Maintenance Work Research Articles

Enhancing Predictive Maintenance Through Detection of Unrecorded Track Work

Predictive maintenance can help infrastructure managers to reduce costs and improve railway availability while ensuring safety. However, its accuracy depends on reliable data from various sources, especially track measurement data. When analysing track data over time, historical maintenance actions must be considered, as otherwise the interpretation of the data would be misleading. This research aims to address inconsistencies in recorded maintenance data by detecting unrecorded track works through track geometry evaluations. The main goal is to provide the foundations for accurate descriptions of track behaviour, supporting the implementation of effective predictive maintenance regimes. As part of the research, three different approaches are analysed and evaluated, whereby two of them are based on cross-sectional analyses and the third one detects track works in longitudinal track dimension. The results show that the CRAB algorithm produces the most statistically significant results. Conversely, the cumulative track geometry-based algorithm provides a homogeneous representation of past maintenance work and a result that is statistically only marginally inferior. Consequently, these two methods are best suited to build the foundation for making accurate cross-sectional conclusions about track geometry behaviour. This allows for the verification and enhancement of existing maintenance databases.

“I spend more time on the ecosystem than on the disease”: caring for the communicative loop with everyday ADM technology through maintenance and modification work

AbstractAutomated decision-making (ADM) systems can be worn in and on the body for various purposes, such as for tracking and managing chronic conditions. One case in point is do-it-yourself open-source artificial pancreas systems, through which users engage in what is referred to as “looping”; combining continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps placed on the body with digital communication technologies to develop an ADM system for personal diabetes management. The idea behind these personalized systems is to delegate decision-making regarding insulin to an algorithm that can make autonomous decisions. Based on interviews and photo diaries with Danish “loopers”, this paper highlights two interrelated narratives of how users have to care for the loop by maintaining a stable communication circuit between body and ADM system, and by modifying the loop through analysis and reflection. It shows how the human takes turns with the ADM system through practical doings and anticipation to safeguard continuous management of chronic disease.

Molecular and morphofunctional bases of development of the horse multiple congenital eye anomalies with the silver gene presence on the example of the <i>Soviet draft</i> breed

The article concretizes clinical data on the molecular and morphofunctional foundations of the development of multiple congenital eye abnormalities (MСOA) linked to the silver gene, using the example of the Soviet heavy-duty horse breed. Recommendations for owners on their maintenance and medical support and work with them are provided. The study was conducted on the basis of data from the VNIIK breeding center for the specified horse breed, genetic testing and ophthalmological examination. The focus group included 26 horses of the Soviet heavy-duty breed, examined for the presence of the silver gene. The results of the study showed that horses of the Soviet heavy-duty breed should undergo genetic testing for the presence of a silver gene in the genotype. However, the presence of MCOA linked to the silver gene is not an indication for the culling of horses due to the status of this breed as endangered, if it is necessary to select a mate for mating without genetic abnormalities so that they do not spread during uncontrolled crossing. Regular observation of an ophthalmologist and strict implementation of his recommendations are necessary to prevent the development of infectious complications and rapid progression of the disease with the onset of blindness. Horses homozygous for the silver gene should be kept in conditions that limit the possibility of injury to the eyeballs, including secondary damage to eye structures by the UV spectrum of solar radiation, for which translucent/opaque masks or sunglasses should be used. Working on homozygous horses with partial or complete loss of vision is potentially dangerous and possible only if a number of conditions are met and the owner is ready to bear legal responsibility for possible consequences.

A dynamic simulation-based methodology for systematic assessment of workability on floating wind turbines

Abstract Floating offshore wind technology experiences significant motion responses when exposed to environmental wave and wind loads, possibly interfering with technicians conducting maintenance work. Industrial interest is rising in the assessment of workability, as impairments will decrease the availability of the asset and possibly affect the business case for the wind farm project. Quantification of impairments are formed from three workability indicators: Nordforsk Seakeeping Criteria, ISO 2631-1, and ISO 6897. The present work shows a likely workability decrease, quantified to 2.4% for the Nordforsk Seakeeping Criteria, for the UMaine VolturnUS-S reference platform and the IEA 15MW reference wind turbine. Peak wave period and wave heading direction are found to affect the results and indicate the importance of conducting the study in site-representative conditions. In addition, varying results for different indicators and methodological approaches indicate the need for common rules and standards in the floating wind industry to enable transparency during project development.

Data-Driven Maintaining: The Role of the Party and Data Maintenance in the US Context

Political campaigning in the US is unique in the global context for its lack of attention to the role of the party, largely due to the centrality and power of campaigns. In the US context, successful data-driven campaigning (DDC) has often been covered by the press and analyzed by US scholars as an innovative campaign creating new tools and new tactics (and earning more media coverage for them). This research investigates the oft-ignored role of party organizations in DDC in the US, and in doing so, highlights the invisible work of data maintenance that is their purview. Methodologically, it brings together interviews with staffers from both party organizations and campaigns with thematic analysis of news coverage to answer questions about how the data-driven practices of parties versus campaigns differ, how parties’ data work is (and is not) covered, and what, in staffers’ views, contributes to such coverage. Ultimately, this research highlights how a lack of attention to party organizations’ work has gone hand in hand with a lack of attention to maintenance work in both academic and public discussions of DDC.

New Approaches for Regeneration of an Outstanding Baroque Living Heritage, the Széchenyi Linden Allée in Hungary

Allées used to be the essential artistic tools and indispensable parts of the strictly architectural, formal Baroque gardens. Beyond the practical purposes of edging paths and garden ways for walking, hunting, or horse and carriage riding, allées played a vital role in marking visual and landscape connections and thus the spatial projection of the noble estate, its wealth, and social rank. In Historical Hungary, Baroque architecture and garden art appeared in German-Austrian and French examples in the 18th century. The Széchenyi Linden Allée is an outstanding linear garden space of Baroque Garden art at Nagycenk, West Hungary. The generous composition, created by the prominent Count Széchenyi family in the mid-18th century, has remained a magnificent entity in the landscape ever since. Despite barely two hundred years of detected or unknown environmental or habitat changes, as early as 1942, the allée received a nature conservation nomination. More than a half-century later, in 2002, the allée became a historical and landscape aesthetical heritage within the Fertő-Hanság Cultural Landscape World Heritage site. Unfortunately, the once magnificent tree lines have severely eroded in recent decades due to mature trees’ subsequent death, inadequate replacement, lack of regular maintenance and tree care, and effects of climate change. In recent years (2011, 2018), landscape and horticultural analyses and visual and instrumental tree assessments were performed to help the conservation and rebirth of the allée, maintain the mature trees, and restore the landscape within a long-term renewal plan. Along with the 2018 survey and plan, the short-term maintenance works were completed in 2019–2020. This study, based on site surveys in 2022 and 2024, aims to identify the results of the primary management, analyses the vitality of mature trees after crown reductions, and then proposes a resilient and sustainable regeneration method with the habitat, cultural, natural, and genetic heritage, and the feasible maintenance contexts in focus. As proposed in the 2018 plan, the reproduction of mature trees started in 2020 and resulted in well-developing grafts for a later allée restoration. Due to the challenges of climate change, the regeneration project requires a special, long-term restoration management plan with a special focus on the still vital and possible remaining mature trees, the well-growing individuals from previous replanting, and the nursery school seedlings conserving the genetic heritage of the Széchenyi lime trees with long-viability capacity.

Meaningful work in a grocery store: a phenomenological sensemaking approach to job crafting among store workers

ABSTRACT What constitutes meaningful work in contexts associated with routines and low-skill work, such as grocery stores? And how do workers contribute to making their work meaningful in such contexts? We expand the conception of meaningful work beyond meaning in terms of significance found in the job crafting literature. Employing a phenomenological sensemaking perspective on data material combining participatory observations in a grocery store and in-depth interviews with employees, we find that store workers continuously engage in work aimed at maintaining the technical material, and social order of the store, that is ongoingly ‘micro-disturbed’ by customers who, e.g., pick groceries from shelves, ask for assistance and sometimes shoplift. Sensitized by this phenomenological sensemaking perspective, we also demonstrate how this ‘maintenance work’ manifests as cognitive and behavioral (practical) crafting and clarify their intertwined nature, a previously unresolved conceptual puzzle in the job crafting literature.

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment During Simultaneous Operations in Industrial Plant Maintenance Based on Job Safety Analysis

The risk of accidents during simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) in plant maintenance has been increasing. However, research on methods to prevent such accidents has been limited. This study aims to develop a novel framework, hazard identification and risk assessment of simultaneous operations (HIRAS), for identifying and evaluating potential hazards during concurrent tasks. The framework developed herein is expected to be an effective safety management tool that can help prevent accidents during these operations. To this end, the job location and hazard information in job safety analysis (JSA) were standardized into four attributes. The standardized information was then synchronized spatially and temporally to develop a HIRAS model that identifies and assesses the impact of hazards between operations. The model was tested using 40 JSA documents corresponding to maintenance operations at Company P, a South Korean steel-making company. The model was tested in two scenarios: one with planned operations and the other with unplanned operations in addition to planned operations. The performance evaluation results of the first scenario showed an F1-score of 98.33%. In this case, a recall of 97.52% means that the model identified 97.52% of the hazard-inducing factors. The second scenario was compared with the results of a review by six subject matter experts (SMEs). The comparison of the results identified by the SMEs and the model showed an accuracy of 89.3%. This study demonstrates the potential of JSA, which incorporates the domain knowledge of workers and can be used not only for individual tasks but also as a safety management tool for surrounding operations. Furthermore, by improving the plant maintenance work environment, it is expected to prevent accidents, protect workers’ lives and health, and contribute to the long-term sustainable management of companies.

Improving the operational life and reliability of the machine and tractor fleet by non-selective methods of tribotechnics

The fl eet of domestic tractors and combines has signifi cantly used up its operational life, has a reduced time to failure, frequent repairs and high operating costs: up to 50 billion rubles per year. The engineering service of agricultural enterprises has signifi cantly weakened, most of the maintenance work on domestic machines is carried out by the owners of the machinery themselves, which causes their low quality and frequent failures. In this regard, new methods and means are being developed to improve the reliability and service life of machines, which will also affect imported equipment.

Digital indicator for evaluating the hydraulic control system of the tractor gearbox

The effi ciency of using energy-saturated tractors in agriculture largely depends on the level of preparation for fi eld work, which in turn depends on an objective assessment of the general technical condition of components and assemblies to justify the repair and maintenance work carried out. Various diagnostic tools are widely used for a non-selective assessment of the general technical condition of the internal combustion engine: motor testers, crankcase gas fl ow meters, etc. However, there are no such means to assess the technical condition of the transmission (gearbox) of energy-saturated equipment of domestic production. In conditions of logistical remoteness from service centers, there is a need to develop digital indicators to assess the general technical condition of a hydraulically controlled gearbox according to the time of the transition process, allowing the end user to contact the dealer’s service company in a timely manner (The purpose of the study) to study the status of the issue, analyze the NTD and search experiments and develop an experimental digital indicator for monitoring the general technical condition of boxes transmission changes of energy-saturated tractors of domestic production according to the transition process in the hydraulic control system. (Materials and methods) Conducted an analysis, studied the NTD, as well as methodological guidelines for diagnosing and managing the reliability of agricultural machinery, previously produced control and diagnostic equipment, KI-112383 was chosen as an analog for the development of a digital indicator. It has been established that the method of transient characteristics is widely used to diagnose rapidly changing processes. Monitoring the time of the transition process in the hydraulic control system is a necessary diagnostic procedure that allows you to indiscriminately assess the overall technical condition of the KP of operated energysaturated tractors. (Results and discussion) the results of staged experiments using the E-14-140M ADC when running in the gearbox of the K-744R tractor on the stand showed the possibility of a comparative assessment of the general technical condition according to the transient characteristics of pressure recovery in the control system during gear shifting. To develop a prototype of the digital indicator, a virtual simulation was carried out with simulation of the algorithms of operation, and test tests were carried out on the developed laboratory installation. The developed experimental digital indicator can be used as an integrated monitoring tool to automatically determine the general technical condition of the gearbox, as well as inform the operator to minimize the infl uence of the «human» factor when changing gears. (Conclusions) For eff ective management of the general technical condition of tractors, it is necessary to pilot the implementation of the developed digital indicator, which will allow assessing the dynamics of changes in the transient pressure recovery process as a diagnostic parameter during the repair of the gearbox and under operating conditions of tractors without making changes to the design.

Association the Level of Glutathione S-Transferases with GST Genotyping in Automotive Maintenance Workers

The present study aims to investigate the GST level with GST null genotyping in automotive maintenance workers; null genotyping's PCR and PCR-SSCP were used in the present study, including GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1) with detection of GST level in the serum. The present study found sig changes in the mean of age between groups (p 0.000), nonsig changes in BMI, and non-sig changes in elevation in GSH between groups; the work duration was (7.68±4.88) years. The results of the present study show that (37.5%) of cases have deletion mutation in GSTT1 in significant association (p 0.0495). In contrast, the deletion mutation in GSTM1 was not observed in study groups. The haplotypes of GSTP1 found single and double haplotypes, both haplotypes observed in cases and control group in non-sig differences (p 0.8548); the correlation between GST level with age, BMI and duration showed weak inverse correlation (r -0.141, p 0.434) with age. a Weak positive correlation with duration (r 0.099, p 0.589) and a weak inverse correlation with BMI (r -0.046, p 0.798) in the case group. In the control group, a weak inverse relation with age (r -0.280, p 0.157) and a weak inverse relation with BMI (r -0.131, p 0.514). According to GST gene genotyping, the GST levels were shown to slightly elevate the GST level in the group with GSTT1 deletion in case of non-sig differences (p 0.475). The slight changes between case and control in non-significantly (p 0.247), no significant changes between the groups have normal GSTM1 (p 0.093), the output referred to elevation GST level in the case with single haplotype in non-sig differences (p 0.094), others showed slight changes in non-significant differences also, conclusion: we can conclude that the GSTT1 was a strong association with an automotive technician but GSTM1 and GSTP1 have no affected in this employee, on the other hand, the GST level don't changes by this employee, also didn't affect by GST genotypes.

Огляд методичних підходів до планування робіт з експлуатаційного утримування автомобільних доріг

Introduction. The development of Ukraine's road network under current conditions is characterized by limited funding for road maintenance. At the same time, determining the scope and list of works based on the actual operational condition of the roads is extremely important, as it significantly affects the safety and comfort of road users, as well as the efficiency of vehicle operation. A standard norm is used to determine the planned scope of work, which is averaged for roads of the corresponding category. This simplifies calculations, but such an approach does not precisely establish the annual planned volumes of maintenance work for a specific section, as it does not consider its actual operational condition. Given the current level of funding, it is relevant to develop a methodology for determining the planned volumes and lists of maintenance work that is accurate enough, but does not require significant costs for road section inspections. Problem Statement. The determination of the scope of maintenance work is based on a comprehensive analysis of the road surface condition, forecasted traffic loads, and the allocation of budgetary resources. However, under martial law, the country’s priorities have shifted, with the focus on ensuring state defense, providing humanitarian aid, etc. Based on the current trends in the development of Ukraine’s road industry, the main task is the rational use of limited financial resources and maintaining roads in proper operational condition.

Winter maintenance, snow removal, winter slipperiness, use of de-icing materials and their environmental impact

Introduction. One of the most important road works is road maintenance work, which includes technical supervision of the road, road structures and right-of-way for timely detection and elimination of defects, ensuring the operation of road elements, including artificial structures, in different periods of the year, in particular, in the winter period, keeping them in proper operating condition, and others. Problem statement. The performance of works on winter maintenance, namely the use of methods of combating snow drifts, elimination of winter slipperiness, has both a positive and a negative impact on the environment, which is due to the use of technical salt as one of the methods of ice prevention and elimination. Such melting anti-icing material accelerates the destruction of the road surface, reduces productivity, pollutes the soil and water bodies. Purpose. Review of the main road works performed by road enterprises during the winter maintenance of highways and their consequences for the condition of the road surface, right-of-way, soil and water bodies. Analysis of the experience of other countries regarding ecological approaches aimed at the winter maintenance of highways, taking into account the consequences for the ecosystem.

Entrepreneurial Skills Required for Self-Employment among Electrical Installation Students in Technical Colleges in Adamawa State: A Focus on Managerial, Accounting, and Marketing Competencies

This study investigates the entrepreneurial skills required by Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works (EIMW) trade students in Government Science and Technical Colleges in Adamawa State for successful self-employment. Utilizing a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from a sample of 217 respondents, including administrators, teachers, and students, using a structured questionnaire. The findings reveal that students need a total of 20 managerial skills, with particular emphasis on effective planning and resource control. Additionally, the study identifies 22 essential accounting skills, such as determining profit and loss and knowledge of costing, which are crucial for business survival. In terms of marketing, students require 16 key skills, highlighting the importance of customer loyalty retention and effective communication. These findings emphasize the necessity for educational institutions to enhance their curricula by integrating practical entrepreneurial training. The study also recommends collaboration with local businesses to provide students with real-world experiences and continuous professional development for educators to ensure they are equipped to teach relevant skills.

Economic Overhaul Mode of Steam Engine Professional Equipment in Thermal Power Plant

To ensure that the daily production activities of thermal power plants can produce their due effect in the production and business activities, it is necessary to carry out efficient and orderly maintenance work on the professional equipment of steam engines. However, the maintenance work of steam engine professional equipment in thermal power plants usually uses high-cost expenditures. Therefore, how to take effective measures to reduce the cost of professional equipment maintenance in thermal power plants has become a problem that needs to be solved before such maintenance can proceed. Among them, through the application of economic maintenance equipment in thermal power plants, the actual production and operation costs can be effectively reduced. Based on this, the author will analyze the application of the model of economic maintenance of steam engine professional equipment in thermal power plants.

Metode Pelaksanaan Pekerjaan Struktur Balok dan Pelat Lantai 2 Pembangunan Gelanggang Generasi Muda Majalengka

Beams and Floor Plates are a very important construction structure in a building. In carrying out work on floor slabs and beams, a method is needed to complete the work in the field. Especially when facing obstacles caused by field conditions that do not match previous expectations. For this reason, applying construction implementation methods that are appropriate to field conditions will be very helpful in the process of completing construction projects. Research on the construction method for the beam and floor slab construction was carried out at the Majalengka Young Generation Center construction. The casting method for the beams and floor slabs is conventional using ready mix concrete with a slump test value of 12 ± 2. From the results of the research on the construction implementation method for the Majalengka Young Generation Arena, it was found that: beam and floor plate work includes, preparatory work includes measuring work, scaffolding installation and formwork installation, then there is reinforcement/reinforcing work, namely steel fabrication in the project area, then there is work Casting the beams and floor plates using a tower crane. Next, maintenance work is carried out on the concrete mixture during the drying process, namely by watering according to regulations.

Infrastructure Development and Donation Culture in the Gaza Strip

ABSTRACTInfrastructure consists of interlinked and nested sociotechnical systems, the construction, maintenance, and repair of which requires considerable ongoing outlays of material resources, technical know‐how and throughput, and political will. Building upon “broken world” approaches, this research uses qualitative methods to study infrastructure development, breakdown, and repair through the lens of a particular collaborative humanitarian initiative involving the public health sector in the Gaza Strip. Findings from this research suggest that a lack of donation ethics combined with policies that privilege “service over stuff” enable and exacerbate key infrastructural breakdowns, perpetuate maladaptive behaviors, inhibit meaningful development, and reinforce dominant harmful regimes. The paper concludes by arguing for increased critical and ethical awareness of donation culture and its consequences, a reconsideration of development policies that limit funding support to services rather than material and infrastructure supports, and an emphasis on building local capacity for maintenance and repair work.

An Automatic Generation Method of Maintenance Worker Schedules at a Railroad Terminal Station by Tabu Search

An Automatic Generation Method of Maintenance Worker Schedules at a Railroad Terminal Station by Tabu Search

Research on the inverse kinematics of heavy-load manipulator and end-effector for fusion reactor

The environment in Tokamak fusion reactor is hostile to remote handling (RH) equipment that maintains in-vessel components. Many maintenance tasks include transferring components, pipe cutting, and welding in the vacuum vessel (VV). To fulfill these maintenance works, a 7- degree-of-freedom (DOF) heavy load manipulator and a 3-DOF end-effector are designed and connected together to form a 10-DOF redundant robot. The inverse kinematics for such a high redundancy robot, considering obstacle avoidance in the complex space of VV, is a challenge. To solve this problem, the Jacobian method is adopted, and a method specially designed for obstacle avoidance of redundant robots working in the VV is integrated to simplify algorithm calculation and improve inverse solution efficiency. The algorithm is applied to solve the inverse kinematics of the redundant robot for the maintenance of the divertor plasma facing components (PFC) in VV. The results show that the inverse kinematics of the redundant robot can be solved quickly with high positioning accuracy. The method can also be used for other fusion reactor maintenance robots with some adjustments. The maintenance efficiency of redundant robot can be improved with the method which can be valuable for the whole remote handling process.

Postmortem CT and autopsy findings in an elevator-related death: a case report

AbstractElevator-related fatalities and injuries are rarely discussed. Falls have been identified as the first cause of mortality in the majority of these accidents. Evidence suggests that many elevator accidents may be attributed to inadequate equipment maintenance or malfunctions of the devices. This study examines a case involving an elevator maintenance worker found within an elevator shaft, using postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) along with a full autopsy. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was severe polytrauma resulting from dragging, compression, and crushing mechanisms, which resulted in a dislocated skull and multiple thoraco-abdominal injuries, including exposed organs and viscera. Detailed examination identified a cranio-encephalic crush, leading to a significant alteration in the physiognomy of the facial structures. Additionally, PMCT revealed complex spinal fractures, such as a Jefferson fracture and a complete Chance fracture at the D6 vertebra, accompanied by spinal deviation proximal to the fracture site. Autopsy findings corroborated these PMCT results. A multidisciplinary approach, including PMCT, is proposed as a strategic method for the comprehensive reconstruction of such accidents, facilitating the collection of extensive data.