Note: David Wheeler retired from Eaton Corporation in 1999. We are pleased to introduce Tina M. Veasey, who will soon earn her TTi Environmental Engineering Specialist Certificate, as our new point of contact at Eaton Corporation. Enjoy your retirement, David! Best wishes from the staff at TTi.

Profile of a TTi Specialist Certificate Recipient

Currently there are numerous individuals working towards earning their TTi Specialist Certificates. Among the number who finalized their program and qualified in 1997 is

Mr. David Wheeler of the Eaton Corporation.

David works at the Eaton Corporation Innovation Center in Southfield Michigan, where he has worked for more than twenty years. He started in the test lab as a technician in 1975 and in 1990 he assumed primary responsibility for the environmental test lab, working under the direction of Mr. Walter O'Neil, who is presently the Chief Engineer of Mechatronics and Test, Electronic Products Group.

Under David's planning and capital acquisition the lab has expanded to double its former floor space and acquire additional equipment such as: larger shaker, slip table, thermal shock machine and a drop test machine. Planning is already underway for further expansion of the environmental lab when the Innovation Center expands in the near future.

Over the last six years, David has successfully completed all the required courses for TTi's Environmental Engineering Specialist and Dynamic Test Specialist programs. David's thesis was based on work that he actually undertook himself as follows:

• Testing to evaluate the physical attributes of the mechanical package of the Eaton VORAD Rear Object Detection System (RODS) radar sensor.
• The test was needed to provide measured information required for high volume production. The various components for the test were provided by Eaton Lectron Products Division and an OEM minivan bumper was used as a reference for fabricating a vibration and mechanical fixture.

• A wide range of tests were performed to determine numerous characteristics of the physical package, such as critical dimensioning and tolerances, forces required to assemble the parts, chemical reaction of various compounds and electrical connections.
• Environmental tests performed included: Mechanical Vibration, Mechanical Shock, Drop Test, Thermal Shock, Humidity, Salt Fog and Fluid Compatibility.

David prepared his thesis in accordance with TTi's format and submitted it in the form of a technical report including:

• Summary of the project
• Work plan
• Test results including: computer printouts, graphs, diagrams and photographs
• List of equipment used
• Conclusion
• Recommendations.

David Wheeler, Environmental Engineering and Dynamic Test Specialist is currently classified as a Technical Specialist at Eaton Corporation and was instrumental in setting up the arrangements whereby Eaton Corporation acted as host for a TTi "open" course in July 1997. In addition to providing testing services to the Eaton Corporation, the Innovation Center accepts testing assignments from outside sources. For details, contact Tina M. Veasey at 248-354-5227.

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