Maintworld 4/2019
Machine Learning – Not a Gold-Plated Silver-Bullet Solution to Operational Woes // A Data-Driven Approach to Online Monitoring of Roller Bearings // Using Ultrasound to Enhance Energy Efficiency
Machine Learning – Not a Gold-Plated Silver-Bullet Solution to Operational Woes // A Data-Driven Approach to Online Monitoring of Roller Bearings // Using Ultrasound to Enhance Energy Efficiency
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EDITORIAL<br />
Women on top<br />
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS after the Russian cosmonaut<br />
Svetlana Savitskaya was the first<br />
woman to take a spacewalk, a new historical<br />
event took place above our heads on 18 October<br />
<strong>2019</strong>. Two Nasa astronauts took the<br />
first all-female spacewalk. It was not just for<br />
fun, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir were<br />
responsible for replacing defective equipment<br />
from the International Space Station<br />
(ISS), and in that way also formed the first<br />
female maintenance team in the space.<br />
Construction of the International Space<br />
Station began in November 1998 and was<br />
put into service two years later by the first<br />
crew. Keeping this gigantic facility operational<br />
is not easy (*). There were major<br />
problems with an air leak in 2004, smoke development by the oxygen generator in<br />
2006 and life-threatening computer problems in 2007 caused by condensation in<br />
some electrical connectors. Some repairs require extra-vehicular activities (EVAs).<br />
For example, in 2010 and 2013 there was a problem in an ammonia cooling circuit,<br />
which required several space walks to replace a defective pump unit. So far, there<br />
have been more than 1,000 hours and almost 200 space walks to perform modifications<br />
and repairs on the outside of the station.<br />
Congratulations from the Big Chief<br />
Koch and Meir had to replace a defective battery charging and discharging unit<br />
(BCDU) mounted on a truss on the outside of the ISS. BCDUs control the amount of<br />
energy stored from the solar panels in the batteries. The defect was caused by a previous<br />
replacement of a set of lithium-ion batteries. Because of the weightlessness<br />
and absence of friction, working in space is not easy. The entire mission was meticulously<br />
prepared and the general public could follow a lifestream of the astronauts,<br />
dangling at 420 km above the earth’s surface, carrying out the repairs.<br />
During the works, the NASA astronauts received a phone call from President<br />
Donald Trump, who congratulated them on the historic spacewalk: “What you do is<br />
incredible”. As far as I’m concerned, a lot of CEOs could take Trump as an example<br />
and give their maintenance workers more often a pat on the back for their valuable<br />
work.<br />
Feminize the technical world<br />
After the mission there was a lot of praise for the historical spacewalk. However,<br />
there was also criticism because it took more than 44 years after the first space walk<br />
before two women could go on a spacewalk together. This apparently had to do with<br />
the fact that the space suits were made to measure for a man’s body. During an interview<br />
before the space walk, Christina Koch put her finger on the wound: “In the<br />
past, women have not always sat at the table...”.<br />
We urgently need to get rid of the stereotypical image that only men are suitable<br />
for technical work. Let’s all work on this consciously. For example, by actively looking<br />
for female technical talent. However, this will not be enough to get more female<br />
maintenance technicians and engineers on the shop floor. After all, the image of<br />
typical female or male professions starts at a young age. Specialists point out that it<br />
is important to consciously avoid stereotypes from childhood onwards. And you can<br />
do something about that too. Maybe YOU can start in the upcoming holiday season<br />
by asking Santa Claus to bring your (grand)daughter a cool set of tools and matching<br />
tool belt? A valuable present that could launch her future career to the top...<br />
6 maintworld 4/<strong>2019</strong><br />
Wim Vancauwenberghe<br />
Maintenance Evangelist<br />
(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station_maintenance<br />
16<br />
To<br />
understand why your<br />
business is not achieving<br />
peak potential we need<br />
to consider all the sources<br />
of waste, including the<br />
reliability of the equipment.