This document summarizes the qualifications of an expert in sensor integration and engineering who has over 20 years of experience. They have successfully engineered sensor solutions for applications in the medical, consumer products, oil & gas, and aerospace industries. Notable achievements include resolving a problem that was costing an automaker over $7 million annually and identifying an unexpected issue during testing of a space station model that reduced program costs. The individual has extensive experience managing projects and teams across various disciplines and industries globally.

1. DIRECTOR SENSOR / PRODUCT INTEGRATION
Medical, Consumer Products, Oil & Gas, Aerospace
High-energy executive with multidisciplinary training in electrical and mechanical engineering as well as
valuable depth of experience in transducer technology and applications in multiple industries; comfortable
dealing with ambiguity and providing out-of-box solutions to daunting problems in high-risk developments.
Sensor/Product Integration: Next generation product smarts = embedded sensors.
Senior executive with 20 years’ experience in sensor/product integration recommending viable existing
sensor solutions or engineering new instruments in view of cost, performance, quality, and business
constraints to meet corporate challenges. Engineered sensor solutions for use in complex pressure, force,
acceleration, and strain measuring applications.
Innovation Visionary / Patent Recipient / Author
Multiple patent holder successful in both commercial and technical environments, leading research, and
development of products for the medical, consumer products, oil/gas, and aerospace industries.
Maximized corporate opportunities with the invention of a 5-axis infinitely adjustable optical coupler, light
transmission control device, and a laser-based transducer to measure torque/power in rotating
machinery.
Technical Due Diligence
Results-oriented executive with a think-outside-the-box style, exercising sound technical due diligence
and precision judgment in problem solving and business analysis. Personally evaluated more than 1,000
returned sensors to secure full product knowledge.
Engineering Root Cause Analysis and Risk Identification
Accomplished and highly skilled in identification of failure root causes and identification/implementation of
mitigation methods to keep new product development and product validation test programs on track,
maintaining product integrity and limiting potential risk/liability. Rapidly diagnosed oil pressure sensor
problem that plagued corporation and previously cost more than $7 million in warranty claims. Uncommon
insight and ability to overcome development challenges.
Resource Leveraging Expertise
Project management professional with experience managing company-wide, globally-dispersed, multi-
function project development teams and efficiently leveraging limited resources. Serve as go-to resource
person frequently tasked with coordinating in-house as well as external resources for many mission-
critical, expensive, and complex test programs and new product developments.
Executive Leadership and Professionalism
Beyond all technical skills, a highly dedicated professional possessing core competencies in areas of
interpersonal communication, negotiation, and collaboration. Exercises sound judgment and reasoning,
problem solving, intuitive deduction, and conflict management. Possesses the genuine desire to build and
maintain positive business relationships.
Multidisciplinary Team Management
Communicator of shared goals to identify and built multi-disciplined teams capable of delivering business
results and completing complex assignments across cross-functional business units. Managed
applications engineering team tasked with identifying flash/radiation sensitivity.

2. International Engineering Management
Proven engineering expertise in global arenas, including the Far East, Europe, and Canada. Led force
products group in Shenzhen, China, ensuring exemplary operations in strict compliance with NIST
standards and requirements.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
Transducer Root Cause Analysis
• Analyzed thousands of sensor failures, testing load cells, pressure sensors, and accelerometers,
determining whether units were legitimate warranty failures or customer damaged and negotiating
the disposition, replacement, or repair of the returned product; developed a highly refined ability
to rationalize unexpected and varied energy exchanges between the sensor/instrumentation
system and the operating environment.
• Recommended redesign of single-piece spring retaining clip into a two-part assembly in order to
eliminate the key failure mode of the sensor structure; offered specific targeted action to resolve
the problem while dealing with unhappy and impatient client.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #1: Redesign of Spring Retaining Clip Eliminates Field
Failures
• Guaranteed public safety was maintained and saved money by detecting and eliminating errors in
shock measurement to ensure radioactive waste shipping containers could withstand natural and
manmade disasters while en route.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #2: Shipping Container Testing Ensures Public Safety
• Saved Big Three auto manufacturer millions of dollars annually on crash tests costing $250,000
to $500,000 each by resolving an error encountered during testing that was yielding incorrect
results. The problem could delay the introduction of new models by months.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #3: Issue Resolution Eliminates Testing Errors & Speeds
Product to Market
• Spearheaded new accelerometer design for Hitachi's test program, which was highly successful.
Data was required to certify the nuclear reactor core was obtained.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #4: Hitachi Obtains Data Required to Certify Nuclear
Reactor
• Confirmed unacceptably large test errors during explosive materials testing and offered simple
methods for mitigation reducing test program length and cost within the US government.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #5: Elimination of Errors Align Test Results with Models
• Resolved problem with three-cent snubber when Big Three auto manufacturer was having a
problem with oil pressure sensor failures with liabilities rapidly ramping more than $7 million in
warranty claims; diagnosed that the problem was created by excitation of sensor structure
resonance due to gear meshing harmonics produced by the gear-driven oil pump.

3. Program Enabler & Facilitator
• Improved test repeatability from +/- 50% to +/- 10% by conducting simple tests to prove where the
majority of errors originated. Mitigation methods were successful.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #6: Sensor Mounting Modifications Improve Test Accuracy
5x, Reducing Test Costs
• Conducted a test that proved unexpected energy interactions were creating thermal transients;
eliminated micro-thermal transients by enclosing the alignment system in a $2 Styrofoam cooler
with a plastic window that prevented the operator from breathing on the system during the tuning
process.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #7: $2 Cooler Eliminates Thermal Transients & Speeds
Product to Market
• Completed program within budget and saved time by resolving energy transfer issues during
testing of the International Space Station structural model. Simple mitigation method utilized
“high-tech cotton balls” and masking tape to prove that an unexpected energy transfer was
creating a thermal shock transient and the resultant error.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #8: Solution Eliminates Massive Drift Errors, Reducing
Space Station Model Program Costs
Executive Leadership & Professionalism
• Licensed U.S. patent 5,812,258 and U.S. patent 4,347,748 for development and
commercialization purposes as a consultant to Sentech Systems Inc. of Mount Joy, PA.
• Collaborated with Sentech Systems and managed the setup of high-precision force and thermal
test systems at Sentech facilities; provided engineering guidance in all aspects of transducer
design, fabrication, and testing.
Technical Due Diligence
• Produced $10 million in savings by recommending the VC group deny funding for a company
purporting to develop a green energy process.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #9: Truth-Based Investment Decision Saves $10 Million in
Losses
Corporate Visionary
• Identified unexpected flash/radiation sensitivity of in-development sensors using standardized
testing developed by the U.S. military more than 50 years ago.
• Performed a product-line market rationalization study to identify force products with good future
growth prospects and to drop low-volume products with limited future growth potential after

4. acquisition of Entran by Measurement Specialties; low-performing product under Entran became
best-seller for MSI.
• Created two product streams; one offered high-precision relatively low volume products to the
high-end test and measurement sector for product validation test; the second product stream
focused on the provision of low-cost sensors in high-volume for use within consumer products
and for use by OEM manufacturers.
• Created attractive and consistent product data sheets to present all force products to the market
using industry-standard nomenclature and performance benchmarks.
Multi-Disciplinary Team Management
• Rapid prototype success provides large opportunity. Decreased prototype delivery from 16 weeks
to 10 days and exceeding all mechanical and performance requirements.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #10: Resource/Contingency Planning, Parallel Tasking,
Reduces Proto Delivery & Creates Opportunity
• Designed next-generation gas turbine digital fuel control test system using TTL logic and first-
generation M6800 Motorola microprocessor.
• Participated in a design group that led development of new engine test cells in Mississauga,
Ontario.
Salesmanship, Resource Leveraging Expertise
• Educated customers to negotiate achievable expectations.
• Negotiated resolution of all technical, financial, and logistical objections of sale to meet or exceed
all customer expectations.
• Provided superior post-sales product support. Existing customers were the nearest term, highest
probability source of new revenue.
• Led integration of prototype sensors seamlessly into production hardware and eliminated the
imminent risk of losing VC funding
o Appendix 1: Success Story #11: Low-Cost OEM Sensor Design Cuts Costs & Speeds
Product to Market
• Negotiated license agreements between Sentech and FGP of Les Clayes Sous Bois France to
permit the licensed production and marketing of FGP products within the U.S. market by Sentech.
Resourceful & Innovative

5. • Converted a known frailty of highly miniaturized sensors into an asset that permitted success to
be achieved on time and producing superior accuracy data.
o Appendix 1: Success Story #12: Zipper Strip Saves Government Millions of Dollars
• Defined an accelerometer for use within the W80 nuclear weapon; program required a relatively
small number of instruments to be manufactured to an exceptionally comprehensive test program
and required documentation that Entran had been contracted to supply but had no experience in
preparing. Hired a consultant and coordinated all in-house engineering resources to generate the
350-page document within 30 days. The test program was reviewed, approved, and paid for
within an additional 30 days.
WORK HISTORY
Pierson and Associates Corp. Panama 4/2014–PRESENT
International Consulting firm providing creative measurement solutions to global Sensor manufacturers.
Engineer:
On the road sales personnel in the US can cost your company $400K annually per employee ($250K
travel + $100K salary + $50K benefits). Pierson and Associates Corp represents a cost of doing business
that comes right off the top of taxable corporate revenue with no benefit or travel cost burden.
Go to person corporation wide for creative solutions in all areas of the measurement sciences. Contracted
to global manufacturers of sensors and systems.
Ideas that may meet technical needs but not cost, reliability or timing requirements are not solutions.
Pierson and Associates Corporation provides solutions.
TE CONNECTIVITY/ Measurement Specialties Inc. (MSI), Hampton, VA 2012-2014
2012-2014 $250 million global manufacturer of high accuracy, low-volume sensor products, and high-
volume, low-cost consumer, medical, and automotive sensor products.
Senior Applications Engineer
• All aspects of client interface and sensor specification, design, build and support.
• Built sales from $0 in 2012 to $4,100,000 within 4 years specializing in "table scrap" technically
dense, low volume and time consuming applications, P & A Corp relieved face-time on-the-road
salespersons of otherwise large time burdens permitting them to focus on principle clients.
Closed 57% of all opportunities. Responsible for quoting clients on behalf of TE Connectivity.
• Ultra positive relationships with all co-workers and clients. Specialized in working with clients to
specify sensors for hostile environment use, deep space/sea/downhole to optimize the quality of
data acquired.
• Pressure sensors (Dynamic/static: MEMs, bonded Piezoresistive, bonded foil, force collected,
isolation diaphragm based, flush diaphragm, soil pore pressure in all alloys), strain gauges
(piezoresistive, foil), temperature measurement sensors (thermistors, rtds), accelerometers

6. (MEMs, discrete gauged, piezoelectric/single + multiaxial), velocimeters, angular rate, linear
variable differential transformers (AC, DC), force sensors, multi-axial force, fluid property, material
property sensors, test fixture design, anti-aliasing filtering/DAQ interface configuration.
Clinical Laboratory Management Inc., Union NJ 6/2009–5/2011
200-employee medical test laboratory providing comprehensive test services in Northeastern U.S.
Director, Procurement and Facilities
Managed purchasing, inventory, warehousing, main/remote facility maintenance and renovations.
Managed facility services including; deionized water, security, power, waste drainage, electrical,
heating/cooling and structural needs to support sample analyzers/incubators. Managed Fair Market
Evaluation program for 30 externally leased spaces. Managed physician EMR to LIS interface and
data bridge implementation program.
• $100,000 renovation completed within 12 weeks by managing design and construction of onsite
Molecular Test Laboratory plus modernization of office spaces.
• Increased aggregate inventory turns from 3 (estimated) to an achieved 11.8 (12 target).
• Reduced material supply costs 15% by developing spreadsheet-based solutions for dysfunctional
supply department to qualify and rank vendors and negotiate superior pricing for annual blanket
purchases.
• Cleaned up inventories and processes to package CLM for later sale to Laboratory Corporation of
America in May of 2011.
Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc., Leonia, NJ 2008
Global leader in pressure transducer technology serving high-tech industries worldwide.
Director, Applications Engineering
Led three-member applications engineering team formulating product solutions for hostile pressure
measurement environments, designing sensor mounts, defining root causes for problems experienced
by customer and developing new products.
• Licensed 870-page handbook entitled, “The Art of Practical and Precise Strain Based
Measurement" to company for distribution ISBN: 1-895976-00-6.
Measurement Specialties Inc. (MSI), Hampton, VA 2004–2008
$250 million global manufacturer of high accuracy, low-volume sensor products, and high-volume, low-
cost consumer, medical, and automotive sensor products.
Product Line Manager: Force Products
Managed integration of acquired product lines into company offering. Redesign of core products to
utilize key strengths in glass bonding of strain gauges also utilizing ASIC-based thermal compensation
methods. Created fabrication and test group in Shenzhen, China, compliant with NIST standards.
Worked with numerous clients in design of custom solutions for high volume applications.
• Performed product line market rationalization of recent acquisition to identify force products with
future growth potential and to drop underperforming low volume, low margin products.
• Created two product streams offering high value, high-precision, but relatively low volume
products for high-end test and measurement sector and low-cost OEM force measuring
instruments used within high volume consumer products.
• Created attractive and consistent product data sheets to present all force products to market
using industry standard nomenclature and performance benchmarks.
Entran Devices, Inc., Fairfield, NJ 2000–2004
Manufacturer of highly miniaturized force, pressure, and acceleration measuring instruments with $12
million in annual revenue.

7. Vice President Applications
Led two-member staff tasked with increasing market share by creatively applying mature piezoresistive
sensor technology to new and innovative applications.
• Resolved “Big Three” oil pressure sensor failures causing more than $7 million in warranty claims
by correctly diagnosing root cause and implementing 3-cent snubber.
• Defined highly modified accelerometer for use within the W80 nuclear weapon, which received
test program approval after hiring consultant and coordinating in-house engineering resources to
generate 350-page program documentation within 30 days of go-ahead.
Pierson and Associates, Ltd., Bolton, Ontario, Canada 1991–2000
Training consultancy offering course focused on measurement errors and mitigation techniques,
presented at numerous NASA facilities, and the U.S. Navy with listing in General Motors University
training program.
President
Created and delivered 120, four-day training workshops combining lecture, PowerPoint, live
demonstrations, case studies, samples, and hands-on experience where attendees actually built and
tested sensors.
• Created and delivered training workshops based on personally authored 870-page engineering
handbook titled, "The Art of Practical and Precise Strain Based Measurement" ISBN: 1-895976-
00-6.
• Licensed U.S. patent 5,812,258 and U.S. patent 4,347,748 for development and
commercialization purposes as consultant to Sentech Systems Inc. of Mount Joy, PA.
• Negotiated license agreements between Sentech and FGP of Les Clayes Sous Bois, France to
permit licensed production and marketing of FGP products within U.S. market by Sentech.
• Provided engineering guidance in all aspects of transducer fabrication and testing at Sentech
Systems facilities by defining and managing set-up of high precision force and thermal test
systems.
Entran Devices, Inc., Fairfield, NJ 1980–1991
$4 million manufacturer of highly miniaturized force, pressure, and acceleration measuring instruments.
Vice President Applications Engineering
Formed Applications Engineering department to increase market share by applying mature
piezoresistive sensor technology to new, cutting-edge applications and managed military sensor
programs including RAM, MLRS, MK21, Trident D5, SBKKV, Shuttle, Titan 34D, and AH64 ARC
systems.
• Increased personal knowledge base of mechanical, electrical, thermal, pneumatic, and hydraulic
failures by personally evaluating more than 1,000 returned instruments
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Longueil, Quebec, Canada 1978–1980
Leader in design and manufacture of aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines.
Instrument Engineer
Contributed to experimental gas turbine builds and testing of JT15D turbofans and PT6 gas turbine
aircraft engines.
• Participated in design group tasked with developing new engine test cells in Mississauga, ON.
• Designed next generation gas turbine digital fuel control test system using TTL logic and first
generation M6800 Motorola microprocessor.
EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

8. B.Sc., Electrical Engineering, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, Kingston, ON
To third-year mechanical engineering student prior to transferring to EE program. Additional courses in
Human Anatomy, Mathematics, and Psychology. Focus in electromechanical systems and transduction
technologies.
PUBLICATION
The Art of Practical and Precise Strain Based Measurement (ISBN: 1-895976-00-6)
PATENTS
Optical Coupler and Alignment Apparatus with Multiple Eccentric Adjustments
U.S. Patent 5,812,258
Light Transmission Control Device
U.S. Patent 4,290,473
A Non-Contact, Non-Loading Torque Horsepower Transducer for Rotating Machine Members
U.S. Patent 4,347,748
PATENTS –
1) Optical Coupler and Alignment Apparatus with Multiple Eccentric
Adjustments, U.S. Patent 5,812,258
Single-mode optical fibers propagate light in only one mode at a given wavelength. Larger diameter fibers
permit optical energy to propagate within the fiber in multiple modes, which implies that some photons
that might comprise the leading edge of a square wave input will travel further than other photons.
Multimode propagation results, therefore, in a square wave input producing a triangular wave front at the
output of the fiber therefore limiting the bandwidth of multimode fiber systems. This characteristic of
multimode fibers is known as modal dispersion. Single mode systems show propagation delay without
multimode bandwidth limitations. However, the stable alignment of such systems is not trivial and is the
subject that this patent addresses.
A novel system is described wherein four concentrically disposed eccentrics are co-axially mounted
where the rotation of these eccentrics relative to each other produces precision movement of a single
mode fiber relative to the focus of an optical source to permit the fiber to be positioned so that maximum
energy can be injected into the subject fiber. The subject system permits vernier positioning of the fiber in
three spatial dimensions (X, Y and Z) as well as two angular dimensions (1, 2) where a penetrating
(wicking) fusing compound is injected after alignment to fuse all components in position relative to each
other in a stressless manner. This ensures stable coupling efficiency over time and during exposure to
extreme environmental changes.
2) Light Transmission Control Device, U.S. Patent 4,290,473
A novel system is described to enable the monotonic adjustment of the transmission efficiency of a planar
window surface where the transmission efficiency is uniform within the plane of the window. This is
accomplished by using two absorbing filters where the optical absorption efficiency is low at one end of
the filter and uniformly increases to 90% or more at the other end of the filter. This film may be of uniform
thickness but can be thought of as an optical wedge where absorption efficiency is plotted normal to the
plane of the window surface. By making this filter long in relation to the window surface and positioning an
identical filter parallel to the first where these two filters are translated in opposite directions relative to

9. each other, the two "wedges" comprise a uniformly absorptive filter over the surface of the subject window
where excess film is taken up by rollers positioned at the top and bottom of the subject window. Fully
automatic systems are envisioned to maintain constant or deliberately modulated room illumination levels
based on photo electric measurement of the room lighting and directing the roller system via an
appropriate control system to provide the preset illumination desired.
3) A Non-Contact, Non-Loading Torque Horsepower Transducer for Rotating
Machine Members, U.S. Patent 4,347,748
Modern electrical power generating plants contain thousands of sensors measuring temperatures,
pressures, voltages, currents and speeds with the objective of optimizing the energy input /output
efficiency of the system. Although these measurements, based on assumptions of frictional losses, can
be used to indirectly infer system efficiency, the one parameter most desired to define plant efficiency is a
direct measure of the mechanical energy being transmitted from the turbine into the generator.
The subject of this invention is a laser-based system capable of real-time measurement of torque and
shaft speed, therefore deriving the real-time power being communicated by a power turbine shaft into the
electrical generator. This system requires minimal exposed shaft length and utilizes lasers to measure the
TL/JG torsional distortion of the shaft material using novel optical pulse sharpening as a means of noise
reduction and ultra-high speed time-measuring systems. By polishing small optical flats onto the turbine
shaft in pairs and separated by a short length of shaft, lasers directed at the shaft will produce a reflected
beam that scans through an angle with each shaft rotation.
The reflected energy is monitored by high-speed photodiodes where the timing system is started when
one pulse is detected and is terminated when the second pulse is detected. By separately timing the
interval between reflections at one of these diodes, shaft speed is measured. Because the shaft geometry
is fixed, the surface speed is calculated and the time difference between received reflections is then used
to determine the torsional distortion which is then related to torque by means of the relations: = TL/JG
and S= r *. Because photodetector and timing systems operate at such blindingly fast speeds relative to
the time response of typical mechanical systems, the system described can be thought of as taking a
photograph of the machine shaft with ASA 1,000,000 speed film. At such high speeds, the shaft is, for all
intents and purposes, frozen in time where vibration-induced motion of the shaft or the detectors becomes
unimportant.
PUBLICATIONS –
The Art of Practical and Precise Strain Based Measurement, 2nd
edition; ISBN:1-895976-
00-6
Sensors are the means to an end; they provide numbers as output that we hope bear some relation to a
physical input we are attempting to quantify. The numbers that we acquire provide us with a perception of
the parameter we set out to measure. When these acquired numbers are related in a trustworthy fashion
to the parameter that we are attempting to measure; these numbers are then transformed into enabling
knowledge and truth.
Unfortunately, sensors, and the outputs they provide, are subject to the imperfections of the real world.
Sensors are influenced not only by the parameter that we set out to measure, such as pressure, force or
acceleration, but also by every other energy exchange that may occur between the sensor and the
measuring environment.
As an example, although we may set out to measure pressure, the mass of the sensor diaphragm can
make an excellent accelerometer in severe shock environments implying that the output signal we acquire

10. will contain an acceleration-induced error. Simultaneously, the lead wires exiting the sensor may intercept
a local radio broadcast and what we thought was a valid pressure signal was, in fact, part of a Willie
Nelson song! The end analysis is that shock, conducted thermal energy, interfering electromagnetic
fields, mounting strain, optical inputs, particulate impingement (amongst others) all influence the output of
our sensor. This means that the numbers we have collected arise from a hash of combined influences
that are all easy to understand individually, in hindsight, where the net result can total errors of 50% or
even more. All of these unexpected energy interactions create error causing us to be deceived in relation
to the truth.
When the perception of the value of a physical measurement is not equal to the truth, the best efforts to
utilize development resources efficiently are frustrated, programs are delayed or fail entirely, and product
validation testing can permit products to be fielded that later end up creating huge future liabilities.
The objective of this handbook is to train those involved in measurement to understand how many
different sensors function and to look between the lines on a manufacturer data sheet to qualify sensors
for the various measurements that they will be chartered to make. To be able to look at a cutaway sketch
of a sensor and understand how various energy interactions might influence each particular design and to
implement surprisingly simple mitigation methods to ensure that knowledge is acquired during
measurement, not just numbers.
CONTACT
JAMES PIERSON
JAMES__PIERSON@HOTMAIL.COM
(NOTE : 2 UNDERSCORES)
Pierson and Associates Corp.
973.784.0034
APPENDIX 1: SUCCESS STORIES
1) Spring Retaining Clip’s Redesign Eliminates Field Failures
High-volume, low-cost pressure transducers used in globally distributed carbonated beverage serving
systems were testing well prior to shipment but on receipt at customer’s facility were demonstrating
excessive field failures as high as 3%. Due to the high shipping volume, this resulted in hundreds of units
being returned monthly at great cost to the end customer, the system integrator, and the sensor
manufacturer. Costs of sensor-related delays bringing end product to market totaled several million
dollars, not inclusive of costs of long-term relationship impacts. Failures were confirmed, however, prior
failure analysis was inconclusive with respect to the root cause.
Analyzed the entire sensor system including the sensor housing, sensor mount, sealing method, and
retaining clip; the sensor structure was exhibiting yielding of the 316 SS structure at predictable locations
which was caused by the spring retaining the clip used to hold the sensor in place.

11. Documented where the failure mechanism was in relation to the physical impact of the spring retainer clip
against the housing, producing a transient stress sufficient to cause fracturing of the glass bonding
material used to couple the strain gauges to the sensor structure; recommended redesign of the single-
piece spring retaining clip into a two-part assembly.
Recommended two-piece spring retaining clip to eliminate damage to the sensor structure. Utilized
effective resource management in directing ongoing multiple parallel test programs while interfacing with
an unhappy and understandably impatient client.
2) Shipping Container Testing Ensures Public Safety
Sandia National Laboratories was suffering lengthy delays while attempting to interpret test data acquired
during drop testing of experimental spent nuclear fuel shipping casks. The test program could be ongoing
for years and cost several hundred million dollars; even small delays were expensive. The program was
chartered to conduct testing to ensure public safety was maintained in the event that the casks were
exposed to any combination of natural or man-made disasters.
The surface material of the shipping cask did not exceed 5,000g in acceleration at any point, which was
within the range of the accelerometers provided by Entran. The acquired data would saturate momentarily
at either ground or at the positive excitation and several microseconds later recover providing rational
outputs. Spurious transitions from the expected signal to the positive rail and to ground were not
correlated from channel to channel.
Studied the sensor installation and discovered that the sensor cabling was interconnected to large Radio
Shack-style Bakelite TM
screw terminal strips, which were screw-mounted to the surface of the container
and connected to heavier exit cabling. A simple F=MA analysis of the installation revealed that, at 5,000g
of shock, the preload of the screws in the terminal strip was exceeded causing the circuit to momentarily
lose continuity thus explaining the spurious signals.
Changing the barrier strip to a low mass bondable solder strip reduced F=MA forces and eliminated the
problem, providing superior data, and saving time and money. Modifications provided verifiable test data
that the containers could endure virtually all natural or manmade disasters during shipping.
3) Issue Resolution Eliminates Testing Errors & Speeds Product to Market
The crash test group at a big three manufacturing facility used high-intensity lamps that provided
illumination, which permitted high-speed photography of the impact of the test vehicles with the crash
barrier.
The vehicles containing accelerometer-instrumented crash test dummies was accelerated along a sled
track to impact with the crash barrier. The manner in which the data was manipulated after the event
(double integrated) yielded displacement information that was nonsensical. For instance, the car involved
in the crash suffered massive deceleration but the computed displacement would indicate that the car had
actually penetrated the immovable crash barrier; a physical impossibility. Because the acquired test data
was nonsensical, regulatory officials could not certify the crash worthiness of the vehicle under test. This
problem could delay the introduction of a new model by months, costing millions of dollars.
Requested that all accelerometers be covered with reflective aluminized Mylar self-adhesive tape. By
covering the accelerometers with the tape, the observed phenomenon was eliminated proving that, as the
accelerometers were moved by the sled into the area illuminated by the movie lights used to video tape
the impact, the optical energy of the lights was creating a thermal transient precipitating zero bias drift,

12. and, when double integrated, provided the nonsensical displacement results. The tape reflected enough
of the incident energy to prevent heating of the instrument during the test-time window.
Problem was mitigated and process of using reflective Mylar tape became routine. Each test cost
$250,000 to $500,000 and several were conducted weekly. The savings was worth several million dollars
per manufacturer annually.
4) Hitachi Obtains Data Required to Certify Nuclear Reactor Core
Hitachi of Japan needed to measure turbulent flow-induced fuel pin vibrations within a pressurized water
reactor core model. Because of the high pressures involved, no standard method existed to waterproof
the sensing element and provide the necessary cabling flexibility.
Standard methods used a sensor geometry that routed the lead wires out of the reactor model within a
rigid stainless steel tube that did not provide the needed cabling flexibility. Standard heat-shrinkable
tubing provided the flexibility, but not the water ingress resistance.
Newly available thin-walled, thermoplastic-lined, heat-shrink tubing from Raychem was applied over an
inner thin-walled shrink tubing. Heating the thermoplastic-lined shrink tubing caused the thermoplastic to
flow sealing all leakage paths in the wall structure of both the inner and outer layers of shrinkable tubing.
The creative flexible lead treatment was proven to be highly effective for months at a time at pressures up
to 500psi.
5) Elimination of Errors Align Test Results with Models
Free-field pressure testing of weapons blasts determined whether the weapon being tested would
generate the overpressures needed to destroy a target. Because many other energy interactions occur
during this type of testing, large unpredictable and undesirable errors are produced by the sensors
deteriorating the accuracy of the data that is produced.
While presenting a technical paper at the Range Commanders Council, an attendee advised that he had
conclusive proof that Entran’s stainless steel diaphragm pressure sensors were providing more output
due to the optical energy generated by the explosion than was being produced by the pressure the
attendee was trying to measure.
Conducted testing using electronic and thermal flashbulb to prove that the rapid delivery of optical energy
into a thin metal diaphragm created rapid expansion of the outer skin of the diaphragm. To make room for
expansion, the diaphragm had to bend strangely toward the radiation source, producing an initially
negative precursor error on the order of 25% of rated range and then producing errors of 140% of rated
range in the positive direction. Recommended that the sensor diaphragm be mounted somewhat
recessed from the test surface and covered with an optically absorbing incompressible RTV from
Transene Corp. The optical flash was absorbed within a poor thermal conductor that efficiently and
accurately communicated the pressure impulse to the sensor for measurement without adding excessive
mass.
The large precursor error was eliminated and test results then matched theoretical models.
6) Sensor Mounting Modifications Improve Test Accuracy 5x, Reducing Test Costs
High-frequency capable piezoelectric pressure sensors were used by the U.S. Navy for the measurement
of pressures during depth-charge testing. Testing was expensive to conduct and the data was critical to

13. the development of multibillion-dollar, next-generation submarines. The repeatability of tests was
notoriously poor (+/-50% or more), which led researchers to question whether vehicles were being over-
or under-designed relative to the perceived threat.
Leveraged knowledge of the instrument’s design and conducted several simple tests that proved the
majority of error was being sourced by the sensitivity of the instrument to mounting strains and to
compression strain waves generated in poorly mounted cabling.
Test-to-test repeatability improved from +/- 50% to approximately +/- 10%.
7) $2 Cooler Eliminates Thermal Transients & Speeds Product to Market
The efficient injection of focused optical energy into very small, single-mode optical fibers required the
development of a quadruple concentric/eccentric alignment system described by U.S. patent 5,812,258.
The system’s development required a mechanical means to precisely rotate the various components
relative to one another and inject a low-viscosity fusing compound that wicked into the small volumes
between the components and then polymerized in place.
The development was spinning wheels without measurable progress; the test operator would make an
adjustment and turn to look at an optical power meter to evaluate if the adjustment optimized power
coupling. The reading would begin to drift within a couple of seconds when the tuning sequence failed to
iterate to a maximum value. Aimed a hair dryer at the coupler from 40 feet to create a comparable system
response, proving that the test operator’s breath created micro thermo-mechanical instabilities within the
alignment system every time the operator turned to view the power meter.
Eliminated thermal transients and aligned coupler without difficulty by enclosing the alignment system in a
$2 Styrofoam cooler with a plastic window incorporated into one side to prevent the operator from
breathing on the system.
8) Solution Eliminates Massive Drift Errors, Reducing Space Station Model Program Costs
During testing of the International Space Station structural model at Langley AFB, highly sensitive
accelerometers would mysteriously drift out of bounds at 3 PM daily. No cause was apparent and all
accelerometers met all specifications at Entran and at Langley. Large test program conducted during one
year required millions of dollars in manpower. Truncating the test program by several hours daily
threatened to extend the program and vastly increase program costs.
Visited Langley and inspected the installation; requested one roll of masking tape and a bag of cotton
balls. Taped one cotton ball over each accelerometer with one short length of tape; testing the following
day revealed that all channels remained on band before and after 3 PM.
Noticed that the hanger used for testing received a UPS delivery the prior day at 3 PM. Opening of the
hanger door admitted a cold wash of air that was thermally shocking the accelerometers, which caused
drifting; the cotton balls impeded the energy transfer and thereby stabilizing the accelerometer outputs
during the thermal transient.
Silicone rubber boots replaced the cotton balls and the test program met all objectives on time and within
budget.
9) Truth-Based Investment Decision Saves $10 Million in Losses
A Venture Capital group in Toronto, Canada, was close to funding a North Carolina-based company to
develop a green energy process. VC group lacked the ability to assess the concept’s viability.

14. Visited facility, inspected plant, and reviewed process demonstration that was emotionally charged;
created a report that no basis in fundamental physics could render the concept viable.
The VC denied funding, saving the group from $10 million in losses.
10) Resource/Contingency Planning, Parallel Tasking, Reduces Proto Delivery & Creates
Opportunity
A key opportunity arose to supply low-cost fire suppression system pressure sensors rated for use on
military vehicles. Normal procurement, fabrication, testing, and delivery delays would have exceeded 16
weeks ARO. Customer required proof of concept hardware to specification within 10 calendar days. Key
mechanical issues remained undefined at project’s startup.
Urged Design and Fabrication teams of 15-20 members to complete design and initial fabrication to
maximize configuration flexibility during build; the customer modified key thread sizes twice during build.
Supervised and approved changes and collaborated with Thermal Compensation and Calibration
departments to negotiate priorities in consideration of all other large customers competing for the same
test capability.
Reduced the hardware shipping time from 16 weeks to 10 calendar days, and exceeded all mechanical
and performance requirements; became the lead contender to supply high-quality, low-cost pressure
sensors to the military equipment manufacturer.
11) Low-Cost OEM Sensor Design Cuts Costs & Speeds Product to Market
A biomedical product targeted for consumer markets was failing in marketplace due to high cost of two
load cells used to measure forces generated within the appliance. The product reduced blood pressure
using biofeedback with no need for blood pressure controlling drugs. Customer had immediate need for a
single sub-$10 load cell to replace two high-cost $35 instruments. Program was at imminent risk of VC
funding termination.
Collaborated with customer and led the design team in Shenzhen, China to produce drawings within 36
hours of turn-on. Procured grey market subcomponent wiring/cabling/connectors to satisfy first 5,000-unit
proto build. Designed an integrated product and production validation test program shipping all 5,000
prototypes within 14 calendar days of program turn-on.
All prototype sensors integrated seamlessly into production hardware that was assembled in Malaysia.
Program was delayed due to unpredictable recent market variations, but at current annual rate of 50,000.
12) Zipper Strip Saves Government Millions of Dollars
The U.S. Air Force proposed a large test program to measure the pressure distributions acting upon
special weapons when dropped through the turbulent airflow surrounding high-speed aircraft in flight. The
transition through the turbulent boundary layer during weapon release was known to negatively affect the
precision of ballistic unguided weapons. Sensors on the weapon provided data during transition of the
weapon through the turbulent boundary layer, after which cable/connector separation was desired at
forces insufficient to perturb the weapon trajectory. The availability of special low-separation force
connectors was quoted at 50 weeks. Testing was needed immediately to support a weapon being used in
an ongoing conflict.
The very fine lead wires used in Entran products were highly susceptible to lead breakage because of the
very light gauge of the wire used and that multiple separate leads are all slightly different in length,

15. implying that under tensile loading, the shortest lead failed first, next shortest second, etc. By deliberately
downsizing the pressure sensor lead wires to very light 42 AWG stranded leads with very low total tensile
load tolerance and by staggering the lead lengths so that when separation was desired, each lead
mechanically failed in sequence. Designed a zipper strip that provided instrument cable separation at very
low overall average force with greatly improved signal integrity.
Because hard-wired soldered connections are always superior to the mechanical contacts provided by the
low separation force connectors in high shock environments, the test data integrity was greatly improved
showing no connector bounce issues. Zipper strips saved the government several million dollars annually
in connector costs and reduced program delays.