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FEATURE MILITARY GRADE ELECTRONICS LET’S BE CRYSTAL CLEAR


As the UK and its manufacturers sees its hold on the industry slip ever so slightly, Andy Treble, sales and marketing director at Euroquartz, examines the UK’s defence and aerospace sectors, and how the UK can recover in its production of oscillators and crystals within these sectors


T


he manufacture of crystals and oscillators for defence and aerospace applications in the UK is a very different scene compared to 20 years ago. Company names such as Webster Electronics, Salford Electrical Industries, CMAC and Hy-Q, to name but a few, have been acquired and absorbed by other companies and are no longer manufacturing in the UK. Today, there are only two or three military oscillator manufacturers left in the UK, such as Euroquartz in Somerset and RFX in Scotland. This leaves the UK’s defence and aerospace industry heavily dependent on manufactured products from other sources.


TRACING THE SOURCE So, where do all of these oscillator products come from? Well, as far as the UK is concerned, most of the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products are manufactured in Asia, with the US acting as a major source of high reliability oscillators. Alternatively, Australia and Germany offer similarly reliable components for various defence and aerospace applications. In response, the Ministry of Defence has programmes in place to encourage its prime OEMs to use as many UK manufactured products as they possibly can. However, for modern surface mount device (SMD) solutions, UK companies will have to make a number of investments in their production facilities to satisfy this requirement. Cleaner environmental conditions are required to produce high quality SMD products: this requires cleanroom facilities with specialist equipment to assemble and seal the packages.


26 JULY/AUGUST 2019 | ELECTRONICS


However, the situation is changing further as Euroquartz has recently invested in two new cleanrooms,


clocks in the UK, for defence and


SCALING UP THE ISSUE With the ongoing


further as Euroquartz has recently invested in two new cleanrooms, to enable production of SMD clocks in the UK, for defence and aerospace companies.


Most of the product produced in the UK is of the through-hole variety. But the design trend now is for smaller, lighter surface mount versions. However, the situation is changing


CONSIDERING THE BENEFITS The obvious advantages of a UK manufactured source is that it is free from ITAR regulation, the cost of shipping is reduced and,


of course, a trip to the production facility does not involve


facility does not involve long-haul flights.


uncertainties of Brexit and the changing politics on a global scale, it is more important now than ever to develop the UK’s manufacturing capabilities once more. While aerospace and defence designers are using more COTS parts, here will always be a requirement for


designers are using more COTS parts, there will always be a requirement for fully qualified and military approved oscillators for use in critical, high reliability applications.


Another area of crystal oscillator design that lacks indigenous manufacturers is the space engineering sector. To date, there are no space approved, UK based oscillator manufacturers offering a contributive solution.


“With the ongoing uncertainties of Brexit... it is more important now than ever to develop the UK’s manufacturing capabilities once more”


It should also be noted that the quality standards for the defence and aerospace sectors are extremely demanding and require companies to put AS9100 QMS systems in place. The main requirements for these are reliability of product


It should also be noted that the quality standards for the defence and aerospace


QMS systems in place. The main requirements for these are reliability of product,


management of obsolescence, management of obsolescence, traceability of components, traceability of components,


fully compliant quality assurances, environmental regulation, cyber-crime


fully compliant quality assurances, environmental regulation, cyber-crime prevention systems and much more. The next challenge for UK


manufacturers is to develop more complex oscillators, in order to keep up with the technology requirements of the defence and aerospace markets.


CONCLUDING THE CONCERN A final question to ask is, if the UK defence and aerospace sectors are looking for UK manufactured sources of crystals and oscillators, can the remaining companies rise to the challenge? A changing political climate is forcing the defence sector to take a more UK focused approach to their designs, in order to avoid any global issues spilling over into their supply chains. And yet, there are signs that UK companies are re- evaluating their capabilities in order to invest in new technology and develop the UK manufacturing base. But it is just the beginning of a long journey, after years of takeovers and under investment.


Euroquartz www.euroquartz.co.uk / ELECTRONICS


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