Packer Engineering: Engineers with Answers

Kirsten M. Carr, Ph.D., P.E.

Director

Dr. Carr is an engineer based in Packer Engineering's Ann Arbor, Michigan, office. Her areas of specialization include mechanical and manufacturing engineering, with specific expertise in electromechanical systems, signal processing, failure analysis, durability and fatigue analysis, design of experiments, instrumentation, statistical data analysis, metal machining and cutting, manufacturing inspection and quality control, and manufacturing simulations. She has extensive experience in vehicular component and system testing, vehicle restraint systems, safety sensors and algorithms, ergonomics of seat belts, engines, and automatic transmissions.

Prior to joining Packer Engineering, Dr. Carr worked in occupant safety, manufacturing research, and powertrain design at Ford Motor Company. She delivered advanced safety sensor systems for occupant detection and rollover that are on the road today using Six Sigma methods. She invented a four-point seatbelt system and magneto-rheological fluid dampers for use in seatbelt retractors and seat backs. She developed and validated simulation models of metal machining and cutting processes. She also designed algorithms to compute the dimensional accuracy of machined surfaces using inspection data. Dr. Carr led powertrain system and component engineers in technical design. She has experience in failure mode prediction, analysis, and avoidance, including durability and fatigue analysis. She developed an 8-hour technical course and taught 1400 engineers the principles of failure mode analysis.

Dr. Carr has six US and four international patents granted and three inventions pending.