November - December 08
Among those digging in as EMS Technologies expands its Defense and Space Systems Division are EMS President and CEO Paul Domorski (second from left) and D&SS Vice President David Smith (far right).
EMS Technologies Celebrates Groundbreaking
EMS Technologies, Inc. held a groundbreaking celebration on September 29 for a new, 30,000 square foot expansion of its Defense and Space Systems (D&SS) division facilities in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 300 employees and special guests attended the event.
The expanded facility is scheduled to be completed in March 2009 and will serve as the new home for much larger labs and space for the division's machine shop, B-2 lab, environmental lab, and integration and test lab among others. The expansion is needed due to the strong growth of D&SS over the last 15 months. D&SS technology is integral to the Air Force's F-22 Raptor and B-2 AEHF programs, while its RF and antenna systems power XM Radio and LiveTV on JetBlue Airways.
"Despite the economic misfortunes occurring in the market, we have continued to expand," said EMS President and CEO Paul Domorski. "Since January 2007, the Defense and Space Systems business has grown by 35%, adding 127 more people."
Harris Gets $37M Contract from U.S. Navy
Communications and information technology company Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Florida was awarded a contract modification with a possible valuation of $37 million by the U.S Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California. The deal is to supply additional multiband shipboard satellite communications (MSSCT) terminals for the Navy's Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class of guided missile destroyers.
The company said the modification was for the order originally awarded to it in 2000 and enhances the potential value of the contract to $172 million by 2010.
Harris is responsible for systems integration, production, and logistics support for the AN/WSC-6(V)9 super high frequency multiband shipboard satellite communications terminal. The company is also responsible for supplying the MSSCT, which according to a Harris offiial would improve the Navy's wideband satellite communications capability by integrating military X-band and commercial C-band dual-antenna terminals.
EPIC Technologies Names VP of Human Resources
EPIC Technologies, LLC of Norwalk, Ohio has promoted Mike Goryl to vice president of human resources. He joined EPIC on February 1, 2005 as director of HR and has over 30 years of HR management experience.
"In his evolving role at EPIC, Mike will be the champion for our shared leadership style of management and will take the lead on ensuring that our HR programs are consistent and competitive with other Tier II electronics manufacturing services providers," said Bhawnesh Mathur, EPIC Technologies' CEO.
Goryl holds a B.S. degree in business with a concentration in labor relations from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and is certified as a senior professional in human resources by the American Society for Human Resource Management.
EPIC Technologies, LLC is a premier specialty electronics manufacturer in the high-mix, low-to-medium volume segment of the EMS industry.
ETS-Lindgren Installs Laboratory in Asia
Advance Data Technology Corp. (ADT) in Taiwan now has the first WiMAX Forum™ Designated Certification Laboratory in Asia. Designed and installed by ETS-Lindgren of Cedar Park, Texas, the Model AMS-8500 antenna measurement system will be used primarily to conduct radiated performance testing developed by the WiMAX Forum to evaluate the radiated performance of mobile WiMAX devices. Now, network operators may be assured that WiMAX certified devices operate reliably on their networks.
"When we initially bid this project, the RPT standard was still being developed," said Mark Mawdsley, managing director for ETS-Lindgren Asia Pacific Operations. "ADT had confidence in us based upon our considerable wireless testing expertise and our designation as the world's first supplier of a CTIA, The Wireless Association™ , Authorized Testing Laboratory for Over-the-Air Performance Testing."
RFMD Opens Support Center in Bangalore
RF Micro Devices of Greensboro, North Carolina, a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance semiconductor components, has opened a customer support center in Bangalore, India. The new center highlights RFMD's large presence in Asia and underscores the company's commitment to one of the world's fastest growing markets for RF semiconductor components.
RFMD's Bangalore center houses applications engineering, customer service, sales management and technical sales. The Bangalore center significantly expands RFMD's ability to support regional manufacturers in India, who are increasingly developing leading-edge products for wireless and other applications. The available customer base in India spans multiple growth markets, including aerospace and defense, broadband, cellular, WiFi and WiMAX, and wireless infrastructure.
NETA Adds Member to Council
The InterNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA) recently welcomed David Huffman as the newest member of its standards review council.
The council, primarily supported by volunteers from NETA-accredited companies, is responsible for writing and maintaining NETA's standards and specifications, developing and overseeing technical materials for internal use within NETA, and corresponding with the general public on technical inquiries.
Huffman, president of Power Systems Testing Co., has been a part of the electrical testing industry since his early days as a field technician in 1988. He has been actively involved with NETA since 1999.
The InterNational Electrical Testing Association is an Accredited Standards Developer for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and defines the standards by which electrical equipment is deemed safe and reliable.
Merrimac to Provide RF Components to Government
Merrimac Industries of West Caldwell, New Jersey, a provider, designer and manufacturer of RF Microwave components, subsystem assemblies and micro-multifunction modules, has received a purchase order from a prime government contractor valued at $1.5 million.
With this order, Merrimac will provide custom RF components for use in a ground-based mobile radar system.
Mason N. Carter, chairman and CEO said, "This order is another positive indication that Merrimac's defense business is continuing to grow and we are gaining more traction in this market than ever before."
Test Equipment to Sell Scientific Test Equipment
Test Equipment Connection Corp. of Lake Mary, Florida has been chosen to sell new discrete semiconductor test equipment manufacturered by Scientific Test of Richardson, Texas.
"Scientific test curve tracers are an excellent substitute for discontinued Tektronix 370A/B and Tektronix 371A/B curve tracers," said Lexie Moss, sales and channels manager for Test Equipment Connection Corp. "The STI 5000E and STI 5300HX testers provide high throughput and superb performance at great price. We can even benchmark customer samples and return the data for review to prove the accuracy of captured test results. STI semiconductor testers are today's curve tracer solution for production, quality control and final test."
Test Equipment Connection Corp. and TE Connection Asia Ltd are industry-leading suppliers of new and refurbished electronic test and measurement equipment. The companies sell, rent, lease, buy, trade, repair and calibrate equipment from more than 250 manufacturers.
World's Biggest Particle Accelerator Begins Operation
After 15 years of planning and preparation, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle accelerator, has started operating at the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva, Switzerland. A beam of accelerated protons recently entered the LHC's 17-mile underground tunnel and successfully completed a full lap in less than an hour, passing through each of the particle detectors spaced along the tunnel.
At full capacity, the accelerator will smash two beams of protons together at nearly the speed of light in search of exotic atomic particles and other unknown phenomena that scientists say will help explain unsolved questions about the nature of matter and the physical universe. At full power, the LHC will reach energy levels seven times higher than any achieved in previous experiments. Once stable beams are circulating in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, within the next two months the machine will be ready for its first collisions and the initiation of its physics research program.
RT Logic Lands Contract from NOAA
RT Logic of Colorado Springs, Colorado has landed a contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for their Multi-Mission L and S Band Receiver (ML and SBR) project.
The company will deliver 36 Telemetrix 400XR (T400XR) RF modulator/receiver systems to NOAA at their command and data acquisition stations at Wallops Island, Virginia and at Fairbanks, Alaska.
These T400XR receivers are expected to support downlink signal processing from the Polar Operational Environmental Satellite(POES), Defense Meteorological Satellites Program (DMSP), Jason-2, and METOP satellites.
RT Logic reportedly received the ML and SBR order in June 2008 and has scheduled first delivery of the T400XR units for December 2008.
Eagle Selects Camstar's Enterprise Platform
Eagle Test Systems, Inc. of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a provider of automated test equipment solutions for high-performance analog, mixed-signal and RF semiconductors, has selected Camstar Systems, Inc.'s electronics suite to increase visibility and traceability across manufacturing processes and to support yield and quality improvements. The solution will replace several legacy systems currently in place at Eagle Test Systems.
"We are a leader in the very demanding, build-to-order semiconductor test equipment market," said Adam B. Plummer, vice president of Eagle Test. "Our customers expect the highest quality test equipment, built to their specific needs, and delivered in a short time frame. Camstar's Electronics Suite will help Eagle Test meet those expectations by giving us immediate visibility into production for faster identification of potential issues."
LBA Creates Test Equipment Group
LBA Technology of Greenville, North Carolina said it will divide its business core into an RF systems group and a new test equipment group.
The company announced that "It is in the process of activating major new third-party test equipment distribution agreements under the group."
This entity will include antenna testers, digital TV signal analyzers, personal RF safety monitors, EMF shielded laboratory enclosures and related components. Product lines will include Tomco, Jennings and Comet. LBA said it will focus on exclusive distribution of international manufacturers in the North and South American markets.
Agilent, Aeroflex to Produce RF Microwave Solutions
Agilent Technologies Inc. of Santa Clara, California and Aeroflex Microelectronic Solutions of Plainview, New York have a strategic alliance to deliver industry-leading RF and microwave components and multi-chip module solutions for aerospace, satellite and military applications using Agilent's Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit.
"Agilent is fully committed to helping today's engineers create the best products for the aerospace and defense market by providing them with the components they need from early development through production," said Mark Pierpoint, vice president and general manager of Agilent.
"Aeroflex packaging and test capabilities combined with Agilent's proprietary MMIC solutions will provide RF and microwave engineers solutions for complex high-reliability communication designs," said Tom Terlizzi, VP and GM, Aeroflex Microelectronic Solutions.