Research
My overarching goal is to advance the understanding of mechatronic systems and mechatronic design, including actuation, metrology, control, and system engineering, with a strong emphasis on both hardware realization and the underlying design process.
My research extends classical precision engineering design principles towards modern, multidisciplinary mechatronic design, covering actuation, metrology, control and system engineering, with a strong emphasis on both hardware realization and the underlying design process. Systems in the high-tech domain increasingly require accuracy, reproducibility, throughput and cost efficiency to improve simultaneously, which calls for a rethink of how mechanical, electrical and control subsystems are designed and integrated.
A recurring theme is the mechatronic integration of mechanical systems: turning traditionally passive components into active contributors to system performance. In practice, a substantial part of the effort lies in truly understanding the problem before proposing solutions. During the development of innovative concepts, I aim to fundamentally understand the underlying principles, often extending existing design principles in the process.
Application-driven projects give rise to fundamental research questions, and the insights gained in turn enable better-performing, more reproducible systems across a wide range of domains. Most projects are carried out in close collaboration with industrial partners in the semiconductor equipment, scientific instrumentation, and medical technology sectors.
Design and development of high-performance mechatronic systems and scientific instrumentation. This pillar pushes the boundaries of what is achievable through integrated design, transforming passive components into active elements and developing system architectures that meet extreme performance requirements. It generates novel system concepts and identifies the fundamental challenges addressed in Pillar II.
Development of fundamental concepts, design rules, and principles in mechatronics. Typically derived from application-driven research in Pillar I, these fundamentals improve the understanding of mechatronic systems and create impact across all three pillars. Topics include actuation principles, transmission design, structural dynamics, mechatronic architecture, and precision design methodology.
Applying mechatronic principles in adjacent disciplines, such as fluid systems, optics, metrology, and large-scale research infrastructure. These cross-boundary applications both enrich mechatronic methodology with new insights and demonstrate the broad relevance of precision mechatronic design beyond its traditional domains.
Typical research projects span multiple pillars. Application-driven projects are primarily positioned in Pillars I and II, where concrete systems give rise to fundamental research questions that are addressed in Pillar II, resulting in new insights and design principles. Cross-boundary projects (Pillar III) both benefit from and contribute to the methodologies developed in Pillar II.
A selection of ongoing research projects across the three pillars.
Design of an active wafer table that enables local compensation of wafer deformations using multiple thin layers of piezoelectric material, allowing both in-plane and out-of-plane corrections. Key challenges include validating deformations at the scale of single-digit nanometres and closing the feedback loop for real-time compensation. Required for further scaling of integrated circuits.
With: Bas Huisman
The inerter provides a force proportional to relative acceleration, extending the passive mechanical toolbox beyond springs and dampers. Together, the three passive elements allow any desired passive mechanical network to be synthesised. This project investigates the application of inerters in semiconductor manufacturing and other high-tech systems, with improved vibration isolators as a key direction.
With: Michiel Collignon
Active compensation of flow-induced vibrations in optical systems used in lithography. Cooling flows introduce disturbances that passive expansion chambers cannot sufficiently attenuate. The project covers vibration transmission path modelling in cooling circuits (including electro-mechano-acoustic coupling), the design of actuation systems for waterline acoustics, and robust active noise control approaches.
With: Marin Jal拧i膰
Complete list. Also available on the TU/e Research Portal and ORCID.