The study was based on the changes in the structure of parts with different use periods. Results. The results of the study showed that the cost of repairing the equipment components depends on serviceability status of the components, which are divided into three groups: the components fit for use without repair, components fit for use after repair, and irreparable components to be disposed of. Discussion and Conclusion. It was found that nearly all machines, taken to the workshops for repairs, are outside the serviceability limit state and should be disposed of. The serviceability limit state of the machine occurs at loss of serviceability with a coefficient of less than 0.5. Tn this rate, the machine owner can choose whether it will be repaired or disposed of. When loss of serviceability less than 0.45, an overhaul is preferable. When loss of serviceability more 0.5, disposal is required. These measures will provide the greatest possible resource efficiency.