Researcher Development - Through-life Engineering Services

37 Pages·2013·1.89 MB·English

Executive Summary
Table Of Contents
Executive summary 2
Core Projects 5
Geared Projects 31
Feasibility Studies 45
Outreach 55
Researcher Development 65
A Year of Firsts!
In the autumn we held our first presentations from experts across core of the centre such as big data
International Through-life Engineering a number of industry sectors. In the management, energy harvesting and
Services Conference at the Defence summer we ran our first international sector skills development. Finally the
Academy campus in Shrivenham, summer school with students from Centre has seen new members of
Wiltshire. With over sixty papers and across Europe and the UK both from staff appointed and now stands on a
a hundred delegates the conference academia and industry. All these events secure footing for the future looking
was a great academic success, which were underpinned by solid progress in to the mid-term international review
has been born out in the growth our research themes with interaction for an independent assessment of its
in submissions for this year. In the with industry being led by a series of progress.
spring we held our first International win-win use-case studies modelled
Symposium on No Fault Found. on our interactions with Rolls-Royce.
With over 140 delegates from more The Centre has also supported other
than 60 organisations this proved proposals that have led to significant
to be a ground breaking day with research income in areas close to the
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Executive Summary
“ The next three years will be
very important for the EPSRC
Centre for research impact
A successful and busy second year!
and sustainability.”
Funding Council of England (HEFCE), are continuing the TES Conference strengthen our international reputation
Overall, the EPSRC Centre has
We had a busy second year for called the Operations Excellence and the TES Award with our media through best quality research,
successfully delivered research and the EPSRC Centre in Through-life Institute. This Institute has £6m partner, SayOneMedia, publishers technology development, publication
Engineering Services (TES). All five of funding over 3 years (including of The Manufacturer magazine. The and outreach. In the coming year, we
community building as planned and
core projects are producing tangible £3m from the HEFCE) and will work conference has attracted over 80 hope to host a number of researchers
exceeded expectations in raising results and the collaborations with closely with the EPSRC Centre. The papers, a 50% increase over last year! within the centre and also second
our industrial partners have become Operations Excellence Institute will The conference has also established some centre researchers to other
further funding for sustainability.
stronger. The EPSRC Centre has develop learning and teaching projects itself through CIRP sponsorship and famous laboratories across the world
two major research themes: the and courses using the knowledge Elsevier publication of the proceedings. for cross learning and international
study of degradation and how to and technology developed through We are also very happy to host the benchmarking.
improve design and manufacturing this EPSRC Centre and utilise the Manufacturing the Future Conference
to prevent that degradation; and existing client base of the Centre and 2013 for the EPSRC. The conference
autonomous maintenance including access the TES Studio. The Institute has grown significantly in terms of Professor Rajkumar Roy
self-healing technologies. We will promote through-life operations number of contributions this year and Director
have already achieved one patent excellence through training and we hope to have wide participation
in the self-healing area. We have research. Partner organisations for from many different manufacturing
completed two industry projects with the new Institute are Rolls-Royce, research groups in the country.
Rolls-Royce and have designed and SEMLEP, MHA, Kimberly College,
The next three years will be very
made a prototype boroscope for active Milton Keynes College and
important for the EPSRC Centre for
thermography in inaccessible areas. Hertfordshire University.
research impact and sustainability.
Our research is already impacting
Over the past two years we have We will continue to develop novel
industry and the MOD through root
engaged eleven new universities with technological solutions for TES and
cause analysis and specific idea
the EPSRC Centre through seventeen focus on innovation. We would also
generation. The knowledge developed
funded feasibility studies. We have like to mature our research to develop
through our research is already
completed ten of these studies and further capability in delivering higher
contributing towards TES standards
the last batch of five are about to TRL (Technology Readiness Level)
development. Along with the five
start. These feasibility studies have solutions and training. We need to
core projects we have integrated
helped us to promote and develop work more strategically with our
obsolescence management research
TES research capability within industry partners and encourage
into the EPSRC Centre in line with our
other universities and support the new members to join. We have to
growth plan. Professor Peter Foote,
development of a UK TES community make the TES Club our new entry
EPSRC Manufacturing Fellow is also
within academia and industry. We are level of membership work to increase
contributing significantly to the growth
organising a special session at the industry participation and support! BAE
of the EPSRC Centre. Professor
TES Conference in November on the Systems has launched a Dependability
Andrew Starr is leading the AUTONOM
results from the feasibility studies. We Knowledge Hub, supported by the
project associated with the Centre and
have also held a TES Summer School EPSRC Centre. This Hub provides
Professor Tetsuo Tomiyama is growing
for the first time this year and had a great opportunity to significantly
the autonomous maintenance area.
seventeen participants from academia improve the impact of our research with
From this growth, the EPSRC Centre
and industry and across Europe. This industry. Overall, the EPSRC Centre
Professor Rajkumar Roy has developed a critical mass in the
Summer School for PhD students and has successfully delivered research
Director TES area and built a community of
early career practitioners was a great and community building as planned
researchers and industrial colleagues.
success and we shall build on our and exceeded expectations in raising
We are launching a new initiative experience to develop it for next year. further funding for sustainability. We
funded by the Higher Education As part of the community building we have to keep the momentum going and
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Core Project NFF
“I nvestigations are proposed
Reduction of Non-Fault (NFF) Through to use the Challenger II tank
System Design upgrade as a case study ”
identify the issues and to classify them that will reduce the problem of NFF relation to component level degradation
into three different classes of NFFs: occurring later in the lifecycle. and identifying and correlating key
intermittent fault parameters to the
a) Intermittent faults: a fault is Progress to date
fault response at the system level.
indicated but disappears when
Tabassom Sedighi, joined the team in The purpose of this research is to
investigated by the maintenance
March as a BAE systems Case Award reduce NFF by closing the loop
organisation,
to start her PhD entitled Predicting between symptoms identified in the
b) Integration faults: a component or the Burden of NFF in Avionics and will maintenance activity and the symptoms
sub-system passes the designated research into correlating in-service reported at the equipment level during
tests but shows faults when NFF events, the root cause fault and operation.
incorporated with other systems key characteristics of the electronic
We have continued our leading role
equipment such as the number of
c) Test Equipment and Built-in-Test in the newly formed NFF Working
connectors, complexity and operating
Equipment (BITE) a fault is Group as part of the ADS MRO &
environment. Wakil Ahmad also
indicated by the test but there is Logistics network and participated in
started in March filling the vacant
insufficient information available to the quarterly meetings; we provide the
post to start his PhD entitled Health
locate the exact unit or component Secretary for this group at present. We
Monitoring for Intermittent Faults
to be replaced. are about to publish a comprehensive
and will look at developing hardware
academic literature survey on NFF
Research Objectives based health monitoring algorithms.
which is in two parts. A paper was
Two MSc individual theses are being
The research objectives continue to the published at the first International
supervised by Paul and Chris in the
refined and are: Conference on Through-life
area of NFF data management and test
Engineering Services TESConf 2012
• To identify common root causes and testability; they will both directly
(Shrivenham) on the problem of NFF
of the classes of the NFF problem contribute to the research effort.
Taxonomy entitled “No Fault Found,
across industries and understand
The commissioned environmental Retest OK, Cannot Duplicate or Fault
An attendence of over The occurrence of faults which have which is difficult to replicate, incorrect the nature, the effect and the
test chamber is awaiting items Not Found? –Towards a standardised
no confirmed cause, known as No diagnostic techniques or tests, impact of coupling between
140 delegates at the from two industries for research taxonomy” by Samir Khan, Paul
Fault Found (NFF) has continued poor training, incorrect processes, sub-systems.
and investigation into known NFF Phillips, Chris Hockley and Ian
first annual seminar to be investigated in this project. operational pressures or poor design.
• To develop modelling and Failure problems. The leased intermittent fault Jennions. A study on the organisational
Considerable progress has been The costs are significant and often
demonstrated wide cross Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) detection and isolation equipment and procedural impacts of NFF across
made during the last year to establish hidden. There are many reasons for
techniques to give Fault Detection has been used to research faults the RAF including Fast Jet, Helicopter
sector intrest in the NFF the fundamentals and interactions this but awareness has been growing
and Isolation (FDI) bounds for a in wiring and to understand how it and Multi-Engine aircraft is nearing
in coupled whole systems where during the last year evidenced by
problem. system. can be used to complement the test completion and we are working with
electronic, electrical and mechanical the interest shown in the first annual
routines designed for the equipment Air Command HQ to help define a NFF
sub-systems can display many and seminar held in March and attended • To develop a fault localisation
to be tested in the environmental Policy for the RAF. Investigations are
diverse causes and reasons for the by over 140 delegates from many mechanism and demonstrator at
chamber. We have continued to work also proposed with the British Army
designation NFF. Solutions have different industries and sectors. This the board and sub-system level.
closely our tier 3 industrial partner, to use the Challenger II tank upgrade
always proved to be difficult to identify demonstrated the interest and that the
• To define system design rules and Copernicus Technology Ltd, and as a case study. We now have access
and best practice is often not being problem and the appropriate solutions
demonstrate their effectiveness established links with the University to the MoD LITS data to assess the
shared within industries or across are certainly not unique to any one
to reduce the likelihood of NFF of Lincoln, Warwick University and TU impact and causes of NFF across a
industry boundaries. The root causes industry and that there is considerable
occurrences. Delft. Significant research is currently range of aircraft and systems. We have
are diverse and many are specific and interest in solutions and best practice.
underway in modelling the changing also identified individual systems for
customised to particular organisations. The research team has continued to • To develop a system design
dynamics of intermittent faults in investigation from our core partners
The causes vary from intermittency evaluation standard and procedure
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Bombardier Transportation and the MoD and we await the equipment
identified from a selected UK military helicopter avionics system suffering
from NFF so that experimental investigations can be started.
The first annual symposium on NFF was held at Cranfield in March
which has resulted in significant further interest and opportunities. The
symposium, sponsored by the IET and AAD KTN was the first of its
kind in the world and succeeded in bringing together an international
community of industrial practitioners at Cranfield to discuss solutions and
to identify key priority areas for tackling the problem. The symposium
had seven industry keynote speakers and was attended by 145
Dr Paul Philips testing electronics in
delegates from 60 organisations.
the environmental test-chamber.
Impact
The impact of the research so far is best described by the potential
testing of an item of MOD equipment which has suffered a high NFF
rate in the Afghanistan theatre. By working closely with the project team
a test regime has been designed for the environmental chamber to test
the theories of temperature and inadequate cooling being the cause.
The impact with the OEM and sub-contractor has been a new and
considerable interest in accepting that there is a problem and in finding
a solution. Whilst this has delayed receipt of the relevant equipment, the
research interests and objectives for the Centre will still be excellent,
showing not only the research capability but also confirmation of the
causes and solutions, so providing the Centre with an excellent example
of research driven solutions being delivered.
__________________
Papers published and in preparation
Published
Hockley, C., Phillips, P. (2013), “The impact of No-Fault Found (NFF)
on through-life engineering services”, International Journal of Quality in
Maintenance Engineering, Vol 18, Issue 2, PP. 141-153
Khan, S., Phillips, P., Hockley, C., Jennions, I. (2012), “No Fault
Found, Retest OK, Cannot Duplicate or Fault Not Found? –Towards
a standardised taxonomy” The 1st International Conference for
Through-life Engineering Services, Cranfield
Papers In Preparation
Sedighi, T., Phillips, P. (2013), “Categorising Intermittent Fault Dynamics
using Nonlinear Unknown Input Observers”, The 2nd International
Conference for Through-life Engineering Services, Cranfield
Syed, W, Khan, S., Phillips, P., Perinipanagagam, S. (2013), “A Survey of
Existing Intermittent Fault Finding Technologies”, The 2nd International
Conference for Through-life Engineering Services, Cranfield
Khan, S., Phillips, P., Hockley, C., Jennions, I. (2013), “Perspectives
on Recent Industrial Developments on No Fault Found: Part 1”, The
NO- Fault-Found!
International Journal of Reliability, Quality and Safety Engineering
Khan, S., Phillips, P., Hockley, C., Jennions, I. (2013), “Perspectives
on Recent Industrial Developments on No Fault Found: Part 2”, The
International Journal of Reliability, Quality and Safety Engineering Millions are wasted on engineering repairs
Project Team
where faults cannot be found – no-fault-found
Chris Hockley, Ian Jennions, Paul Phillips and Samir Khan, Tabassom
Sedighi and Wakil Ahmad
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www.through-life-engineering-services.org
Core Project Component Feedback

’
e
c
Characterisation of ‘In
i
v
d
r
Service’ Component n
e
Sa
Feedback for System Design
nn
Ig
and Manufacture ‘
i
fs
oe
It is observed that wear, cracking, fatigue, and D
n
corrosion are the top degradation mechanisms for
om
aerospace components. This project will develop a i
t
e
technology demonstrator to capture component a
t
s .
failure, damage and degradation data using two well se
i
y
known technologies: 3D digitiser for the surface r r
eSu
characteristics and surface cracks, and thermography tr t
coc
a a
f
for corrosion, delamination, impact accessing CT/X-ray and 3D laser r f
aku
damage, and disbonds. X-ray and CT techniques to inspect components,
images will be used to identify internal is focussing on the development of hcn
a
cracks and degradations. The data active pulsed thermography as a C a
b
will be fused together and analysed novel solution for the identification M
ed
using novel algorithms to identify the of sub-surface degradation. The
nature of wear, corrosion, and cracking. research will aim to take image he
We shall study the link between the files from all aforementioned NDT te
service performance and the initial techniques, develop image fusion F
r
system architecture, and develop and processing techniques in order to o
t
new guidance for system design for establish a recognition classification
fn
a better service life, thereby reducing system employing semantic tags.
ke
the engineering service effort required.
In developing the thermographic rn
The efficient and effective capture,
inspection method the team has o
interpretation, transition, storage, o
had increasing success relative to w
and fusion of a very large volume p
preliminary autonomous identification
of complex data, information and of defects and the sizing of such em
knowledge represents an enormous
damage features identified by the m
challenge on many levels. An overview o
thermographic data.
of the research is illustrated below aC
r
F
NDT of degraded components
A
utilising active pulse thermography.
In seeking to understand the failure
or degradation mechanisms for
components, various NDT methods are
being employed. The project, whilst
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Core Project Component Feedback
In addition to on-going development
of the ability to identify and measure
sub-surface defects, parallel research
is being undertaken by the centre
in the area of large component
mosaicking and the ability to stitch
multiple images.
The centre has developed a robot
inspection cell which has the ability
to present large components to a
static Infra-red camera (thermography
system), or alternatively the camera
may be mounted on the robot and
used to take multiple images of large
flat and curved geometries. It also
Autonomous robotic presentation
offers the potential for batch inspection
of an engine component to the
of components.
thermographic inspection system.
inspection of core compnents in
mosaicked parts.
artificial sub-surface
damage features
Comparison of data taken from the
system manually (left)
and from the robot presentation
(right)
Autonomous sizing of damage features
(Orientation Ignorant).
A comparison of imaging for standard test plates is
illustrated above. Here gauge plate test samples
were manufactured and then inspected by the
inspection cell both manually and with the robot/
camera interface enabled. The results are very
promising.
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Core Project Component Feedback analysis to be applied to textual • service events recognised within • Design, Manufacture, Build, and
data imported from datasets into existing data records for 1 active Service (MRO) functions for the Trent
excel (Use Case 3). service investigation: leading to 900 HP NGV (AS-IS) as produced by
improved quality of root cause Rolls Royce Plc has been mapped
• Validate the Use Case 3 tool in
and fully modelled in both IDEF0 and
actual scenario. Tool applied • analysis as a result of improved
IDEF3 formats.
to Marine Sector maintenance confirmed event dataset.
records/correspondence. Within 5
• marks to achieving research aim.
days of provision 17 additional
Table1:
List of ‘Use Cases’ employed as way
Use Case
Use Case Title Status
final research deliverable (See the No.
framework map above). Each ‘Use
Case’ has the following essential DFMEA Analysis – Failure mode knowledge based
1 Complete [Q1 -2012]
characteristics; one that it must align to suggestion service
the needs of achieving the project aim,
and two to demonstrate added value
to both the project and the industrial
DFMEA, Data Mining, and trend Deterioration mechanism knowledge base – cause
sponsor. 2 Complete [Q1 -2012]
mapping and effects drivers (Life cycle stage: operation)
Summary of Progress to date
• The team are working towards
the development of a ‘Service • Integration of thermographic
lead Design DFMEA’ system inspection system and the robotic Service cost driver analysis toolset
3 Complete [Q1 -2012]
architecture. The core partner has arm, with preliminary mosaicking (life cycle stage: design/operation)
facilitated the complete mapping of multiple data cells for large part
of the design, manufacture, and inspection.
service activities for the Trent 900
_________________ • Developing algorithmic framework IP Compressor Blade Life Cycle Cost drivers –
High Pressure Nozzle Guide Vane, 4 Duration [Jan 13 to Sept 14]
to analyse active thermography lifing rules/assumptions verification
Prototype for thermographic the output of which is presented
images of different types of
boroscope inspection system in IDEF0 and IDEF3 models.
component degradation.
The activity map was seen as an
essential tool to understanding • Development of a prototype 5 Semi-automated collection of shop inspection data Duration [Q4 2013]
In parallel with lab based research, the inputs, outputs, constraints boroscope for thermographic
investigations have been undertaken and mechanisms facilitating each inspection on inaccessible
to ascertain the suitability of the stage of the process. From this areas supported by Bombardier
technology in inaccessible areas. An the knowledge flowing through the Transportation. Event time line – automatic extraction (Life cycle
6 Duration [Aug 2103 to Sept 2014]
MSc Group project, supported by process (model) can be assessed. stage: Service Operation)
• Utilise existing terminology
Bombardier Transport Plc developed This level of understanding of
recognition tools to analyse existing
an initial prototype of a boroscope the ‘AS-IS’ condition is seen as a
database entries of experience and
utilising active pulsed thermography. prerequisite for the development of The development of a Repair Knowledge data-
compile a master reference index.
the proposed system architecture 7 base linked to component, feature and degrada- Duration [Dec 2012 to Sept 2014]
Developed an index of physics of
and the proposed service design tion mechanism
failure (deterioration mechanisms)
and support strategy.
and the commodity/features they
‘Use Cases’ as waymarks to impact, based on 63,000 textual The generation of a Gold Standard Commodity
achieving the research aim database entries of perceived risk 8 Service Strategy Pack Duration [April 2012 to Sept 2014]
or actual evidence. (Use Case 1)
In order to guide and measure
progression towards achieving the • Develop a Microsoft Excel
research aim, a series of ‘Use Cases’ based user friendly interface for
9 Commodity Service Experience Navigator Duration [Set 2013 – Dec 2013]
have been defined by the EPSRC Terminology recognition tools
Centre and this project’s industrial that allows use by semi -skilled
partner. Each ‘Use Case’ is defined analysts and allows for feedback to
as a mini-project within its own right the Semantic data set. Developed
Project Team
and is identified as a building block an Excel add-in tool that allowed
Rajkumar Roy, Jorn Mehnen, Louis Redding, Pavan Addepalli, Lawrence Tinsley, Nicholau Morar, Caxton Okoh
to be achieved towards meeting the terminology recognition semantic
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Core Project Component Feedback
Deterioration Knowledge Base Integrating spare parts planning with engine
health monitoring
Servitisation of traditional product would capture valuable service Team Members: This result meant that inventory was 15% better Potential savings were also examined
systems and the concept of co-creation experience and tacit knowledge and Bevridge Chishaka, Andy Douglas, using pessimistic, optimistic, and
aligned to demand than the currently used processes for
of value have driven availability based make these available to designers. Geoff Longstreeth, Craig Murdie, Murat most likely scenarios with Monte
service contracts in many sectors, Designing the assets with a better Türkaslan prediction; potentially leading to substantial savings. Carlo analysis. Given such promising
increasing the need for effective understanding of failure mechanisms results, the researchers are currently
Supervisors:
through-life support. Understanding would result in higher reliability and looking for ways to undertake further
Andrew Starr, Andy Harrison, and Rob Continuous asset health monitoring power, which could be used to plan for
physical deterioration is crucial in therefore higher operational availability. research. Among many avenues for
Cowling, can help predict potential failures in spare parts inventories in advance. In
predictive asset management, which future research are the generalization
This project has developed a process advance, consequently minimising the this project we assessed the feasibility
allows better maintenance planning Industry Partners, Bombardier to other asset types, and the further
for a knowledge base of physical need for periodic checks, maximising of such an approach. An Excel based
and reduced down time, as well as Transportation, Rolls-Royce, BAE improvement of predictive power of the
deterioration mechanisms and a asset life, and optimising the service statistical tool was created to filter,
designing for improved reliability, which Systems and MOD models are initial priorities.
roadmap for deployment of the decision-making process. A further, mine and analyse NGV data from the
results in increased availability. The
knowledge base by 2015. The process untapped benefit of asset health Trent 800 series. Statistical analysis Team members:
deterioration knowledge base project
defined in this report will deliver monitoring is the better planning showed that consideration of variables Dany Kuteifan, Valentin Chabidon,
aims to deliver a process for the
competitive advantage to its customers of spare parts inventory needed to such as engine temperatures at certain Dayananda Lakshmana, Quentin
implementation of a knowledge base
by accessing knowledge beyond the support service and maintenance. The time intervals, previous repair and Barruel, Frank Chudej, Ankit Mohta
of deterioration mechanisms, which will
boundaries of their organisations. mismatch between what is needed and scrap rates of the NGV component,
provide its customers with a valuable Supervisors:
The successful implementation of what is in the warehouse can mean and MRO locations significantly
source of information that could reduce Alexandra Brintrup and Tetsuo
the knowledge base is considered inflated inventory tying up cash, or improved the prediction of spare part
the life-cycle costs of their complex Tomiyama
as a means to provide the customers lack of inventory, halting the service inventory needed. This result meant
service systems.
better access to knowledge than process. that inventory was 15% better aligned Industrial partners:
The deterioration knowledge base their competitors. The process for to demand than the currently used Rolls Royce Plc, O-SyS Optimized
Rolls Royce Plc employs Engine Health
project group has worked with the deterioration knowledge base processes for prediction; potentially Systems and Solutions
Monitoring technology to diagnose
the project sponsor companies, delivers competitive advantage to leading to substantial savings.
failures on the go. A further, untapped
Rolls-Royce and Bombardier the stakeholders through an effective
benefit of this data is its predictive
Transportation, as well as the EPSRC knowledge management strategy and
National Centre for Innovative through the opportunity to increase the
Manufacturing in Through-life operational availability of their assets.
Engineering Services (TES Centre),
The deterioration knowledge base
in order to gather their requirements
process has defined a knowledge
for the knowledge management
management architecture that,
process. These requirements have
when implemented, will provide the
been systematically analysed and
members of the TES Centre access
transformed into a process for
to knowledge beyond the boundaries
delivering the deterioration knowledge
of their organisations. The report also
base.
defines future steps for successful
A knowledge base of deterioration implementation of the knowledge base.
mechanisms could be useful in terms The process and the use of the system
of improving the reliability. It can are demonstrated via a case study.
be argued that a knowledge-based
approach for deterioration mechanisms
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