Abstract
M.Ing. (Engineering Management)
This dissertation proposes a methodology for reviewing railway substation maintenance principles to determine their efficiency and optimization. Numerous maintenance methodologies are employed for different types of applications. Downtime of electrical equipment hinders rail operations and results in revenue loss. It is vital that maintenance departments of organizations participate in the development of the organization’s maintenance standards. Revenue loss due to downtime of machinery and equipment is undesirable for organizations seeking to advance financially.
The proposed maintenance methodology utilizes lean maintenance principles. Lean maintenance aims to reduce time expended while conducting maintenance activities. This time expended is referred to as waste. The current maintenance approach is documented in order to determine which operations exhibit waste characteristics. Waste operations are reviewed with the main objective of eliminated non-value adding activities. These non-value adding activities are simplified or eliminated. This results in a shorter maintenance process. A shorter maintenance process allows the railway operator to increase the number of substation equipment maintained annually. This enhances operations as there is a reduction in downtime of operational equipment.
The main objective of this research study is to find a simplified and defined maintenance approach which can be implemented by the railway operator and offer cost effective, time efficient and safety enhanced substation maintenance. This research explores the tools, techniques and philosophies implemented by Toyota and Ford in ensuring that the process does not exhibit waste. The results offer a recommendation on how to lean maintenance can be applied in South African traction substations in order to reduce the duration of maintenance.