Hello, my name is
Florence MARGIOCCHI,
I graduated from l'UTC
in 1999 with the elective specialty AVI of course
(acoustics & vibration) and then 2 years consulting
in the car manufacturing sector
on vibro-acoustics in the propulsion unit
That was a good start to
in essence, pursue my studies,
I did loads of digital modelling
using finite element analysis
and so on and so forth ...
a classic route in digital modelling.
Then I was recruited by the SNCF,
I joined them end 2001, at their
innovation & research directorate (DIR)
as a junior research scientist specialist in
acoustics & vibration phenomena,
and I was assigned to research projects
in acoustics & vibration with a special
focus on wheel motion noise,
which results from
the wheel-rail contact
I was deeply involved in work we did
to improve our understanding
of the physical models that underly
wheel-rail contact with the aim to
draft relevant standards here.
The rialroad field already has
a large corpus of regulations
which which we must all comply:
to preserve as best as possible
track neighbours form railway noises.
So, to protect these neighbours,
and bring pressure
and lobby the
standards agencies & communities
we must first understand the physical phenomena
and determine what is the lowest
noise level attainable
or not,
what is technically feasible
to protect the neighbours.
Well, my track-record has evolved a lot since then
but I had built up
my enginering skills and
my expertise in acoustics
related to railroad noise,
how and where it is emitted,
the underlying physical phenomena,
how we can act on these phenomena,
what technical solutions exist,
so I developed some projects on technical
solutions to abate railway noise,
an completed them successfully
which gavce me an excellent overview
of all the project work, a transverse vision
and a specific railroad vision.
This is important because when you are
into acoustics I think it is a strong point
for engineers in acoustics.
You are in contact with many trades
from pure engineering up to and including
the whole system, as was my case,
viz., the complete railroad system.
Also to work at the system interfaces
of the railways,
i.e., from wheel-rail contacts
to pantograph contact with catenary supply line
to train 'contact' with its infrastructure.
All of which made me 'project-oriented',
with increasing systems and systemic contents
so I started moving to more enginesring
where I evolved yet again.
So from that innovation & research
directorate I moved to the
engineering directorate
plus infrastructures.
At the SNCF there is an engineering directorate,
a rolling stock directorate, and an infrastructure
engineering directorate.
Then I moved closer to the infrastructures,
where I was in charge of innovation
for all the infrastructure engineering work,
so a much wider responsibility than
just in acoustics innovation
overviewing innovation generally,
a sort of 'captain' of the innovation
portfolio.
Indeed, we have a beautiful portfolio
for innovative projects,
so my aim is to accompany the work
of the individual projet managers,
follow the project programme progress
and 'pilot' the programmes in
the portfolio.
I kept my acoustic expertise
at the SNCF you can evolve,
to take up increasingly
transverse postings,
and move to, more managerial
positions
at the same time you can retain your expertise,
we have indeed a network of experts,
some 500 technical experts at the SNCF,
all recognised for their level of expertise,
they are given remits based on their expertise,
missions too
with specific remits,
and they represent the SNCF in international exchanges
on these expertise missions
I am one of the 20 or so acoustic
experts working for the SNCF.
So, I managed to keep
my technical expertise
and now I manage a team
for technical engineering
coordination,
a team in charge of all
SNCF technical coordination
and this coordination team
runs transversely to all
SNCF technical trades.
So I continued down this road.
I now have a knowledge about railroads
and a good transverse knowledge too
having worked a lot at the interface
of all the SNCF technical trades
found in railroad engineering.
This implies more management
where it is important for me to
have a strong technical background and expertise
and a system intensive knowledge
which legitimises your management
on a day-to-day basis
and for the strategic orientations
you give to the teams and project leaders,
you will accompany
in the enterprise.
We have talked a lot now
and I think that effectively
acoustics can provide a systems vista.
Naturally when you work with
acoustics questions then you must
analyse the system as a whole
work on and at the interfaces
of this system with its ecosystem
so truly, as I saw with my colleagues
in the automobile sector,
likewise in the naval architecture sector,
you necessarily develop a systems approach
and we saw this in our elective specialty AVI.
All the more so that we have
a strong mechanical engineering grounding,
as polyvalent specialists in mechanical engineering
and this grounding is very important.
Itis important because it trains your mind,
it teaches you ways to work,
it tells you about how to
approach project management
plus this specialty, i.e.,
the elective AVI,
acoustics expertise that well serve as a qui va vous servir
as a launchpad and helps in improving
your overall technical expertise.
It is important to have both
solid grounding: in general transverse skills,
in mechanical engineering plus an expert area
which come together and blend in
really well with acoustics.
We find all the trades
and all the specific features of skills
developed here
in the AVI selective specialty
we need acousticians every bit as much as
acousticians specialists in modelling,
using finjte elements,
discrete element modelling,
vibro-acoustics experts
i.e. engineers in modelling,
but also for field and lab test work
with standard measurements
and also some innovative tests
vibro-acoustics,
we also make a lot of measurements
via trackside sensor antennae.
That I think is quite unique in France.
in signal capture
and processing
we then seek specialists in
with signal processing skills.
At UTC, in the elective specialty AVI,
tghis is a skill that has always been
excellent at UTC
and does not exist in many of
the other acoustics courses
it is a strong UTC feature
strong and present today.
We expect a lot here
and signal procerssing is a plus,
a really positive 'plus'.
Ibn the railroad sector we can use all
its specific advantages:
in modelling, testing and also to develop
more and more specific features such as
sound context design, psycho-acoustics,
what we can also call
"accompanying the passengers"
so, we develop more
studies and projects on the
passenger comfort aspects,
onboard comfort,
whether in acoutics or vibrations
these were aspects I started thinking about
in 1998-99 when we made some headway
in this specialty
these can represent strong skills
that can be reinforced in the specialty courses,
there is a definite demand.
There are increased numbers of digital techniques,
another strong point in AVI,
and te digital part will remain
a skill to be taken even further
we are aproaching fully
digitised mockups ,
3D mockups,
and acoustics has a strong relevant role
in digital mockups
since we must take into account
in a digital mockup
all the interface events
in the system.
So we dvelop,continue to develop
research and support
in digitally oriented skills
becoming increasingly digital,
and when you say 'digital' you also say 'sensors
connected objects (IoT),
a new and string trend
there is a big need here,
that is to reinforce sensor science
and technical skills,
use of sensors,
and when we say 'sensors', we also say
use of data bases,
and big data, etc.
Let me come back to
an acoustician's expectation
with probable uses in the railroad world
there really are lots of
interesting things to be done as
professional acousticians
in the railroad world.
Railroads are somthing really huge,
with lots and lots of trades,
and you can aim professionally for
a job in acoustics
and then move on to other railroad specialties,
and evolve via management positions
such as major project management assignments
and use of associate expertise.
That covers a wide range of possibilities.
with, I feel, some splendid prospects for you
from the AVI specialty in the railroads.
Railroads have again
become very important in Europe,
in in France, because once againthe
policy of integration of rail infrastructures
in the environment has become a priority
and likewise in the European directives
in the management of subsidies
and European transport regulations.
So we must ingore or neglect these digital skills
that will continue to be developed
and in the railroads, at any rate
there is a strong international presence,
we have policy here
in acoustics, a policy for partnerships,
collaborative projects in partnerships
both in France and elsewhere.
We also work a lot with the universities
in Britain and Sweden,
we are working on the European
projects because acoustics studies
receive strong support and, at any rate,
noise in the environment,
railroad generated noise,
in the environment is well-supported
via European subsidies and grants
So, we do a lot of studies with
European projects
which means that English must be mastered
and I mean really and truly mastered.
It would be a great mistake to leave
UTC without speaking Queen's English well
Maybe this seems obvious
but bit must not be neglected.
There are increaisng numbers of technical bridges
for collaboration with all the major
international universities
so,I feel you must continue
to enhance that but also the links
with French universities
a rich, open vista in international affairs.