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One of the highlights of the 2009 IEEE-EMC Symposium in Austin, Texas, was lunch and a tour for EMC journalists of ETS-Lindgren's 145,000 square-foot facility in suburban Cedar Park, led by its head man, Bryan Sayler (see photos, right and on page 13). We saw first-hand how they design, build and test many of the products used in EMC, wireless, RF and acoustic labs around the world today. We also entered the company's new acoustic research lab, the CTIA-authorized test lab (CATL), a recently completed three-meter semi-anechoic chamber and the company's well-known A2LA-accredited antenna and probe calibration lab featuring a "Texas Size" 80m x 50m outdoor ground plane.

ETS-Lindgren employs more than 750 people around the world and has built the world's largest RF microwave chamber for full aircraft testing and the world's largest automotive electromagnetic test facility for General Motors.

CAPTION:ETS-Lindgren's semi-anechoic RF chamber

First called EMCO (The Electro-Mechanics Company) when it formed as an outgrowth of magnetic field and radio frequency research in the 1960s, it combined resources in 1995 with Rantec, which led in the development of anechoic absorber and microwave chambers for the military during the early 1970s, and Ray Proof, which started as a supplier of medical X-ray shielding in 1932. The three combined their resources to create EMC Test Systems which in 1997 established a European presence with the purchase of Euroshield Oy, best known for developing "pan-type" RF shielding and a unique shielded door technology that remains the preferred choice today.

The acquisition of Lindgren RF Enclosures in 2000 doubled the size of the company and gave it immediate leadership in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shielded rooms. It also provided an Asian presence through a Singapore office, after which the company name was changed to ETS-Lindgren. This year, 2009, ETS-Lindgren India was established.

CAPTION:ETS-Lindgren's semi-anechoic sound chamber

"A big part of our business is MRI and medical shielding," Mr. Sayler said. "The Mayo Clinic is on our customer list. Sixty-three percent of our business is test and measurement with 64% of that in the Americas, 13% in Europe and 23% in Asia.

"The main thing we provide our customers is the ability to identify, measure and contain," he continued. "We do business with the government and have an EMC auto-test facility, an acoustic test chamber, wireless chamber and antenna pattern measurements."

ETS-Lindgren is now a publicly traded company be-longing to ESCO Technology which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.