Under Pressure

Bosch required de-risking of a novel piezo sensor module for low-emissions automotive application in harsh (pressure and temperature) environments. De-risking comprised accelerated stress testing endurance, stress-to-failure, and sensitivity goals.

Experiments and corresponding test instruments were designed. Instruments featured piezo actuators, piezo sensors, charge amplifiers, and heating elements. National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW were used to automate control and data logging. The workflow included: module preparation and testing; building statistical models of performance; and deliberating design refinements.

De-risking goals were successfully demonstrated and documented with six-sigma quality. The equivalent of a German engineering Bachelor’s practicum was completed.