Applied Measurements Engineering Short Course
'How to Design and Operate Effective Automated
Measurement Systems For the Assurance of Valid Test Data'
How do you know your mechanical engineering test measurements are
valid? Since NIST Traceability actually guarantees very little about
your test data, how do you know? Can you prove your data’s validity to
yourself and your customer? What are the right measurements solutions
for your static and dynamic testing requirements? Is it really as simple
as the vendors say? What is your real cost of invalid, ambiguous data
causing retest or redesign or, worst of all, customer doubt? How do you
effectively educate yourself and your staff about test measurements of
crucial mechanical engineering quantities when universities can’t help
you and your experience base is declining?
This three day short course is for engineers, scientists, analysts,
and managers who must answer those questions and use those systems to
make and understand experimental test measurements on a daily basis. The
course will teach you the engineering principles underlying design and
operation of effective computer-driven measurement systems that provide
demonstrably valid test data on purpose, the first time, and on your
tight test budget and schedule.
These fundamental & underlying engineering principles governing the
design and operation of effective systems for test measurements are
explained using real-world examples. Understanding these critical design
and data validation principles, not taught in American universities,
allows you to field effective measurement systems with both today’s and
tomorrow’s hardware and software.
The result, in your laboratory, will be skilled people running more
effective testing programs, generating demonstrably valid and
unambiguous data on time, lowered design verification risk, cost and
cycle time, and delighted customers. Attendees receive an 800+ page
workbook. The instructor’s book, Applied Measurements Engineering - How
to Design Effective Measurement Systems (Prentice Hall) can be supplied
by arrangement.
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Charles Wright, founder of the Measurements Engineering Department at
a major satellite manufacturer, has three decades of successful
experience in the design and operation of advanced multi-channel,
computer-driven measurement systems for mechanical engineering test and
evaluation. This work is surely founded on the Unified Approach to the
Engineering of Measurement Systems. He developed the knowledge-based
measurement system concept as the highest expression of systems design
and operational performance.
He has delivered this course all over the
United States to engineers, scientists, managers and educators from
various industrial and university settings. He published 77 technical
papers on measurement system design, operation, and test process
improvement As contributing editor of Personal Engineering and
Instrumentation News, he published 42 bimonthly expert columns on Data
Acquisition from 1991 through 2000.
Prentice Hall published his book
Applied Measurements Engineering -- How to Design Effective Measurement
Systems in 1995. Education: BSME/MS Measurements Engineering, Arizona
State University; MS Management, University of Southern California.
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- How to guarantee your data
- How to identify and prevent 40% errors in 0.1% systems!
Surprise!
- The crucial difference between data validity and accuracy
- How to set the measurement system transfer function to assure
valid data.
- How to construct the system transfer function from components
- The intra-component interactions that can kill your data
- Design rules for waveshape and spectral reproduction of data
- The deadly and hidden price you’ll pay if your transfer
functions don’t follow the rules
- Self and nonself generating transducer responses – How they
really work
- Two models that explain and unify transducer and component
responses
- Foolproof methods for noise level isolation, control and
documentation
- Foolproof methods for data validation – Can be expressed in
software
- A reasoned approach to measurements uncertainty
- What NIST traceability really guarantees
- The thirteen things you have to understand and control before
you can sample properly
- How to absolutely eliminate deadly aliasing
- What you owe your customer. What your customer owes you.
- How to delight your customers before, during and after the test
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1. Basic Measurements Concepts.
Fourteen real measurements horror
stories and why they happened. Examples from across the testing
spectrum. Measurements or instrumentation? Data validity or data
accuracy? Real world examples.
2. Component Transfer Functions.
Frequency and phase responses – much
more complicated and sensitive that most think. First, second and higher
order systems. Single-degree-of-freedom systems and damping.
Output/Input linearity.
3. Building System Transfer Functions & Boundary Condition Control.
Building system level transfer functions from components. Crucial and
usually hidden intercomponent impedance mismatch issues. Hidden transfer
functions that drive system performance. Boundary condition control.
Conditions of use versus calibration. Static and dynamic measurement
examples.
4. Design Rules for Frequency Content (Spectral) or Waveshape
Reproduction?
Design rules for spectral [x = f(w )] versus waveshape [x=f(t)]
reproduction. What price do you pay if you violate the rules?
5. Transducer Response Mechanisms.
Measurement system response
syndromes – Why you want less than 1/6th of the information available. Nonself generating responses. Impedance based responses. Self generating
responses. Piezoelectric and thermoelectric responses. The gradient
approach to thermoelectric responses. The basic transducer model.
Spatial and cross-axis effects. .
6. Signal Conditioning for Self and Nonself Generated Responses.
History
of the Wheatstone bridge and the bonded resistance strain gage. The
Wheatstone bridge as a computer. Bridge equations. Valid shunt
"calibration" methods. Two, three, up to ten wire systems. Charge and
voltage conditioning for piezoelectric responses. Internally conditioned
piezoelectric responses.
7. The General Transducer Model and Noise.
How all transducers and
components really respond and why. Capabilities needed in modern signal
conditioning.
8. Noise Level Documentation and Control Methodologies.
Bulletproof
procedures to identify, control and document your noise levels. You must
identify them before you can kill them. You must do both before you can
validate your data.
9. Information Conversion.
Carrier systems and why they work.
Sinusoidal and pulse train excitation for nonself generating
transducers. Zero based and zero centered pulse trains. Digital data
reconstruction using pulsed excitation. Real, world-class examples of
this very powerful methodology.
10. Frequency Analysis.
Fourier spectra. Power or auto spectral
density. Octave and one-third octave analyses. Shock response spectra.
What do they really tell you? What do you need to know to be in control?
11. Sampled Measurement Systems.
The thirteen things you must know
before you sample. Nonsimultaneous or simultaneous sample and hold? How
many bits do you really need? Aliasing and undersampling errors and how
to prevent them. What antialiasing filters should you use and why? Fast
and slow sampling models. Reconstruction methods for sparsely sampled
data.
12. Measurement System Operational Methods.
World class examples from
static, quasi-static, and dynamics testing. Independent span
verification.
13. Data Validation Methods.
How do you know your data is valid? How
to use your software to answer the question. Automated data validation
methods. Back of envelope methods.
14. Knowledge-Based System Design Principles.
The highest level of
measurement system design.
15. A Reasoned Approach to Measurements Uncertainty.
The real game is
defining what component uncertainties to put in your error propagation.
Real world examples.
16. Leadership & Management Issues.
How to manage your management.
17. The Crucial Stuff They Didn't Teach in Your College Engineering
Education.
The subjects of craft, skill, vision, responsibility, and
professionalism as they relate to test measurements.
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Contact:
Charles Wright
Applied Measurements Engineering
310/541-8874
310-541-6787 fax
888-204-6329 pager
email: Testmeas@aol.com
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Written Quotes from Recent Course Attendees
"Course was so useful, I’m going to try and get it into the company’s
educational cycle." – Big Three Automotive Testing Ground
"Well developed course materials. Very pertinent to today’s
measurement and test problems. Good examples used. Instructor was very
good. Good analogies, examples, presentation style." – Government marine
research organization
"Very good overall approach to measurements engineering. Not too much
detail. (Instructor’s) knowledge in the area is apparent…Lessons learned
are great."– Major Aerospace Contractor
"Lots of relevant topics covered. Presentation of topics shows how to
apply techniques, rather than illustrate exact circumstances
case-by-case. (Teaches how to fish rather than giving us a fishing rod).
Clear presentation of topics. Willing to expand on points as questions
came up." – Manufacturer Of Acoustic Products
"From a mechanical engineering perspective, (strength was) an
enhanced understanding for why strain gages, thermocouples, accels, high
frequency pressure transducers are used to measure and document
performance of hardware. Opportunities to gain this insight were not
possible in my 7½ years in the aerospace industry. (Instructor was)
concise, intuitive, direct and comprehensive." – Major Aerospace
Contractor
"I believe this course opened the eye of some management and
engineers at this facility." – National Laboratory
"Good overall view of data validation. Very eye-opening on the proper
way to do business." – National Laboratory
"(Course) stresses the ultimate responsibility of the test engineer
and proper pre-testing set-up. Outstanding knowledge, very broad range
across basics of testing." – Major aerospace contractor
"(Instructor has) Very good general coverage of data system
‘quality.’ Seems very knowledgeable in the field. Presentation is
dynamic. Visual test demonstrations are very effective and interesting."
– Major Aerospace Contractor.
"Outstanding basis in methodology for (test) measurement sciences.
Chuck knows his stuff and communicates it very effectively." –
Manufacturer Of Electric Forklifts
"Excellent, the best!" – National Railroad Testing Facility
"Too much Info! Too little time! Knowledge and presentation style was
outstanding." – Major Aerospace Contractor
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Educational Sponsorship (6)
- University of California at Los Angeles (multiple)
- University of Colorado
- Texas Christian University (multiple)
Industrial Sponsorship (13)
- Golf Equipment Manufacturer
- Automotive Proving Grounds (multiple)
- Diesel Heavy Equipment Manufacturer (multiple)
- Engine Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturer
- Instrumentation Manufacturers (multiple)
- Satellite Manufacturer (multiple)
Government Sponsorships (16)
- National Weapons/Physics Laboratories (multiple)
- National Nuclear Propulsion Laboratory
- Military Flight Test Centers (multiple)
- Military Surface Warfare Center (multiple)
- National Propulsion Laboratory
- National Wind Energy Test Center
- Military Cold Weather Test Center
- Launch Vehicle Manufacturer
- Aerospace Testing Seminar (multiple)
Open Courses (23)
- Detroit, MI (multiple)
- Washington, DC (multiple)
- Cocoa Beach, FL
- Las Vegas, NV
- Stein Engineering Services Short Courses, Scottsdale AZ (12
years)
- Sensors Expo, Sensors Magazine (multiple)
- Shock & Vibration Seminars (multiple)
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Contact:
Charles Wright
Applied Measurements Engineering
310/541-8874
310-541-6787 fax
888-204-6329 pager
email: Testmeas@aol.com
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