News

2 October 2008

October 2008

[vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-1″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”Trackwise Epitome India goes from strength to strength” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]In 2007 Trackwise, with Epitome Components Ltd, formed Trackwise Epitome India, a joint venture to provide volume manufacturing of specialist RF PCBs for Indian-located wireless infrastructure equipment manufacturers and assemblers.

The RF PCB manufacturing capability is ready now at Epitome’s facility in Ahmednagar, Maharastra State, India to meet the needs of the India wireless infrastructure equipment market.

Trackwise Epitome India has achieved successful qualification with several of the worlds leading antenna OEMs and are shipping production quantities of product to customers in India and overseas.

Trackwise Epitome India brings together the combined skills of two leading companies to the dynamic and rapidly expanding market that is Indian wireless infrastructure. Trackwise Epitome India has enhanced the local supply chain by providing a local, world-class source of top quality, competitively priced product.

To find out how Trackwise Epitome India can support you in India or for export, please contact our customer service team.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][file_cta file_picker=”1294″ docname=”Download PDF” docinfo=”October 2008″][vc_empty_space][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”Inside this issue” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-2″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”CUSTOMER SERVICE – ‘TRUST AND PARTNERSHIP’ Customer Service – ‘Trust and Partnership'” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise have lead the introduction of a vendor suite arrangement at Jaybeam Wireless’ facility in Wellingborough UK www.jaybeamwireless.com whereby Trackwise and other key suppliers have set up an office and store within the Jaybeam Wireless facility and deliver product on a JIT basis against a shared build schedule.

This new method of working is a reflection of the close relationship between the two companies and is designed to allow both parties resources to be focused on removing cost from the product rather than on overheads associated with a traditional customer/supplier relationship.

Steve Roberts said (Managing Director) “The move to vendor suites is a major strategic move for Jaybeam that will eventually involve all of our major suppliers. Under this initiative vendors are required to set their own orders, manufacture to meet our schedule and deliver to their own warehouse within Jaybeam’s premises. Change of this nature requires trust and partnership; Jaybeam Wireless is delighted that Trackwise led our vendors in making this leap and with complete success”

If you would like to find out how Trackwise could work with your company in a positive and progressive manner to reduce waste, please do not hesitate to contact us.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-3″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”Recycled PTFE laminate” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise are close to having completed a 2 year R&D program into the optimum technical and commercial method of recycling waste and end-of-life PTFE laminate back into fresh laminate.

This creates the virtuous circle where waste material from suppliers, processors and end-of-life material from end users is collected and recycled into fresh PTFE laminate. The virtuous circle allows all participants to meet their environmental obligations and requirements and allows end user customers to obtain their next generation product at a subsidised price, subsidised because the valuable base material has been recycled.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-4″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”London buses 2012″ heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise are delighted to have supplied to Skymasts Ltd antenna PCBs for a satellite-based bus information for Transport for London’s fleet of 8,000 buses. www.skymasts.com/case-studies/london.aspx#bus

The new system enables the bus operators and – in emergencies – the police and other security agencies to pinpoint the precise location of each of the 8,000 buses now in service. This is via a combination of GPS satellite data and GPRS mobile communications technology.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-5″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”Trackwise export sales pass £10M” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise continues to experience strong overseas demand for wireless infrastructure antenna products and this has led to cumulative export sales in excess of £10Million.

Trackwise’ achievement in rapidly growing exports was recognised in 2005 by the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

A UK-based manufacturer of PCBs can only support production programmes in China and other overseas manufacturing locations by cost-competitive, focused, expert and top quality product and service.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-6″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”RF materials database” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise continue to remain closely in touch with all developments in the specialist and fast moving supply chain of microwave materials. Their industry-standard database of all available microwave materials, available at www.trackwise.co.uk, has recently been updated.

There is a significant ‘window of opportunity’ in the price vs. performance tradeoff for materials and new materials are regularly launched to address this opportunity.

If you would like to keep up date with the latest developments in this complex and rapidly changing area please let us know and Trackwise will send you notification when a significant update has been made to this database.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-7″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”Trackwise – developing international markets for specialist PCBs” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise, formed in 1989, specialises in the manufacture of antennas using printed circuit technology – including very large (up to 2.8m) boards used as the radiating element in cellphone base station antennas.

The company exports to antenna manufacturers around the world, including the USA, Australia, Europe China and Thailand, with exports to China representing more than 20% of Trackwise turnover.

At Trackwise, we specialise in leading-edge PCB manufacture. Over the past few years we have invested extensively in manufacturing technology dedicated to the production – to a very high degree of precision – of the very large high-frequency printed circuit boards used as antennas in the cellphone base stations run by mobile phone operators.

Our antenna PCBs range from very small chip-sized terminal antennas for PCMCIA cards etc through patch and panel versions for applications such as WiFi and WIMAX to the largest GSM base station antenna or FSS (frequency selective surface). The boards are based on PTFE, FR4 and flexible substrates.

Trackwise has patented a number of innovations for the antenna community, including TrackSlip® a low-friction surface finish for the sliding element of variable tilt UMTS antennas.

The skills acquired in manufacturing antenna PCBs have brought success for the company in other RF and microwave industry sectors, such as security systems, broadcast and vehicle telematics.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”breakout-right” el_id=”section-8″][vc_column width=”3/4″][gbp_heading gbpsubtitle=”Investment in physical and human resources” heading_type=”h3″][vc_column_text]Trackwise have continued to make significant investments – in plant and people – at their facility in Tewkesbury.

A completely rebuilt through-hole plating line including fluoroetch, a brand new DES line and a soon to be installed electroless silver line will support Trackwise and its customers’ technically demanding product mix.

In order to ensure that our customer service team fully understand our core customers needs Trackwise’ Technical Services Manager, Conrad Bailey, has attended Oxford University’s Practical Antenna Design course. The course gives participants the understanding of antenna theory and techniques, the skills to analyse, design and measure various antennas, and the knowledge of antenna measurements.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]