Elcoteq to optimize Time-to-Market

Elcoteq will be represented by Elcoteq Communications Technology GmbH, Offenburg, Germany, which specializes in the manufacture, supply chain management, in-bound and out-bound logistics, purchasing, and after-sales services and support for these wireless communications products. The show will be held in Amsterdam from October 12–14, 2004. Elcoteq’s model is based on a partnership where the OEM focuses on its core competencies of design and technology, and Elcoteq handles issues of manufacturability, the manufacturing equipment budget, production capacity, bill of materials, supply chain, and creating and maintaining a time-line and focus for production and delivery to the OEM’s customer. By jointly setting up a process of defined milestones to discuss upcoming products and manufacturing challenges, both companies are prepared for time and manufacturing adjustments, and the engineering department can focus on design instead of logistics, reducing time-to-market. The complex manufacturing and test processes required for microwave and RF products, and the specialized engineers needed, have made OEMs hesitant to outsource these products. In 2003 Elcoteq acquired the Offenburg plant from Marconi, which gave Elcoteq the resources, skills, and 40 years of experience to manufacture a complete microwave radio from components to system integration. Elcoteq manufactures the radio frequency module, does the laser trimming, hermetically packages it, and tests it. Elcoteq also loads the software and does the finished system integration, performing level 5 integration. Elcoteq GmbH (Elcoteq’s facility in Offenburg) also does assembly and test of microwave products such as power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, oscillators, and up-and-down converters, and handles low to high volumes and high product mix in its 1,000 square meter class 10,000 cleanroom. Elcoteq works with up to 38GHz, PDH radios, and repairs modules for PCBA microwaves.