China sales help win Queen's Award for Trackwise

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 and Thailand, with China recently joining the customer portfolio. Trackwise antenna PCBs range from very small chip-sized terminal antennas (for PCMCIA cards etc) through patch and panel versions (for WiFi, WIMAX etc) to the largest GSM base station antenna or FSS (frequency selective surface), and are based on PTFE, FR4 and flexible substrates. Trackwise have patented a number of innovations for the antenna community – including a low friction surface finish for the sliding element of variable tilt UMTS antennas and are working on a method of recycling end-of-life antennas. The skills acquired in manufacturing antenna PCBs has resulted in Trackwise also succeeding in the wider opportunities offered by other RF and microwave industry sectors – such as security systems, broadcast and vehicle telematics. “This is the fruit of several years’ investment in equipment and personnel” said MD Philip Johnston. “We have designed and equipped our factory specifically for the manufacture of microwave boards, which allows us to remain competitive by keeping quality high and cost down. ‘’We’re extremely proud of this achievement and all of our staff deserve a great deal of credit for working together so effectively to make this possible.”