EngD position: Inspection and Maintenance Methodologies for Rail Defects

The Challenge

Maintenance of railway assets is if vital importance to ensure safe and cost effective operation. This is in particular valid for intensively used railway networks such as those in The Netherlands. Intensive use increases wear and hence the need for maintenance, while at the same time, it limits the available time for maintenance operations, or inevitably causes disruptions of the normal operation that should be kept to a minimum. Various inspection techniques are applied, ranging from manual inspections to Eddy current and ultrasound based inspections and various maintenance techniques (grinding, milling, replacement) are available.

The main scientific challenge in this project is that a thorough understanding of the different inspection techniques as well as the possible maintenance techniques is required to align both and realize the right conditions to implement them in a maintenance planning system. Lacking experience with these methods in field applications is contributing to the challenge. In addition, it is unknown what the effects are of changes in type of maintenance intervention (grinding, milling, replacement) in the long run. Finally the insight in conditions under which an optimized maintenance intervention strategy, including the question which inspection technology to use when, can be obtained is limited. These are fundamental challenges.

Your role:

• Participate in cutting-edge research and design under the guidance of leading experts in the field.
• Evaluate inspections systems: evaluate and assess the accuracy and reliability of both train-borne and manual inspection systems.
• Analyse maintenance processes: review and analyze current procedures for defect assessment and investigate the opportunities of modern corrective maintenance techniques.
• Develop a Defect Management Framework: categorization of defects and support for decision making of maintenance interventions based on the defect categorization.
• Evaluate the designed framework and propose updates to RLN00399: provide recommendations for updating the RLN00399 guideline and ensure the frameworks supports updates of the guideline reflecting the integration of advanced inspection technologies and modern maintenance practices.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including members from the University of Twente and the industrial partner ProRail.
• Actively engage in field inspections to gain necessary insights in the daily practice of inspection and maintenance interventions.
• Work regularly at the ProRail office in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Requirements:

• A master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related field with excellent grades.
• Strong interest in railway engineering and maintenance.
• Strong capacity for independent problem-solving, creative thinking, and a hands-on attitude.
• Knowledge, or the ability to gain knowledge, on maintenance methods, wear and degradation processes.
• Knowledge, or the ability to gain knowledge, on inspection methods.
• Experience, or the ability to gain experience, with signal processing.
• Independent, responsible, and highly motivated with strong analytical skills.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team of researchers and collaborate effectively with other experts as needed for the project.
• Goal oriented attitude and a creative, engineering mindset.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written.
• Basic knowledge of Dutch (safety warranty during field inspections).

Salary Benefits:

• As an EngD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for two years within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment.
• The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues.
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU).
• You will receive a gross monthly salary of € 2.872,-.
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme.
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus.
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid)
• You will have a 1-year training programme where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable set of courses.
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

40 hours per week

Drienerlolaan 5