“To do our very best for customers, we will have to find ways to do things faster”
Understanding a problem completely, looking at the whole picture, not just a little section of an assembly set is what drives Troy Brown (Advanced Development Engineer, fine wire termination and automation, and medical connectors & cable assemblies) when helping solve customers’ challenges. Seeing a solution in production, and then being used in a clinical setting is what he finds most rewarding.
Why did you choose to join TE? What makes you stay here?
I work for the Advanced Development Engineering Group, specializing in medical connectors and cable assemblies. It's an area that comes with unique learning opportunities. Reusable interconnects are used in harsh environments, including constant flexing and steam sterilization. Understanding materials and testing is critical in my job. We must be able to determine that a cable is going to last a specific number of cycles under certain conditions. I love the engineering challenge of performing the testing and statistical analysis needed to validate the types of solutions we work on.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I like the challenge of trying to understand a problem completely. Not just looking at one little section of an assembly set, but the whole picture. Asking, 'What are the upstream and downstream impacts of a change?' Coming up with a solution, then trying and testing, and improving that solution. It could involve building it by hand in the lab, working with technicians, whatever it takes. Ultimately, seeing a solution in production, and then being used in a clinical setting is rewarding.
What has been your most interesting project to work on at TE?
There are so many interesting projects, but one that comes to mind is working on the development of an automated fine wire termination system. One of our technicians showed me what he was doing with a soldering iron. The result was not what I expected. But we agreed it was worth looking into. We worked the project for almost two years, from initial test to making it reliable. In the end, we created a special piece of equipment and solder paste—all from an unacceptable result that sparked my curiosity to improve on the process we were using at the time.
What are the biggest challenges customers face?
The medical industry is unique in that there’s a desire for novel treatments. This, in turn, creates demand for novel medical devices. Sometimes existing knowledge can be leveraged to develop new devices, but often they need to be built from the ground up. With new devices, OEMs want to move fast, but they may lack knowledge in certain areas of manufacturing. This is where TE Medical comes in, which is to help support OEMs with refining specifications, tweak designs and perform testing.
What personal traits are essential for today’s engineering challenges?
The ability to communicate is very important in engineering. The bottom line, no one is going to let you work on something if you can't sell yourself on your ability to solve a problem. Natural curiosity and a desire to understand a challenge is also critical. That means going the extra mile, not only to figure out a solution but also to understand exactly why something doesn't work.
What types of engineering changes do you expect to see over the next five years?
Product development cycles will continue to shrink over the next several years. To do our very best for customers, we will have to find ways to do things faster. Faster response to customer concerns, faster testing, faster production, faster everything—all while maintaining the level of reliability and quality required in the medical industry. This is where our PROPELUS™ Prototype Center can help accelerate component prototypes. Ultimately, companies will be looking to get their products out the door and through clinicals as quickly as possible.
How does TE approach innovation, in a way that directly translates to the solutions we provide to customers?
The amount of expertise we have at TE directly supports our ability to innovate. We have many resources at our disposal, including labs throughout the country. When working for a smaller company, you often send things out to an external lab to get answers. Doing this adds both time and money to projects. By having our experts in-house, we can find out right away whether we're headed in the right direction or if a project even makes sense from a technical standpoint. It's a huge benefit.
“To do our very best for customers, we will have to find ways to do things faster”
Understanding a problem completely, looking at the whole picture, not just a little section of an assembly set is what drives Troy Brown (Advanced Development Engineer, fine wire termination and automation, and medical connectors & cable assemblies) when helping solve customers’ challenges. Seeing a solution in production, and then being used in a clinical setting is what he finds most rewarding.
Why did you choose to join TE? What makes you stay here?
I work for the Advanced Development Engineering Group, specializing in medical connectors and cable assemblies. It's an area that comes with unique learning opportunities. Reusable interconnects are used in harsh environments, including constant flexing and steam sterilization. Understanding materials and testing is critical in my job. We must be able to determine that a cable is going to last a specific number of cycles under certain conditions. I love the engineering challenge of performing the testing and statistical analysis needed to validate the types of solutions we work on.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I like the challenge of trying to understand a problem completely. Not just looking at one little section of an assembly set, but the whole picture. Asking, 'What are the upstream and downstream impacts of a change?' Coming up with a solution, then trying and testing, and improving that solution. It could involve building it by hand in the lab, working with technicians, whatever it takes. Ultimately, seeing a solution in production, and then being used in a clinical setting is rewarding.
What has been your most interesting project to work on at TE?
There are so many interesting projects, but one that comes to mind is working on the development of an automated fine wire termination system. One of our technicians showed me what he was doing with a soldering iron. The result was not what I expected. But we agreed it was worth looking into. We worked the project for almost two years, from initial test to making it reliable. In the end, we created a special piece of equipment and solder paste—all from an unacceptable result that sparked my curiosity to improve on the process we were using at the time.
What are the biggest challenges customers face?
The medical industry is unique in that there’s a desire for novel treatments. This, in turn, creates demand for novel medical devices. Sometimes existing knowledge can be leveraged to develop new devices, but often they need to be built from the ground up. With new devices, OEMs want to move fast, but they may lack knowledge in certain areas of manufacturing. This is where TE Medical comes in, which is to help support OEMs with refining specifications, tweak designs and perform testing.
What personal traits are essential for today’s engineering challenges?
The ability to communicate is very important in engineering. The bottom line, no one is going to let you work on something if you can't sell yourself on your ability to solve a problem. Natural curiosity and a desire to understand a challenge is also critical. That means going the extra mile, not only to figure out a solution but also to understand exactly why something doesn't work.
What types of engineering changes do you expect to see over the next five years?
Product development cycles will continue to shrink over the next several years. To do our very best for customers, we will have to find ways to do things faster. Faster response to customer concerns, faster testing, faster production, faster everything—all while maintaining the level of reliability and quality required in the medical industry. This is where our PROPELUS™ Prototype Center can help accelerate component prototypes. Ultimately, companies will be looking to get their products out the door and through clinicals as quickly as possible.
How does TE approach innovation, in a way that directly translates to the solutions we provide to customers?
The amount of expertise we have at TE directly supports our ability to innovate. We have many resources at our disposal, including labs throughout the country. When working for a smaller company, you often send things out to an external lab to get answers. Doing this adds both time and money to projects. By having our experts in-house, we can find out right away whether we're headed in the right direction or if a project even makes sense from a technical standpoint. It's a huge benefit.
