Jimmie

When Jimmie started at Drev, he was the company’s first mechatronics engineer. There was an idea and sketches of what the product was supposed to do. Jimmie began formulating requirements from the visions and initiated collaborations with suppliers. As much as possible was to be purchased ready-made in order to develop a product as quickly as possible — a product intended for use in an explosive and dusty ATEX environment. Jimmie has sourced all the electrical components, calculated currents, assembled the system, and drawn the electrical schematics in SolidWorks Electrical — all with the explosive environment in mind. A first prototype is taking shape after testing in rigs built by Jimmie. Drev’s second mechatronics engineer, under Jimmie’s guidance, has developed the software for the control system. The software is developed in CoDeSys and written in Structured Text. This machine is eventually also intended to have an autonomous variant, where Kollmorgen will provide the autonomous system. Jimmie has undergone training at Kollmorgen to understand and be able to implement this technology. He has also completed ATEX training with AFRY. Drev has moved from a co-working space to a completely empty garage facility, and Jimmie has contributed far beyond his formal role by building meeting rooms, assembling furniture, and procuring tools to set up a prototype workshop.

Lex Energy provides battery systems for electric vehicle charging and for support to buildings. Jimmie began the assignment shortly before Lex Energy’s first installation of an electric vehicle charging station. As the only engineer with electronics expertise, Jimmie had to ensure the installation was done correctly, troubleshoot, and test the system before commissioning. He was also involved in the first installation of a larger battery storage system for a building. Through this, Jimmie gained an understanding of battery systems and also some safety knowledge related to high-voltage installations.

Jimmie has implemented new functionality in the company’s products and test systems by selecting hardware components and writing software for both microprocessors and PLC systems. He was responsible for both updates and new development. Jimmie was involved in the entire process from concept stage to final product and carried out most of the work independently. He started at Arcam by verifying a concept to improve the vacuum environment for the electron beam. He was responsible for all the electronic hardware that needed to be purchased and implemented, and he updated the machine's PLC program for new hardware and functionality. He created simple circuit boards for new sensors and also updated the HMI to easily control the machine’s new parts. The PLC system was from Siemens, and programming was done using function blocks and Structured Text. Jimmie’s second project was to develop a measurement method to measure the intensity of the electron beam used to melt metal powder in the company’s 3D printers. The measurement method Jimmie developed resulted in a patent. After that, Jimmie developed a test platform for PLC software for automated testing. He also created a new measurement rig to measure magnetic fields in large coils, and as a member of a global software team, he developed control software for a new type of 3D printer.

Jimmie implemented software for an electric drivetrain. This included functions that regulated power output at different times, managed system faults, and handled battery maintenance. The work was done in Matlab Simulink. Jimmie was part of a Scrum team and performed much of the testing himself. Testing what he developed is something Jimmie enjoys, as he wants to ensure that what he delivers works properly and be able to more easily resolve any issues to better understand the final product.

Jimmie was responsible for system requirements regarding the company’s new hybrid concept. He developed documentation on how a hybrid car should be operated as efficiently as possible in the interaction between the combustion engine, electric motor, and battery. To establish clear and accurate requirements, Jimmie engaged in extensive discussions with various departments, functions, and suppliers within the company. He learned to navigate a constantly changing environment without losing focus or energy.

Jimmie updated software for controlling the drivetrain, engine, and gearbox. The goal was for the driver to perform their tasks in the truck in a fuel-efficient and comfortable manner, by having the software select the gear as early as possible. He was also involved in the development of a system that predicts upcoming road inclines and can therefore proactively adjust speed and gear to reduce fuel consumption. The programming tool used was Ascet, a graphical programming language. Jimmie obtained a heavy truck license with a trailer to participate in the testing conducted by the Scrum teams themselves. This gave Jimmie a deeper understanding of the product and its user-friendliness, as well as greater variety in his work.

Jimmie was responsible for several functions in the truck by writing requirements and then following up on testing and software deliveries. These functions included cleaning the particulate filter, displaying information to the driver, controlling the air suspension, and managing how many axle pairs should be powered in different situations. The requirements were developed through discussions with function owners, developers, and those responsible for the driver environment. Jimmie learned how to write requirements that are testable, easy to understand, and can only be interpreted in one way.

Jimmie was initially part of a group of three people who delivered wiring diagrams for both Volvo and Ford. The diagram was divided into different functions, and Jimmie was responsible for drawing one third of the functions. The various components had to be connected correctly with regard to electrical consumption.