Production and
Testing
Operations Director, Peter Haertel, is the man in overall charge of the Gigawave production and test
teams. Working with Peter Haertel is Production Manager, Dianne McCormack, and Test
Manager,
Chris
York. Together they are
responsible for all aspects of manufacturing from the point that an
order is received
to
the point
that
it is shipped
out of the factory.
Apart from CNC machining, PCB manufacture, and spray painting, which
are carried out by specialist sub-contractors all manufacturing from
board population to final assembly and testing are carried out in-house.
The object of this is to ensure consistent quality. At each stage in
the manufacturing process every component and sub assembly are rigorously
inspected and tested. Finally products are soak tested before being shipped
to Gigawave customers around the world.
Gigawave do not normally manufacture goods for stock and production
is planned a month in advance to ensure that all components are in
place to meet current orders.
However,
Peter
Haertel
is
very adept
at
dealing
with
urgent last minute orders from broadcaster who need additional equipment
in a hurry.
The production team is split into two separate teams. One team is
responsible for the assembly and testing of microwave transmitters
and receivers, whilst the other, headed by Dave Rose, is responsible
for the
manufacture and testing of antennas and peripheral items, such as
filters..The reliability of Gigawave products is in part due to
the strict control of manufacturing procedures, and in part due to
the extensive testing procedures that are carried out at every stage
of the manufacturing process.
In addition to testing all sub-assemblies prior to final assembly all
electronic products are
'soak'
tested for
a minimum of five days. During this time each unit undergoes an extensive
test and alignment procedure. This is carried out by one of Chris York's
team of highly experienced engineers.
Prior to a customer's order being shipped, each item is assembled
in the packing area and checked against the Job Schedule to ensure
that everything, including interface cable and documentation, is
in place. Finally, the order is carefully packed by the transport department, prior to being shipped to the customer. |
