From Manual to Robotic -Assessing the Potential Benefits of Automation in Railway Inspections and Maintenance
(2023) VTVL01 20231Transport and Roads
- Abstract
- The railway industry plays a crucial role in the global freight transport and passenger mobility market, providing an efficient and low-emitting mode of transportation. However, to compete with other modes of transportation, the railway must improve its reliability. Frequent inspection and maintenance work are essential for ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of railway operations. This thesis especially focuses on the atomization of railway inspections to improve the efficiency on inspections and lighter maintenance activities, giving more time for the maintenance personnel to do the heavier maintenance tasks. The approach used were interviews, field studies and database analysis. The interviews and field study were held in... (More)
- The railway industry plays a crucial role in the global freight transport and passenger mobility market, providing an efficient and low-emitting mode of transportation. However, to compete with other modes of transportation, the railway must improve its reliability. Frequent inspection and maintenance work are essential for ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of railway operations. This thesis especially focuses on the atomization of railway inspections to improve the efficiency on inspections and lighter maintenance activities, giving more time for the maintenance personnel to do the heavier maintenance tasks. The approach used were interviews, field studies and database analysis. The interviews and field study were held in Norway with Norwegian track technicians, while the database analysis was done with Swedish data. This because I was not able to receive the Norwegian data and had to resort to the Swedish. Results of the conducted data collection methods were that there are a lot of potential cost and efficiency benefits by robotizing and automating certain tasks and processes, as well as the safety and health of the technicians. Another important aspect was the perceived positivity from the track technicians regarding an implementation.
The thesis examines the current maintenance market Norway and discusses the challenges and opportunities for improvement. Further delimitations in the thesis are a greater focus on maintenance and inspection tasks in proximity to railway turnouts. By analyzing studies, industry data and interviews with maintenance personnel this thesis will set out to identify how robotization and automation could optimize railway inspections and lighter maintenance work to ensure a more reliable and sustainable system. (Less) - Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Järnvägsindustrin spelar en avgörande roll på den globala marknaden för godstransporter och passagerarmobilitet, och ger ett effektivt och lågemitterande transportmedel. För att konkurrera med andra transportmedel måste järnvägen dock förbättra sin tillförlitlighet. Frekventa inspektions- och underhållsarbeten är avgörande för att säkerställa säkerheten och effektiviteten i järnvägsverksamheten. Denna avhandling fokuserar särskilt på automatiseringen av järnvägsinspektioner för att förbättra effektiviteten på inspektioner och lättare underhållsaktiviteter. Detta ger i sin tur mer tid för underhållspersonal att utföra tyngre underhållsuppgifter vilket skall leda till ett mer pålitligt järnvägssystem på lång sikt. Avhandlingen undersöker den... (More)
- Järnvägsindustrin spelar en avgörande roll på den globala marknaden för godstransporter och passagerarmobilitet, och ger ett effektivt och lågemitterande transportmedel. För att konkurrera med andra transportmedel måste järnvägen dock förbättra sin tillförlitlighet. Frekventa inspektions- och underhållsarbeten är avgörande för att säkerställa säkerheten och effektiviteten i järnvägsverksamheten. Denna avhandling fokuserar särskilt på automatiseringen av järnvägsinspektioner för att förbättra effektiviteten på inspektioner och lättare underhållsaktiviteter. Detta ger i sin tur mer tid för underhållspersonal att utföra tyngre underhållsuppgifter vilket skall leda till ett mer pålitligt järnvägssystem på lång sikt. Avhandlingen undersöker den nuvarande underhållsmarknaden i Norge och diskuterar utmaningar och möjligheter till förbättring. Vidare avgränsningar i avhandlingen är en större fokus på underhålls- och inspektionsuppgifter i och i närheten av järnvägskorsningar. Genom att analysera studier, branschdata och intervjuer med underhållspersonal kommer denna avhandling att söka identifiera hur robotisering och automation kan optimera järnvägsinspektioner och lättare underhållsarbete för att säkerställa ett mer pålitligt och hållbart system. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9131110
- author
- Furberg, Benjamin LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- VTVL01 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- M3 - Professional qualifications ( - 4 Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Railway, Inspections, Maintenance, Robotics, Automation, Turnouts
- language
- English
- id
- 9131110
- date added to LUP
- 2023-06-30 08:23:57
- date last changed
- 2023-06-30 08:23:57
@misc{9131110,
abstract = {{The railway industry plays a crucial role in the global freight transport and passenger mobility market, providing an efficient and low-emitting mode of transportation. However, to compete with other modes of transportation, the railway must improve its reliability. Frequent inspection and maintenance work are essential for ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of railway operations. This thesis especially focuses on the atomization of railway inspections to improve the efficiency on inspections and lighter maintenance activities, giving more time for the maintenance personnel to do the heavier maintenance tasks. The approach used were interviews, field studies and database analysis. The interviews and field study were held in Norway with Norwegian track technicians, while the database analysis was done with Swedish data. This because I was not able to receive the Norwegian data and had to resort to the Swedish. Results of the conducted data collection methods were that there are a lot of potential cost and efficiency benefits by robotizing and automating certain tasks and processes, as well as the safety and health of the technicians. Another important aspect was the perceived positivity from the track technicians regarding an implementation.
The thesis examines the current maintenance market Norway and discusses the challenges and opportunities for improvement. Further delimitations in the thesis are a greater focus on maintenance and inspection tasks in proximity to railway turnouts. By analyzing studies, industry data and interviews with maintenance personnel this thesis will set out to identify how robotization and automation could optimize railway inspections and lighter maintenance work to ensure a more reliable and sustainable system.}},
author = {{Furberg, Benjamin}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{From Manual to Robotic -Assessing the Potential Benefits of Automation in Railway Inspections and Maintenance}},
year = {{2023}},
}