NIK LAL

Autonomous vehicle sensor development

sensata ols oil level sensor image

Title

Mechanical Design Engineer > Lead Process Design Engineer, Advanced Technologies

Summary

During my last year at Sensata I worked on new technology development, we were assigned the mission of finding novel sensing tech, building the tech into working prototypes, and demoing the sensors for Ford, GM, and Chrysler use cases dictated by autonomous vehicles. My responsibilities primarily surrounded package development, sensor design and manufacture for these products, and ensuring that the unique challenges posed by the technology can be solved in full scale production.

Patent

Fluid level sensor apparatus with inter-digitated planr capacitors for directly inserting into a fluid

Datasheet

Oil Level Sensor

Skills

Solidworks, coating development and process control, prototype sample builds on short timelines, use of SLA components in high stress environments, short turn machined samples, prototype assembly process, endcapping with silane deposition, technical screen-printing

Photos

IMG 2271b Fig. 1: I developed a laser ablation method to subtractively manufacture electrode patterns on silkscreened gold, thick film substrates. We also made full circuit layouts using this method.

corona3 Fig. 2: Reflection of me in front of a plasma cleaner (corona treatment), many hours were spent here dialing in the process. Plasma cleaner used to prepare glass surface for silane deposition, amongst other needs that required increase surface energy.

IMG 2308 Fig. 3: Evaluating various fluorinated silanes that had end-capped hydroxyl groups on glass test samples.

IMG 2982 Fig. 4: Completed substrate with Inter Digitated Capacitative (IDC) electrode pattern visible through glass.