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Homework 1

Name of course: What is this thing called


Maintenance?
Submitted by: Rayendra Anandika

The infrastructure managers of railway track want to maintain and prolong


the rail life service of their track. Rail grinding is one kind of action in order
to do that. The main purpose of rail grinding is to remove the crack that
occurs in the surface of railhead or to optimize the rail-wheel interaction
by modifying the rail profile while also overcome the natural wear of
railhead during train traffic operation.
In order to do the best/most optimum rail grinding action, the managers
need to find the most optimal strategy. It depends on many aspects of rail
traffic operation.
In brief, the procedures of making a decision of rail grinding are as follows:
1. Inspecting rail track condition, for instance: visual inspection, eddy-
current measurement, ultrasonic test, rail profile measurement, and
vice versa.
2. Getting information about rail track condition, for instance: crack
with various depths, negative wear rail profile.
3. Determining the depth of metal removal of railhead to be ground.
4. Grinding the rail.
Determination of the removal depth is usually intuitive. Since the depth of
cracks in the rail is various. Some cracks grow shallow near the rail surface
nevertheless, some others grow deeper. This condition is problematic, if
the manager wants to remove all found cracks with thick metal removal
thus the rail needs to be renewed soon, but if the manager grinds slight
metal from the rail surface some cracks remain in the rail and possible
grow deeper and may cause rail break.

The art of deciding rail grinding strategy.


The infrastructure manager surely wants to keep the rail live service as
long as possible and extend the need of rail renewal but still prioritizing
the safety of train traffic operation. To do so, they need to remain some
cracks in the rail when they grind the depth of remaining cracks are still
acceptable to ensure the rail traffic safe. Then by estimating the crack
grow rate, they will grind rail again at the time before the remaining
cracks become severe.
This action can be characterized as art because this depends on the
perception of manager to decide the depth of metal removal for grinding
and how deep of the cracks should remain.
In the simulation work of crack growth, formulating the mathematical
equation for describing the physical phenomena in rail grinding process
can also be characterized as art. The equation of simulation might be
different to be used by every researcher since there are different
considered aspect includes in the mathematical equation.

The science of rail grinding


The quality of rail will deteriorate if the rail used for a long time. The
deterioration is a natural law. The train passes the rail for many times.
Wheel brakes, trains load, weather changes, temperature changes and
many other factors take part to the rail deterioration.

The engineering aspect of rail grinding


While the decision making for choosing the best rail grinding strategy is
recognized by engineering aspect. Finding the appropriate technology for
inspecting the cracks of the rail is also an engineering aspect.
Choosing the best rail profile in order to optimize the rail-wheel interaction
is another example. The intended rail profile, which is decided by
considering any scientific theory of rail-wheel interaction, can be applied
to the railhead by using the appropriate technology. The technology
mentioned here is the grinder stones with the specified formation to grind
the tread and side of the railhead thus resulting in the intended rail profile.

The technology aspect of rail grinding


Some technologies will be used in my research project. For instance:
Technology for rail inspection. We will use the eddy-current test and
ultrasonic probe in order to observe the condition of crack in the railhead.
To investigate more clearly about the crack appearance, we will use
microscope technology to present microscopic structure of material.

The relationship between art, science, engineering and


technology.
In my opinion, art is the way of anybody to response or to express his
mind of a thing. Sculpture of a dragon is an expression of the artist about a
beast animal. Song we are the champion is a song that expresses the
feeling of Queen about to be a champion in life.
If we relate art to the attempt on science work, art is a kind of way for
people on guessing knowledge outside the known science (for personal,
beyond his own knowledge). Anybody prefers guessing, which is individual
perception, about something that he does not have information about it.
The art aspect of my research project that I explained above is one
example of it. The manager decides the rail grinding strategy with his own
perception about how deep he shall grind the railhead. Although the
perception dominantly depends on the experience of doing things. It is not
scientifically right, so is the decision will not be always right though he has
more experience.
In the context of exploring scientific law and thought in the universe, art
may be one of the ways to lead the development of science. As an
example perhaps Isaac Newton used his own perception before
discovering scientifically the explanation of gravity force by observing the
falling apple. The perception could be his sign in a way of step by step
approaching or gaining the comprehensive understanding of gravity force.
Since the individual perception in the commercial work is unprofitable
(regarding its uncertainty), the business owner reduces the chance to rely
on intuitive perception within his worker`s job. Science is the general truth
to approach it. The process of applying the scientific knowledge to create
the thing is called engineering. While the technology is the tool in this kind
of process.
Furthermore, in the sense of discovering new science, science,
engineering, and technology are collaborating. Schematically the
collaboration of this three thing is depicted in picture 1.
Science
applies the scientific
method to explore
the nature world
Practical applications of scientific knowledge and discoveries
Both apply scientific principles to research and developm

Engineerin
Technology g
product or processes applies scientific
that serve the society principal to solve
s want and needs problems or develop
products

Practical applications of engineering designs and products

Picture 1. The relationship between science, engineering, and technology


[1].

References:
1. Www.quora.com/What-is-the-relationship-between-science-
technology-and-engineering.
2. W. Stephen, Intersections of arts, science, and technology, 2002,
The MIT Press.

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