Sequence of evaluating the effectiveness of compound feed equipment at the stage of its purchase

Abstract

The software and the sequence of calculation of the indices of the effectiveness of compound feed equipment (according to the criteria of energy efficiency, resource efficiency, economic efficiency, equipment quality and market reliability of the seller) when purchasing it are discussed. The evaluation of compound feed lines is based on absolute, relative and dimensionless indices. In addition, the software allows evaluating compound feed lines using the prioritization method, the standardization method, the rank method and the integral efficiency indicator which allows an objective estimation of the compared equipment according to selected criteria. The software consists of a list of global variables, a list of local variables, methods for calculating economic and performance indices, methods for the functionality of the software interface and the main software code. The software contains several tabs. In the “Source data” tab, the number of analyzed lines is selected and the source data for the calculation is entered. After entering the data, sequential automatic calculation of the criteria for evaluating compound feed equipment is carried out. Each group of energy efficiency, resource efficiency, and economic efficiency indices reflects the values of absolute, relative, and dimensionless indices. The quality of the equipment is evaluated through the coefficients of unification and the level of automation, and the reliability of sellers is assessed through the coefficient of market reliability. The last tab shows all the complex indices as well as an integral index of the effectiveness of the selection of compound feed equipment. The software allows automating the process of calculating and visualizing indices of energy efficiency, resource efficiency, economic efficiency, line quality, and seller’s market reliability while simultaneously evaluating several compound feed production lines, reducing labor costs for the implementation.