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 By David G. Morrison, Editor, How2Power.com Engineers who design power converters for automotive applications must grapple with extreme environmental conditions including very wide temperature ranges and severe shock and vibration. At the same time, they must ensure that their converters operate with high reliability. These challenges only get worse when the end application isn’t a car or light truck intended to travel paved streets and highways, but off-road vehicles such as construction or farming equipment (a.k.a heavy equipment). These are the types of environmental conditions that relatively few engineers will learn about in their professional work. And almost none will encounter these conditions as students studying electrical engineering. So, it should come as no surprise that international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as John Deere, which build heavy equipment, specifically seek out power electronics engineers with experience in the same or a closely aligned industry. That experience is in addition to educational requirements for an advanced EE degree with an emphasis on power electronics. Plus, there are additional qualifications such as a background in high-power design, and in electric/hybrid electric vehicle design. These types of experience, though not necessarily required, do make job candidates more attractive to OEMs in the heavy equipment industry. At present, finding engineers with all of these qualifications can be a challenge, as Chad Haedt, a product engineering recruiter for John Deere’s North American operations, explains. Many Candidates, But Not Enough Experience There are a few reasons why qualified engineering candidates are not available to OEMs who build heavy equipment. “Right now [finding qualified candidates] is a difficult task. The reasons are strong growth across a number of industry sectors (not just ours) related to power electronics. The majority of candidates we see are more-recent graduates or candidates with advanced degrees that don’t have the industry experience,” says Haedt. He notes that his company seeks out those who have “have experience in designing ruggedized power electronics systems for harsh environments and vehicle applications in heavy equipment markets.” Haedt says that his company receives many applications for power electronics engineering positions. In fact, there are more applicants for these positions than for those involving other types of electronic hardware design. However, “we don’t get nearly as many qualified applicants” for the power electronics design jobs as for positions in standard hardware design. Curiously, the company does hire many electrical engineers right out of school, just not for the power electronics design positions. Haedt explains that while power electronics is a growing area within John Deere’s business, it’s still a relatively small segment within the organization—one that employs more than 50,000 people globally. As a consequence, the company seeks out only experienced power electronics engineers—at least for now. However, for some of these positions, candidates can qualify with as little as three years’ time in industry (or even less for someone with an advanced degree. (See the table accompanying the online version of this article for example job descriptions.) Competition for such experienced candidates comes from within the heavy equipment industry, from its suppliers, and from the automotive industry, says Haedt. And not just from established companies, says Haedt, but also from startup companies funded by research or venture capital. Competition and scarcity of qualified candidates works in the favor of those who do make the cut. Haedt notes that at John Deere engineers hired for power electronics design jobs are likely to be compensated at a higher level than electrical engineers working in other areas. Although Haedt declines to say how much more these engineers may receive, he indicates that there is not “a drastic difference” in pay between power electronics and other EE positions. The Right Industry Experience Is Key Since industry experience is so important at heavy equipment companies such as John Deere, it’s worth noting what type of experience these companies value. “Automotive OEM candidates as well as candidates from tier one automotive suppliers are very good,” says Haedt. “We consistently look for those candidates.” According to Haedt, that’s because engineers working in the automotive industry use design processes and quality standards that are similar to those used in the heavy equipment industry. “In automotive as well as off-road, well defined requirements, design processes, design gate reviews, very thorough design analysis and qualification testing are key,” says Haedt. “The difference is doing that in our environment because you’re talking about dirt, soil and wind, off-road terrain, all different types of temperatures. You get that in automotive, but with our applications, they’re much more harsh.” These more-challenging environmental conditions lead to more vigorous testing in the heavy equipment industry. Nevertheless those differences in testing (from what’s applied in the automotive industry) can be learned on the job. Power electronics engineers who’ve worked in the mil/aerospace industry are also considered good job candidates—just as they are by companies in the automotive business. As in the heavy equipment industry, designers who work in the mil/aerospace industry deal with harsh environments and demands for high reliability. According to Haedt, the level of design analysis and qualification testing required in mil/aerospace applications is considered good preparation for what’s required in the heavy equipment industry. Candidates who have these types of industry experience can distinguish themselves further if they have system-level knowledge of hybrid or electric vehicles. Haedt comments that even though his company doesn’t typically require such knowledge, it’s considered “extremely valuable.” “Right now, the demand for experienced engineers in that area [hybrid or electric vehicles] is higher than the resource pool, but we think eventually the gap could be reduced as there are a lot of students interested in getting into these areas,” says Haedt. Education Is Still Fundamental Despite all their interest in a candidate’s previous employment, OEMs still value university training. Haedt says his company is looking for candidates with a master’s degree or PhD with emphasis in power electronics. It also doesn’t hurt to have a degree from one of the established power electronics programs. Although John Deere doesn’t recruit candidates directly from such schools, it considers them highly attractive candidates once they’ve acquired some industry experience. In some cases, an applicant’s academic background can help bridge the gap between working in related industries like automotive and working in the heavy equipment business. For example, the power levels encountered by designers in the latter industry are likely to be higher than those seen in automotive. However, if as students, these job applicants have done research or project work in higher power areas, “that’s a good fit for us” says Haedt. Not every candidate must have the background of designing for higher-power applications. Nor must they be a perfect match in every regard. For example, if a candidate has credentials that are close to what John Deere is looking for, but needs more work in high-power applications, says Haedt, “we have people that can train and develop newer engineers.” For examples of job opportunities for power electronics engineers in the heavy equipment industry, see the table listing sample positions in the online version of this article. For some some perspective on the similarities between this industry and automotive, see “Hybrid Vehicles Drive New Demands for Power Electronics Expertise” in the January issue of How2Power Today. About the Author David G. Morrison is the editor of How2Power.com, a site designed to speed your search for power supply design information. Morrison is also the editor of How2Power Today, a free monthly newsletter presenting design techniques for power conversion, new power components, and career opportunities in power electronics. Subscribe to the newsletter by visiting www.how2power.com/newsletters/. Table. Sampling of recently posted job listings for power electronics engineers in heavy equipment industry (listings downloaded between June 11 and June 14, 2010.) | Company | Job Title (location) | Description of position | Qualifications sought | | John Deere | Staff Engineer - Power Electronics (Fargo, N.D., USA) | At John Deere Phoenix International, as a Staff Engineer - Power Electronics you will design, modify and evaluate electronic products for use in rugged environments to meet quality, delivery and cost goals. In addition you will: Develop new applications of technology for product development and be expert user of critical technology for electric drive components for vehicle applications. Produce and evaluate design solutions for IGBT and/or MOSFET based A/C motor drive inverters and DC/DC Converters with the involvement of manufacturing/mechanical/software engineers and supply management. Perform complex worst case analysis, simulations, and design verification to ensure electronic assemblies meet the requirements of harsh environments for the vehicle applications and mentor others in these areas. Conduct experimental tests and evaluate results, including electromagnetic compliance (EMC), electromagnetic immunity (EMI), highly accelerated life test (HALT) as well as various electrical & environmental tests. Provide technical support to marketing, manufacturing, quality and supply management organizations. Support resolutions of challenging technical issues related to motor drive inverters and communicate findings to a diverse technical range of audience. | We need an excellent communicator, who thrives on solving problems and working in a team environment. Ideally you will have a Bachelor's of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. In addition we require: 8+ years experience in electronic hardware design and development for power electronics applications or 5+ years with an advanced degree. A strong candidate will also have an advanced degree in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Power Electronics, systems knowledge of hybrid vehicles, experience designing embedded controls for power electronics and experience with designs in a variety of DC voltage levels (12 Vdc to 800 Vdc). | | In the past, John Deere has also advertised the following two positions. | | John Deere | Senior Electronic Design Engineer - Power Electronics | Same as above for Staff Engineer-Power Electronics. | Same as above for Staff Engineer-Power Electronics except for level of experience: 5+ years experience in electronic hardware design and development for power electronics applications or 3+ years with an advanced degree. | | John Deere | Electronic Design Engineer- Power Electronics | Same as above for Staff Engineer-Power Electronics. | Same as above for Staff Engineer-Power Electronics except for level of experience: 3+ years experience in electronic hardware design and development for power electronics applications or 1+ years with an advanced degree. | | John Deere | Senior Engineer - Electronic Design (Pune, India) | Responsible for designing, developing, modifying and evaluating electronic parts, components or integrated circuitry for electronic equipment, which includes embedded controllers, sensors and displays to be used in rugged vehicle environments. •Analyzes equipment to establish operating data, conducts experimental tests and evaluates results. •Selects components and equipment based on analysis of specifications and reliability Design and Development of the following: •Embedded microcontroller or DSP designs; Digital and Analog Circuits; High Speed Digital Circuits •Automotive or Electrical Transient protection design for electronic circuits •Automotive environment electronic designs •Design for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC); Motor Control Power Electronics; Power Electronics | 4.5 to 7 yrs experience in Automotive Environment Electronic Designs. Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics /Electrical/Electronics and Communication. Required Skills: Hands-on experience in designing analog and digital electronic circuits for automotive designs. Experience in design of displays and/or telematics is desirable. Hands-on experience schematic design tools like Mentor Graphics, Cadence etc. simulation tools like Pspice, MathCad etc. usage of digital scopes, spectrum analyser, thermal recorders etc. Desired Skills: Power electronics, High frequency electronic designs, Multilayer PCB, Layout placement planning, Routing fundamentals. | | Caterpillar | Electric Drive/Hybrid System Engineer* (East Peoria, Ill., USA) (This and the other positions in East Peoria are listed under “Advanced Drivetrain Engineer”) | Responsibilities include drive system integration and product improvement for AC drive and hybrid drive systems, field data analysis, root cause identification and problem resolution. Additional responsibilities include determining drivetrain system specifications, related drivetrain control specifications, component performance and durability validation, working with other teams and suppliers to ensure compliance with design specifications, managing costs, and ensuring timely delivery to meet program schedule dates. | Bachelor's degree in Engineering Strong communication and leadership skills Knowledge of AC electric drive systems Knowledge of electrical machinery such as motors, generators, power converters. Familiarity with power electronics, both hardware design and operation Understanding of Synchronous and Induction electrical machines (motors/generators) Experience with Matlab/Simulink or other similar tools for system modeling, control system design and analysis | | | | | | | Caterpillar | Power Electronics Component Engineer* (East Peoria, Ill., USA) | Responsibilities include electrical designs and electrical system integration for AC drive and hybrid drive systems as well as power electronics hardware development and validation. Additional responsibilities include determining hardware design specifications, component performance and durability validation, working with other teams and suppliers to ensure compliance with design specifications, and ensuring timely delivery to meet program schedule dates. | Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or equivalent Strong communication and coordination skills Knowledge and experience with power electronics, both hardware design and operation Understanding of inverters, contactors, rectifiers, choppers, DC/DC converters Minimum of 2 years relevant experience | | Caterpillar | Electric Drive/Hybrid Performance Engineer* (East Peoria, Ill., USA) | Responsibilities include modeling of machine drive systems to optimize the cost/benefit of drivetrain hybridization. The candidate will need to understand and model engines, transmissions (mechanical and electrical), implement and steering loads, as well as energy storage systems with the associated controls to evaluate the fuel savings or productivity increase enabled by hybridized systems operating in expected machine work cycles. | Bachelor's degree in Engineering
Good communication skills Knowledge of AC electric drive systems and electric hybrid systems Knowledge of electrical machinery such as motors, generators, power converters, and electrical energy storage Familiarity with power electronics, both operation and control Knowledge of engine, mechanical transmission, and hydraulic systems Minimum of 2 years experience with Matlab/Simulink, Dynasty, or similar tools for system modeling with computer controlled systems | | Caterpillar | Power Electronics Cost Reduction Engineer* (East Peoria, Ill., USA) | Responsibilities include working with the design team to identify and implement design improvements and cost reductions focused on power electronics. Candidate will interface with suppliers, purchasing, product groups, and management to implement and manage projects. Additional responsibilities include participating in component performance and durability validation planning. | Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent Strong communication and coordination skills Knowledge and experience with power electronics, both hardware design and operation Project management experience Experience working with suppliers | | Caterpillar | Power Electronics Component Engineer* (East Peoria, Ill., USA) | Responsibilities include electrical designs and electrical system integration for AC drive and hybrid drive systems as well as power electronics hardware development and validation. Additional responsibilities include determining hardware design specifications, component performance and durability validation, working with other teams and suppliers to ensure compliance with design specifications, and ensuring timely delivery to meet program schedule dates. | Master's degree in Electrical Engineering Familiarity with electrical machinery such as motors and generators Familiarity with control of Synchronous and Induction electrical machines (motors/generators) | | Caterpillar | Power Electronics Cost Reduction Engineer* (East Peoria, Ill., USA) | Responsibilities include working with the design team to identify and implement design improvements and cost reductions focused on power electronics. Candidate will interface with suppliers, purchasing, product groups, and management to implement and manage projects. Additional responsibilities include participating in component performance and durability validation planning. | Understanding of inverters, contactors, rectifiers, choppers, DC/DC converters Familiarity with electrical machinery such as motors and generators Familiarity with control of Synchronous and Induction electrical machines (motors/generators) Purchasing/supplier negotiation experience | | Caterpillar | Electric Drive System Engineer (Wuxi, China) | This position is part of Caterpillar Inc.'s Transmission Business Unit's China Engineering team. Responsibilities include working with our US Advanced Drivetrain team on electrical designs and electrical system integration for AC drive systems as well as motor and generator development and validation. Additional responsibilities include determining electric machine design specifications, component performance and durability validation, working with suppliers to ensure compliance with design specifications, managing costs, and ensuring timely delivery to meet program schedule dates. | Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering Good communication and leadership skills Knowledge of electrical machinery such as motors, generators, power converters, and batteries. Familiarity with power electronics, both hardware design and operation Understanding of Permanent Magnet, Switched Reluctance, and AC Induction generators and traction motors. Experience with Matlab/Simulink or other similar tools for system modeling, control system design and analysis Desirable Qualifications Project management experience Familiarity with Electric Drive traction and control systems.
Electric Drive traction experience with automotive, rail or heavy machinery Knowledge with APQP, 6 sigma or related quality processes. Experience with design specifications documentation. Experience in working with suppliers and customers. Project leadership experience for design, packaging, manufacturing, and cost management 3 8yrs + experience | * These positions are part of Caterpillar Inc.'s Transmission Business Unit's Advanced Drivetrain team. This team is engaged in design and development for advanced drivetrains for Caterpillar's product lines.
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