Browsing by Author "Van Schalkwyk, Johannes Wallace"

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    A Framework for selecting data acquisition technologies in support of railway infrastructure predictive maintenance
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Van Schalkwyk, Johannes Wallace; Jooste, Johannes Lodewyk; Lucke, Dominik; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Digital technological advancements is a product of the continuous changes experienced by the technology sector, whereas the advancements are represented as new and emerging technologies. However, to utilise these emerging technologies, new management strategies must be adopted. This is the case for the emergence of a predictive maintenance strategy due to the improved capabilities of the maintenance equipment. Against the background of railway infrastructure maintenance, the problem is that maintenance managers have not leveraged the full potential of emerging data acquisition technologies to support a predictive maintenance approach. This research investigates railway infrastructure maintenance and the technologies capable of acquiring the condition monitoring data to determine why the full potential of the technologies have not been leveraged. It is found that the slow adoption is largely attributed to uncertainty based on technological capabilities, potential barriers and challenges experienced throughout the process. To address the problem in this research, it is decided to develop a framework that supports railway operators with the process of data acquisition technology identi cation, evaluation, and acquisition. The framework ultimately aids railway operators with the shift towards a predictive maintenance approach. This research is based on a mixed method exploratory sequential design methodology, as described by Creswell. The rst phase of this research is responsible for contextualising the problem, and in the second phase, the framework is developed. The completion of the two phases relied on systematic literature reviews, railway industry expert feedback obtained from survey questionnaires, and face validation interviews conducted with railway industry practitioners. Utilising the research approach, as described previously, the Railway Infrastructure Technology Selection Support (RITSS) framework is developed. The RITSS framework consists of three stages namely; Stage 1 mapping assets and technology, Stage 2 technology evaluation, and Stage 3 acquisition mode guide. These stages try and support railway operators to leverage the full potential of emerging data acquisition technologies. Face validations are used to test the real-world applicability of the RITSS framework; in other words, the frameworks feasibility, usability, and utility are assessed by railway industry practitioners. The thesis concludes with a summary of the research conducted, the research objectives achieved, the expected research contributions, the research limitations identi ed, and the recommendations for future research. The overall opinion is that the RITSS framework has enormous potential in the railway infrastructure maintenance sector; however, certain aspects are identi ed that require re nement, such as the acquisition mode guide (Stage 3).