TMD Technologies Limited (TMD), world class, West London based manufacturer of professional microwave and RF products, has received a £2M overseas order for travelling wave tubes (TWTs) for an airborne search and rescue radar application.
Based on TMD’s innovative, proven ring loop development, this top performance, high power TWT operates in X-band with exceptional reliability, featuring an advanced electron gun with long life dispenser cathode and sophisticated grid design.
An initiative introduced to raise the competitive capability of manufacturing suppliers in the UK aerospace industry – and boost overseas trade
From August this year TMD Technologies Limited (TMD), West London based manufacturer of world class microwave and RF products, will enter the final phase of its Sharing in Growth (SiG) competitiveness improvement initiative.
At Farnborough this year TMD Technologies Limited (TMD), world class, West London based company specialising in professional microwave and RF products, will be showing microwave power modules (MPMs) and intelligent instrumentation amplifiers – as well as for the first time, a selection of radar transponders from TMD’s newly acquired company, G2 Engineering Ltd.
TMD Technologies’ recently acquired G2 Engineering Ltd, hi-tech, specialist microwave manufacturing company, is now producing its range of transponder products at TMD’s premises in West London
TMD Technologies’ recently acquired G2 Engineering Ltd, a specialist hi-tech microwave design and manufacturing company previously based in nearby Greenford, West London, is now operational and producing its range of transponder products at TMD’s manufacturing facility in Hayes, West London.
In Focus – The Magazine for the Customers of TMD
TMD has been operating a ‘charity of the year’ scheme for several years. Charities are nominated by staff and the fund-raising activities are coordinated by the company’s Sports & Social Team (SAS).
So far, we have supported Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, National Autistic Society, London’s Air Ambulance and, this year, CALM – the Campaign Against Living Miserably. This charity is dedicated to preventing male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.
David Brown, TMD’s Managing Director commented: “TMD takes its corporate social responsibility very seriously and last year broke its previous records by raising £5000 for London’s Air Ambulance”. Rita Hipgrace a Prototype Wireperson at TMD raised over £870 by Wing Walking (above)
Rita said: “They now call me the Flying Hipgrave! I love an exciting challenge especially in a good cause”. Nigel Hann, TMD’s Head of Sales (pictured above) also raised over £800 by taking part in the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 cycle ride. He said: “I trained hard beforehand and was elated at the finish of the ride – it was a great experience”.
TMD continues to stay at the frontiers of scientific research and development by combining its engineering and manufacturing expertise in partnership with research and development companies and universities.
A good example of this is our collaboration with academic and industry partners to realise the commercialisation of Quantum 2.0 Technologies.
The areas being addressed are: compact atomic clocks where the aim is to produce rugged rubidium and caesium products with 10-14 performance which will better any currently available competitor; compact frequency stabilised lasers where the current alternatives are large laboratory rigs which require constant attention and tuning; and compact magneto optical traps which have a wide range of applications from cold atomic clocks, to a range of ultra-sensitive inertial and gravitation sensors. Our partners include Chronos Technology Ltd, Universities of Bath, Strathclyde and Glasgow, Kelvin Nanotechnology Ltd, Optocap Ltd and Fraunhofer UK.
Why is this work important?
Since the advent of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), implemented by the USA DoD as the Global Positioning System (GPS), which became widely available in 1994, the global distribution of sub microsecond accuracy time reference signals has enabled a revolution in the use of technologies that depend on this to function.
The very ubiquity of this has resulted in substantial dependence on the availability of the GNSS signals. Due to the low level of the GNSS signals and the widespread application of low cost GPS chips it is easy to jam or interfere with the signal. The defence sector has become as dependent on GNSS for timing as the commercial sector, in which both the telecoms and banking industries are heavily reliant on precision timing. Many defence systems are GNSS dependent both for their own functionality and also for their ability to communicate with other systems, and consequently many critical systems are now vulnerable to GNSS jamming and spoofing attacks.
Quantum clocks developed in the Quantum 2.0 programme (together with the other related hardware) have the potential to provide a valuable alternative and backup to GNSS systems – used as either stand-alone timing solutions on a platform or as ‘hold over’ clocks should the GNSS signal become unavailable.
In recognition of our close involvement with the programme, TMD was invited to attend the Quantum Technology Showcase in London in November last year, where together with our partners we were able to demonstrate some of our recent prototype assemblies.
TMD’s sales and engineering teams were out in force at DSEI 2017, one of the most important security and defence events in our calendar.
In particular we were showcasing two new TWT based microwave power modules (MPMs): the PTX8110, 6-18 GHz, 200 W unit and the PTX8815, Ka band, 1100 W unit – described in more detail on page 5.
These products generated considerable interest at the show and were featured in the Official Show Daily Press.
The potential for networking is of key importance at DSEI. We welcomed 15 international delegations on our stand including members of armed forces, our international agents/ representatives and prime contractors for radar, EW and communications systems.
We were also delighted to host an evening reception at London’s historic Oriental Club where we were able to meet customers, representatives and members of the press in a more informal setting.
FUTURE EXHIBITIONS
We are again planning a busy exhibition schedule for this year.
To stay informed of TMD’s shows worldwide please visit the Events section of our
website: http://www.tmd.co.uk/community/events/
TMD Technologies Ltd (UK) and TMD Technologies, LLC (USA) can claim an impressive statistic for 2017, in that between them they exhibited at more than 15 shows around the globe!
Regions visited included UK, USA, Far East, Middle East and mainland Europe, at specialist events covering the entire range of TMD’s products and services.
With the endorsement of Prime Minister Theresa May, TMD was one of a small number of outstanding manufacturing organisations chosen to appear in the definitive Parliamentary Review document pictured above which looks back on the year in industry and government at Westminster.
The Parliamentary Review is now a key feature of the UK’s political calendar, with its main aim to highlight best practice, as a learning tool for both the public and private sectors.
Peter Butcher, Executive Chairman of TMD, commented: “We were very pleased to be considered one of the few ‘outstanding manufacturing organisations’ eligible to have a company profile featured in the latest Parliamentary Review. Since our MBO from Thorn EMI Electronics in 1995, TMD has initiated and maintained exceptional and on-going growth in hi-tech design and manufacture, and has earned itself an enviable global reputation for specialised microwave innovation and reliability”.
To view: https://www.theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/editions/manufacturing-services/manufacturing-general
