Mechatronics

Name: Peter Harding
Title: Control Engineer
Company: Pacifica Group Technologies

Peter went directly from year 12 to university to study dual degrees in mechatronics engineering and computer science. He graduated December 2001, and has been working for one year with Pacifica Group Technologies (PGT), the research and development arm of PBR International Limited in East Bentleigh, in a research group developing electronics braking systems.

“Originally I wasn’t interested in the automotive industry. I had plans to do research work at university or possibly with the defence forces, but during my final semester at University, my lecturer introduced me to my current employer. After reading about the company and asking around, I decided they were offering me an excellent employment and career opportunity.”

PBR is an Australian designer and manufacturer of brake systems and components for the automotive industry. The automotive industry is rapidly evolving as in-vehicle electronics are becoming the core of how a modern vehicle handles, feels and performs. The PGT research group plays an important role in moving PBR into the hi-tech automotive industry.

The role of control engineering involves creating mathematical models of the brakes and the vehicle, and then calculating how the software should manipulate the vehicle. A good example is ABS (Anti-lock Braking System). It takes a lot of design effort to write a computer program that knows exactly how hard to apply the brakes without locking the wheels up - and the better our understanding of the vehicle the better the software we can write. Mathematics is one of the best ways we can understand how the vehicle behaves.

“I seem to spend most of my time playing with electronics and software. We would come up with an idea, like a new way to smoothly apply the brake, and then I will spend a few days or weeks researching, developing and testing the new concept. This is a great way to work - I get to do all the creative and exploratory work and none of the admin and paperwork.”

The technologies Peter has worked on range from evaluating different microprocessors through to testing communication busses in the vehicle. He has also written a mini-operating system for a computer controlled hand brake and built electronics to control a couple of permanent-magnet electric motors.

“The only part of my job I haven’t enjoyed is a couple of days I spent earlier this year at our test track at Anglesea. The time was spent sitting in the back of the car looking at a computer screen, trying to debug software while we drove up and down the hills testing the brakes. I wasn’t feeling too good afterwards.”

“We work in small teams on a specific project with a mixture of people with different skills such as mechanical, electrical, software, as well as with people from manufacturing and assembly, purchasing, finance etc. In the early stages, we meet once or twice a week and talk concepts. As the prototypes get more developed we spend more time in the laboratories and workshops together, assembling, arguing over how it should be done and trying to fix the components we just blew up.”

Although Peter has not had the opportunity to travel yet, there are many opportunities coming up. PGT has customers in Europe, Asia and the US and PGT’s involvement with these companies will increase as they move closer to production.

Peter plans to obtain his qualification for certified professional engineer (CPEng) with the Institution of Engineers Australia. He is also interested in undertaking an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) somewhere in the future, however he thoroughly enjoying his current technical role and is in no hurry to move on.

Click here to go to PBR's Web site www.pbr.com.au