Saurabh S. Pawar
Dr. Nandkumar R. Gilke
Prof. Abhijeet U. Karmarkar
Abstract
Soil-mechanics and its applications have been an influencing aspect in the design, improvement, and optimization of the soil-engaging machinery. Soil-machine interaction which is considered to be one of the most significant fields of study in the branch of soil-mechanics helps in critically analyzing the complex behavior of various tillage-tools, traction equipment and machines with the soil. Previous research on different kinds of soils was performed in the fields with the assistance of full-scale or commercial implements. The results obtained were not uniform due to broad dissimilarity in soil types, conditions of the fields and the continuously changing environment. This led the way to the invention of a soil-bin which allows the attainment of uniform soil conditions as required for the research or study purpose. Soil-bin test facility is a facility for testing different types of tillage tools and traction equipment. It generally consists of a soil-bin in which the soil to be tested is placed, moving carriage with a tool holder and an additional carriage for soil-processing, drive system along with DAQ system where controlled experiments can be carried out by controlling the required operating parameters and also the experiments can be continuously observed and monitored. The testing of tools and traction equipment in a soil-bin provides an insight of the operating mechanism so that proper design, development, and optimization of the tools can be done to increase the total efficiency of the process. The literature highlights some important engineering aspects of soil-machine interaction along with the constructional features of some of the soil-bin test facilities implemented for carrying out soil-machine interaction research. The paper also highlights some recent trends and ongoing studies in soil-bins, focusing on the important parameters of the soil and machinery which has been influencing the performance of the overall system.As China’s position in the market weakens due to coronavirus disease, supply chain managers around the world are looking for alternatives to safeguard their businesses. India with its strategic location, infrastructure and growing economy poses as a great option. There are several sectors in India which are performing exceptionally well and can tap into the opportunity and showcase their prowess in stabilizing the disruptions caused in the global supply chains. However, to cater to the global demands, these sectors need more development which in turn requires investments from the government. The challenge of limited resources at hand, which sector should the Indian government prioritize in the near future is a problem with which it grapples. The present study aims at creating a decision-making framework using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to solve this problem. The three-layer AHP framework, through pairwise comparisons, aims at identifying the sector which the government should focus its investments upon based upon various performance parameters. The AHP framework suggests pharmaceutical as the most preferred alternative sector amongst all. Chemical and agriculture come the next best alternatives after pharmaceutical. The managerial implications and future scope of the study are discussed in the paper.Keywords- Soil-mechanics, soil-machine interaction soil-bin, optimization, efficiency.