Maintworld Magazine 3/2021

DIGITALISATION
B: The water pressure inside the pipes may be too low.
When this happens, the pump will start leaking and
eventually explode.
C: There may be a problem with the bearings of the gearbox.
If these are worn, then they will need to be replaced
along with the oil and grease within them.
D: A plugged or dirty filter may be restricting the flow of
the liquid. If the filter becomes clogged, then it needs to
be cleaned or replaced.
E: If the operator does not have the correct maintenance
methods, then the machine may begin to overheat and
break down. This involves stopping the pump mechanism
and giving it a thorough clean.
F: Sometimes, the pump will fail due to a manufacturing
defect. This is extremely rare and only occurs due to
poor quality control during manufacturing. If the pump
is functioning correctly, but is old and showing signs of
wear, then it should be replaced.
G: The highest risk of failure is down to operator error.
Pumps are very heavy duty machines that can go
through thousands of hours of operation and still take a
long time to break down. The operator must be careful
when working on and around the pump, keeping their
footing firmly on the ground at all times.
You must admit the model can somehow pass the Turing
test and fool you enough by pretending it knows a thing or
two about pumps. It can talk like someone who has been
HAVING A DIGITAL INDUSTRY ASSISTANT
IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.
around in the industry for years, but is this enough to become
your digital buddy? Another round. I confronted the
model with a slightly more specific case. Again, the bold text
is generated by the AI.
A Guinean mine operator is using a Wirtgen 2200 SM
surface miner with a C27 ATAAC V12 diesel engine producing
950 HP at 2100 RPM and a 2.2 m-long cutting drum for
mining bauxite*. The surface miner was taken out of service
and the turbocharger came into the repair shop with a broken
exhaust valve. It was all red. What could be the reason of this
failure?
*For the curious minds: bauxite is the main ore used for
aluminum production.
The Wirtgen 2200 SM is a very reliable
machine, but it has its limitations. Its main
weakness is that it can only operate in one
direction: up or down.
This time it makes you laugh. I had other conversations where
the model initially gave back a meaningful answer but ended
up by telling a story of two men getting out of a vehicle, wearing
overalls with their faces covered by dust masks, pointing
their guns on an operator dismantling a pump.
The funny thing is that GPT-3 will never tell you “I don’t
know”. This reminds me of those guys in the bar who always
have something to say and act as if they are experts on every
topic. At first you are impressed, but are they so smart?
16 maintworld 3/2021