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Trackwise, a UK-based specialist manufacturer of products using printed circuit technology, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded AS9100C quality certification.
The certification is the highest of global standards for quality assurance in the Aerospace, Space and Defence industries. While similar to ISO 9001:2008, AS9100C has 100 additional requirements specific to meeting the stringent, complex and unique demands of these industries.
It marks an important milestone in the Company’s growth plans into these markets and supports both the core manufacture of specialised radio frequency printed circuit boards as well as the introduction of its latest product development – Improved Harness Technology™. A patented process innovation (UK patent 2498994, International Patent application PCT/GB2013/050147) has further extended Trackwise’ capability to the unique manufacture of multilayer flexible PCBs of unlimited length. In aerospace and other high value, mass-critical applications, boards of such length can be used as an alternative to traditional wiring harnesses, offering significant benefits particularly in terms of reliability, space and weight – up to 75% weight saving.
Trackwise Director of Quality, Colin Hallam commented “We are delighted to have achieved this certification. The company has ambitious growth plans over the next 5 years and operating to the stringent requirements of AS79100C is going to be crucial to delivering on them. Importantly it also affirms Trackwise’ commitment to an ongoing programme of business improvement designed to ensure we continue to provide our customers with the highest levels of product quality and service delivery. This has included the attainment of the UK government’s Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation earlier in the year.”
Michael Venner from the certification body, IMS International, noted “Trackwise have performed exceptionally well. It is rare for a final audit to show no non-conformances in the manufacturing process, which is testament to the hard work of their team and the robust quality controls they have in place.”
About Trackwise
Trackwise was established in 1989 as a specialist in the manufacture of very large high-frequency printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the antennas in the base stations run by the world’s cellphone operators. The company exports to countries around the world, including the USA, Australia, Europe and China. In 2005 Trackwise won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade, following its success in increasing exports from £500,000 to more than £2m in three years. In 2007 Trackwise opened Trackwise Epitome India, a new joint venture established to provide volume manufacturing of specialist RF PCBs for Indian-located wireless infrastructure equipment manufacturers and assemblers.
About Improved Harness Technology (IHT)
In 2014 Trackwise was granted UK patent 2498994 (International Patent application PCT/GB2013/050147) covering a manufacturing process innovation which enables the manufacture of flexible multilayer printed circuit boards of unlimited length – unique on a worldwide basis. In removing current length restrictions the established benefits of using flex PCBs at unit level can now be enjoyed at sub system and system level. Trackwise is marketing the application of this innovation as ‘Improved Harness Technology™’ (IHT). In high-value, mass-critical applications, boards of such length can be used as an alternative to traditional wiring harnesses, offering significant benefits particularly in terms of reliability, repeatability, installation times and moreover in the reduction of space and weight – up to 75% saving. www.trackwise.co.uk
