A review of papers on martensitic transformations is presented. To clarify the martensite nucleation mechanism in iron-carbon steels on the basis of the currently established understanding is the main purpose of the review. The martensitic transformation is one of the main types of phase transformations in the solid state which is observed in materials with different nature. Need for a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the structural states formed during steel quenching is determined by its scientific and applied relevance. The martensitic transformation models are presented and critically discussed. The transformation features inherent martensite nucleation in steel are marked. The specific model reconstructions of crystal lattices are shown. The energy barrierless martensite nucleation model is considered in the work. As follows from the analysis of the spatial configurations formed by the martensite plates, it is concluded that they are defined more by the general patterns of the crystal growth than by the interaction between the elastic fields of the colliding plates. It is noted that the generalization and projection of the obtained results on nonferrous and rather exotic model alloys for steel are incorrect. It is concluded that the mechanism of martensite nucleation in the iron-carbon steel is still not fully disclosed.

An axisymmetric contact problem of the elasticity theory on the torsion of the transversely isotropic half-space with the inhomogeneous coating by the round die is considered. The problem solution is reduced to the integral equation solution using the integral transformations technique. The explicit expression of the kernel transform of the integral equation for the homogeneous transversely isotropic coating is constructed. The numerical construction scheme of the kernel transform in the case of the arbitrary law of variation of the coating depth shear modulus is suggested. The bilateral asymptotically exact approximate analytical problem solution is constructed using the kernel transform approximation by some special functions. A special case of variation of the shear moduli in the transversely isotropic coating that allows constructing an explicit closed problem solution is analyzed. The model problem on the biomaterial torsion is studied numerically. The coating is considered a cartilaginous tissue, and the substrate properties correspond to a cortical bone.

The construction and practical application issues of the software shell for the development and implementation of the rating assessment coefficient methods of objects (engineering, organizational, etc.) are considered. The given shell is designed for those users who wish to develop and enrich the computer coefficient techniques by themselves (without professional programmers’ help). First, the program modules to form the software shell are generated. They provide a user with the means for the text and (or) numeric data input in the standard form edit fields meant for the information entry and display. In this case, a hierarchical information model is generated automatically via the software shell means. A data set describing the evaluated object properties, their value interrelations is presented, and output data tables are formed in it. On the basis of the input data, the user program is automatically generated in the form of the software shell additional module.

The statement of the axisymmetric consolidation problem for a porous, non-homogeneous in-depth half-space, and the construction of the fundamental solution to defining the displacement fields, strains, stresses, and pore pressure under the given boundary conditions are considered. The solution to the equations describing the porous medium stress under the shear force, and under the normal and radial loads is considered absolutely and irrespectively. Hankel integral transform which allows converting the problem to the solution of the ordinary differential second-order system is used. Expressions for stresses, displacements, pore pressure, and strains in the form of integral expressions are obtained through the simulating function method. The resulting solutions allow considering the problem with various types of the mixed boundary conditions: only on elasticity, only on filtration, or with the change of the type of both conditions.

As part of the plane strain, the problem on steady oscillations of the inhomogeneous through-thickness isotropic poroelastic layer with voids is considered. The layer bottom is connected with the perfectly rigid foundation, the oscillations are caused by the surface stress on the top face. Under the known inhomogeneity laws for Lame parameter analogs – positive functions of the vertical coordinate – the layer oscillations are described by the system of three partial differential second-order equations with variable coefficients. Using the Fourier transform and some access statements, the problem is reduced to the system of three Fredholm integral equations of the second kind with continuous kernels. The numerical technique is proposed for identifying the transforms by the collocation method. The displacement vector and the relative volume are calculated using numerical inverse Fourier transform.

The efficiency improvement necessity of the technological process design for the multiproduct manufacture is proved. The information model of the liberal manufacturing and technological solution based on the standard technological systems application at the pre-production stages is offered and considered. The design method and the technology model structure providing a flexible synthesis of its elements at various stages of the production process are resulted. The virtual manufacturing operations application is proposed as system elements. Their compliance with intra- and interdepartmental operational order is considered. Particular focus is on the production planning phase, and on the necessity of the standard technological systems application for its speedup. Further technology system refinement is referred to the stages of planning and production where the workplaces are finally allocated for the operations. It is stated that the integration with the technical systems using rendition code tables is necessary. A special type of the manufacturing operation is selected for spoilage probability cases and for the process operations recurrence.

The analysis of the existing methods of the combined vibratory finishing treatment allows identifying the factors restraining their effective application. To improve the productivity, a fundamentally new process flowsheet of the composite energy action of the operating environment on the working surface is offered. It provides an injection of the additional ultrasonic energy to the process chamber. The design of the chamber for the vibration abrasive ultrasonic treatment is considered. It is developed on the basis of the ultrasonic magnetostrictor of a cylindrical form which is located in the low activity zone of the vibrating machine working chamber. The integral experimental research of the vibratory ultrasonic treatment effect on the surface quality and the processing rate presenting the advantages of the vibration abrasive ultrasonic treatment versus the traditional vibroabrasive finishing treatment is resulted.

Long-term change of the solonetzic salted chestnut soil complex of dry steppe after their agrotechnical improvement with a new facility of rotor plowing and mixing of illuvial and lower layers of soil is studied. Some technical parameters of the devices for soil-meliorative rotor-milling processing are discussed. More than 30 years after a single soil processing by plow PMS-70 at the depth of 40—45 cm, the soil consists of small uniformly sized aggregates. No morphological signs of the solonetzic paedogenesis restoration are revealed. The atmospheric precipitation moisture enters readily the soil, freely soluble salts sink at the depth sufficient for the elimination of their negative effect on the paedogenesis. The quantity of humus in the soil layer of 0—20 cm makes up 3,3 %, in the layer of 20—40 cm — 2,4 %. The quantity of absorbed Na⁺ in the layer of 20—30 cm is 10,6 % from the soil cation exchange capacity instead of 19,8 % of raw soil. The productivity increase of the agricultural crops makes up 25—60 and more percent to the yield level under the standard agriculture technology during the whole period of monitoring.

The occupational risk management model in case of the machine workshop is offered. The model is aimed at minimizing the potential negative factors effect of an operating environment on the workers, and, as consequence, the reduction of industrial injuries and occupational diseases. The generalized quantitative data of the occupational risks are obtained and analyzed as a part of the theoretical study. The direct dependence between the initial assessment of the actual risk of the identified danger and two indices of the working conditions — the initial assessment of the actual risk of the identified danger and the number of employees influenced by the identified danger — is revealed. The experimental values calculated through the factual data on the occupational hazards (OH) allow estimating real conditions at the workplaces. The higher the occupational risk point, the more work safety inadequacy can be seen on the specific revealed danger. Consequently, the occupational hazard increase and its affect on the human organism raise the risk of incidents. Thus, the developed model of the occupational risk management establishes an objective sequence of labor safety and labour arrangements for the prevision of the undesirable events occurrence without any specialized and lengthy computation.

Various production methods are realized on the milling and drilling machines. A general approach to the model construction for the vibroacoustic dynamics of the oscillating system “spindle unit — cutting tool” is presented. On the pattern millers, boring and drilling are performed apart from the customary milling. Considering the design features and geometrics of the machining tool, linear and point sources are accepted as an acoustic radiator model. The modal test technology is based on the application of the differential equations of the bending vibrations of the distributed systems and A. N. Krylov’s functions. The analytic dependences for the vibration velocities considering process variables, design features of the tool and spindle units are obtained.

To improve the performance reliability of the overhead power lines, a redundant phase that can reserve any of the damaged phase conductor, and allow single-phase fusing glaze-ice and rime depositions with conservation of the consumer supply continuity is offered for use. The mode analysis and the subsequent rationale are performed on the basis of the obtained data, the application possibility of the redundant phase for the overhead power lines with 110—330 kV voltage rating without the substantial power quality damage. As a redundant phase, the ground wire with phase conductor parameters and phase insulation is used. It serves to protect overhead circuits from the atmospheric overvoltage in thunderstorm seasons, and as a redundant fourth wire — during the rest of the time. In Matlab (Simulink) program, an electrodynamical simulation model is developed, and the operating regime parameters of the overhead circuit using the fourth wire as a redundant phase are analyzed.

The activating composite halide salts-based coating effect on the existence domains of the argon welding varieties through the reversed polarity current is studied. The research has been conducted under the automatic beading on the plates of steel 20 with wire Sv-08G2S 1.2 mm d — both with the activating composite coating and without it. The activating composite coating (copper matrix with NaF, CaF₂ filler, and copper matrix with the dispersed phase mixture of NaCl + MgCl₂) was applied to the wire surface by electrolysis. The coating thickness was 20—25 microns. The welding electrical parameters (current and arc voltage) were recorded using a computer complex with the dual digital oscilloscope and “Diadem 10.1” program. The arc behavior and appearance (the arc shape), the droplet formation on the electrode wire, and metal transfer in the arc were recorded on the high-speed video camera (shooting speed was 2000 frames a second) synchronically with the welding electrical parameters recording. It is found that under the activating composite coated-wire metal welding, electric and physical parameters of the welding process are changing (the potential gradient of the arc column, the sum of the near-electrode voltage drops, efferscive of burn-off increase). The mode area with spray metal transfer expands towards the arc current decrease (lower feed rate), and the region with frequent shortcuts of the arc gap (similar to MAG) appears.

The theoretical investigation of the noise and vibration of the rail as a line limited distance elastically mounted source is resulted. When installing the rail on sleepers, it is presented as a system of two-point sources simultaneously radiating the sound energy, and every section of the rail between the sleepers – as a line limited distance source. The dependences of the sound pressure produced by the rails are obtained for such a source. It permits to specify the noise emission pattern in low and high frequencies of the rated audio band. Two options for installing the rail on wooden and concrete sleepers are considered. In the first case, the differential equation is solved for the rail vibration pinning conditions, in the second – for the rigid fixing conditions. On the basis of the theoretically calculated vibration velocities at natural frequencies, the acoustical radiation spectra are defined. The obtained dependences consider both engineering data and stress-strain properties of the noise source, and the effective loss index of the vibration energy which allows choose theoretically the option of reducing the rail sound emission intensity.

As a result of the steel cable security rating, it is essential to determine that the nature, value, and quantity of defects will not exceed the critical reject limits while in operation. The high-temperature impact results in uneven wire heating in the cable operation activity. It leads to the cable deflected mode change, and, consequently, the accident risk grows. On the increase of heating temperature to 370 °С, steel cables need to be rejected, even without waviness in them. The risk of rope break is dramatized by the fact that the steel cable technology, including those with the mechanical core, admits irregularities (various strand length). While in operation, short strands are overloaded, and the long ones are underloaded which results in the waviness origination. For higher safety of the lift cables under the high-temperature conditions (at temperatures above 370 °С), the algorithm considering the degradation risk in the steel cable, and special cable structures with indicator wires are offered for application.

Tumbling drums are widely applied in various mechanical engineering branches. The basic deficiency of such technological machines is high intensity of the sound radiation. In modern drums, quiet drives are applied. In practice, the excess of the sanitary noise code is created by the sound radiation of the drum body under the operating environment. The investigation of the dynamic interaction behavior of the environment and drum barrels is resulted. R – ε method of the media turbulence records is used in the present work. According to this approach, Navier-Stokes system of the equations and the continuity equation are used in describing the granular medium motion. The finite-element model geometry meets the form and the sizes of the CF1×18B tumbling drum. The drum axial symmetry has allowed constructing one half of its sectional elevation passing through the geometric centre. Medium energy flows affecting the drum barrels are defined for the calculated ambient velocities and normal velocity components on the boundaries, wall pressure. This data allows calculating theoretically the acoustic characteristics of the tumbling drums.

The design of the shock-vibrating finish machining with a ball-and-rod reinforcer (BRR) is considered. The essence of the method and the tool design are described. The effective application domains for the ball-and-rod reinforcer are offered. It is important to note that such processing can be used under the local hardening of the individual part segments. The theoretical research of the interaction of a single rod and a workpiece surface under the striker impact is resulted. Dependences to calculate the altitude parameters of the machined surface roughness, the work-hardened layer depth, and the inelastic deformation ratio are offered for various machining conditions and process material specifications. The suggested theoretical dependences have passed the experimental check. The calculation technique for the main process variables of the workpart procedure with the ball-and-rod reinforcer can be based on this data.

The paper covers the description of role of business reputation (goodwill) in the assessment of the investment attractiveness of a business entity. The methodology of the goodwill valuation which allows making investment decisions is taken into account. Advantages and disadvantages of the methods are stated. The fact that the discounted cash flows method is the most reliable method of the goodwill valuation is concluded.

The integrated use of the merchandising tooling implies quality changes in the system of planning and management at the retail enterprise. The system approach to the communication and economic efficiency improvement of the sales promotion and field selling is recognized essential. With this in view, main phases of the management organization of the commercial and engineering processes on the merchandising basis are considered. Special focus is on such issues as making-out of the merchandising book, the determination of the optimal effective floor space and the facilities footprint. Some alternative navigation charts for the sales area are presented. The provision of the planogram on the commodity lines is recommended. This scheme application promotes an efficient management support for the trade enterprise marketing on the merchandising basis. On using the submitted data, a retailer can realize its own efficient communication policy, and acquire a substantial advantage in the competitive struggle.

The operational and industry characteristics of the creation and development of the innovation process in the agribusiness are defined. The situation in this field is described as rather acute. To a large extent, it is caused by the transition deformations. The innovation process is considered by the author as a related research and development, design, and experimental work follow-up. The works are aimed at the manufacture and introduction of new products and technologies. The innovation process is characterized by the system-based, cyclic, probabilistic nature, social and environmental significance. The primary strategic directions of the innovative processes in accordance with the agribusiness functional and industry characteristics are considered. The stepwise implementation of the given directions will allow both the agrobusiness restoration, and the country food sovereignty provision. Besides, the innovation process development will facilitate the gradual possibility for the entrance of the Russian Federation to the world market as an exporter of agricultural commodities.

A whole complex of factors that may facilitate the effective training organization in the nonstate economic university is proved. In this case, each of the mentioned factors is regarded as a conceptual idea developing in the accordance with the common concept of the nonstate educational institution of the higher vocational education. A program assessment mechanism for the educational process quality and the final quality of the graduate education is offered. The basic content and the implementation phases of the author’s model aimed at the quality assurance of the  university educational and scientific activities results are stated. An original information card makeup for a student of Rostov Institute of Protection of the Business-man specialized in marketing is offered, its content is described. The internal audit planning and performance are stated, the objective fulfillment mechanism for the audit conducted on the process control basic parameters of the student professional competence formation is offered. The evaluation criteria and subcriteria of the proficiency level for the students-economists are mentioned.