Master Thesis - Sensing in Smart Maintenance

Join a dynamic team at Alfa Laval Technologies, Global Core Components, where we press and produce plates for Alfa Laval heat exchangers. Our group includes production engineers and technicians who support daily operations and development, automation engineers who manage production automation, and maintenance engineers who drive maintenance methods. Your industrial tutors will be a maintenance engineer and an automation engineer, ensuring you have competent guidance throughout your project. 

About the Master Thesis Project 

In our production plant in Lund we process coils to heat exchanger plates which are used in applications for the medical, marine, nuclear, and defense industries — to name a few. Efficient maintenance of our machinery is critical: too little maintenance causes unplanned breakdowns, while too much leads to unnecessary downtime and costs. Our vision is to let the machinery itself indicate when maintenance is needed, which is where this thesis comes in. 

We want to deepen our understanding of our machinery through smart sensing and data. Key themes include: 

• Which sensors to choose, and what data to collect 

• Positioning of sensors on the equipment 

• Sampling frequency 

• Data storage, handling, and visualization 

You will: 

• Investigate relevant data types and the state-of-the-art in sensor technology 

• Recommend sensor specifications for various applications 

• Advise on data storage, sampling frequency, and analysis methods 

• Suggest ways to visualize data for effective anomaly detection 

You will work closely with production engineering and maintenance personnel, spending significant time on the factory floor to understand the environment. You will probably interact with sensor suppliers to understand possibilities and limitations better. 

Why This Project Matters 

Your work will directly support Alfa Laval’s efforts to minimize waste and optimize maintenance practices. If your work is successful, your recommendations will be implemented and have a lasting impact on our operations. 

What We’re Looking For 

This is an exploratory project, ideal for a student who thrives in open-ended environments. 

Deliverables 

For Sensors: 

• A manual describing applications for sensing, sensor positions, parameters, and variables. 

• Recommendations for sensor specifications for different applications. 

For Data Storage and Handling: 

• Guidelines for sampling frequency and data storage. 

• Analysis of correlations between measurement methods. 

• Recommendations for data analysis and visualization to enhance anomaly detection. 

We care about diversity, inclusion, and equity in our recruitment processes. We also believe behavioral traits can provide important insights into a candidate's fit to a role. To help us achieve this we apply Pymetrics assessments, and upon application you will be invited to play the assessment games.