Application of Failure Mode Effects Analysis for Maintenance of Turnout System on Serviced Urban Rapid Transit

Abstract

Over the past 25 years, maintenance processes for the wooden sleeper turnouts of sleeper floating tracks (known as STEDEF) have been insufficient, lacking accurate maintenance history and failure cause analyses. Currently, damaged parts are repeatedly replaced without an analysis of the cause of their failure. Therefore, it has been difficult to predict potential damages due to the lack of maintenance history data on the replaced items and the timing of the turnout component. This study proposes a turnout maintenance plan using the failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) technique to analyze the turnout maintenance history data for a period spanning 10 years. The maintenance damage type of the turnout was classified to confirm the cause of damage and the damage frequency. Additionally, components that could lower the occurrence score were selected based on a risk analysis of the turnover. Therefore, it was possible to reduce the risk occurrence score by improving the size of the turnout top plate and the number of bolts.