为我们客户的下一代半导体应用打下坚实的基础

After getting up at seven, I have breakfast with my wife and children. We discuss the day ahead and before I know it, I am on my speed pedelec heading for Prodrive Technologies. This half hour trip is ideal to contemplate the challenges ahead, although I never know what the day will bring.

Our project team is once again trying to defy the laws of nature: we have a limited envelope in which to construct a system consisting of two stages moving at micrometer accuracy. These stages move over a stroke of roughly three meters and at a speed of over one meter per second. We need to properly isolate the system from environmental disturbances. Aside from these performance requirements, the system must look slick from the outside. To be honest, the list of requirements is nearly endless. Our customer expects us to deliver all of this at the lowest possible cost, of course. I feel great to be in the middle of this as a system architect.

Today and the remainder of this week, we are preparing for the face-to-face meeting with our customer in Israel. We have been spending several months to come to the design as it is now. Mechanic and mechatronic colleagues Tom, Pim, Bas and Ron are finalizing the system model in Siemens NX: motion base, stage carriers, frames, covers, etcetera. Control engineer Bauke is processing results of the mechanical FEM analyses to determine our motion control strategy and to simulate achievable accuracy. Jorie is working on motion software, while purchasers are getting quotations for parts. It is my task to maintain consistency of all of this.

Nick, Tom and I set the agenda for next week’s meeting. In Israel, our team, our customer, our mechanical models, simulation results, cost estimates and project plan will meet once more.

Upon agreement, further preparations start for assembly of the first prototypes. Of course, the whole team will participate!

I have yet to encounter the first colleague at Prodrive Technologies who tells me a technical issue cannot be solved

System architect profile

• 工程学士，工程学，理学硕士或博士学位

• 与同事合作并以客户为导向的社交和沟通技巧

• 具有创造力的思想家

• 技术和工程背景的心

• 较强的分析能力

• 保持广阔视野的能力

• 良好的语言和记录能力

• 务实的解决冲突的要求，将客户具有挑战性的愿景结合到可制造且具有成本效益的产品中

• 批判态度

• 最好具有跨学科的兴趣和广泛的知识

• 果断，能够做出高级设计选择

Pros and cons

• Create your own dream job

• Discipline boundaries do not exist

• You never know what the day will bring

• Having and giving responsibilities instead of tasks

• Flexible work hours

• Trips abroad are not always welcomed enthusiastically by my wife and kids