Master thesis - Modular variability management of complex electric railway traction products

Req ID:531710

At Alstom, we understand transport networks and what moves people. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, and trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility, we offer our diverse customers the broadest portfolio in the industry. Every day, more than 80 000 colleagues lead the way to greener and smarter mobility worldwide, connecting cities as we reduce carbon and replace cars.

Could you be the Master thesis student in Västerås we are looking for?

Modular variability management of complex electric railway traction products

Background
At Alstom’s global R&D Centre for railway electric traction systems in Västerås, the company continually both develops new traction component designs and configures or adapts them for customer delivery projects. The diversity of market requirements results in demands for high variability of the solutions. The latest product platform addresses this need in a cost effective manner by applying a modular design philosophy followed by a new approach to managing the variability of the hardware building blocks with new tools. However, a considerable amount of variability can also be found in the design documentation such as electrical design schematics. The ambition now is to develop a new way to manage this variability derived from the approach used for the hardware.

Problem description and goals
The thesis will focus on defining the variability demands and drivers for electrical schematics in the new traction product platform, identifying schematic building blocks that support the variability, and the subsequent implementation in Alstom’s design tools PLEIADE for variability management and E3 for electric schematics..

The work includes (but is not limited to) the following main steps

- Introduction to electric railway traction systems and components and the electrical schematics design process

- Introduction to the new Alstom Traction platform

- Literature study of state-of-the-art variability management for electrical schematics and other non-physical documentation

- Introduction to electric schematics software E3 and variability management tool PLEIADE

- Mapping of variability scope of the schematics of the associated platform and variability driving criteria.

- Identification and definition of electrical schematic breakdown structure (building blocks).

- Iterative implementation and validation of proposed variability management approach in PLEIADE and E3 (where relevant) in a selected use case.

- Analysis and evaluation of results

- Analysis and documentation of electrical schematics variability management workflow

- Reporting

Prerequisites: Background in industrial product design and development, familiarity with modularization methods, basic understanding of mechanical and electrical engineering. Experience in variability management is an advantage. Good analytical skills.

Type of degree project (can be both) Language for the thesis
Master (20 weeks): ☒

Swedish: ☐ and/or English: ☒
Suggested number of students: Preferably 2, but may be adapted for 1 student

You don’t need to be a train enthusiast to thrive with us. We guarantee that when you step onto one of our trains with your friends or family, you’ll be proud. If you’re up for the challenge, we’d love to hear from you!

Important to note

As a global business, we’re an equal-opportunity employer that celebrates diversity across the 63 countries we operate in. We’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace for everyone.