On International Women’s Day we are celebrating achievements of our female colleagues in the industry and would like to introduce you to one of them.
Please meet Ekin – an enthusiastic expert in optical fiber testing and production. Ekin shares her experience of working at Optics11 for more than 2 years and explains what being a test engineer means.
What are the main responsibilities of test engineers at Optics11?
It all starts with a goal set by the R&D department. In order to use our products in a real-life setting, we need to be confident about technical specifications and performance of the sensors. A test engineer is responsible of verifying performance of fiber optic sensors by designing an appropriate test set up, researching scientific literature, performing required measurements and analysing the test results.
What is a typical day of a test engineer at Optics11 like?
Your activities throughout the day may vary depending on the specific task you are performing. Considering the variety of the sensors Optics11 has in its portfolio, you will get a chance to operate in different environments. Testing temperature sensors will require you for instance to use an oven at 750C or a climate chamber at -40C; in order to test a tilt sensor, I used a 3D printer to create a set up. You will then make sure that your calculations are in line with actual measurements to confirm that sensors perform according to the specifications. What you can expect on a daily basis, is an intensive collaboration with the R&D engineers to come up with creative solutions to deal with technical challenges.
What background and personal skills are required to become a test engineer?
A background in physics engineering will help you get familiar with fiber optic sensing, even if you have not worked in the field before. I believe, in terms of personal qualities it is important to be dedicated, patient and focused on the final result while remaining flexible.
