eetimes.eu, Aug. 08, 2024 –
Remember the time when you could see the antenna of every wireless-connected device? Think mobile phones, portable data terminals and laptop wireless cards. Today, you don't see them so much. Yes, there are examples of external antennas, such as wireless routers and combined GNSS and cellular vehicle roof-mounted units. Increasingly, antennas are embedded into products, from smartwatches to industrial IoT sensors, permitting sleek designs and easing ingress protection challenges.
Taoglas (San Diego) is designing and manufacturing advanced RF components. The company provides a comprehensive range of embedded and external antennas, custom designs with cables and connectors, and engineering services. EE Times Europe caught up with Taoglas's CEO and co-founder, Dermot O'Shea, in its Dublin office to learn how the company keeps pace with industry demand and supply chain challenges.
EE Times Europe: With global supply chains disrupted by Covid-19, what were your experiences, and what risks do you see today?
O'Shea: Because we don't use many semiconductors, even in the supply crisis after Covid-19, our lead times returned to normal by September [2021]. We were only briefly affected by it, and because we have a long-term filter and amplifier partner in Taiwan and our facilities there, we could negotiate some allocation. We returned to normal pretty quickly, and we now have a backup for every component and everything else we can make ourselves on multiple sites. For example, we're making three parts in India that we sell into that market. India's low staff and labor costs blow you away, but things happen slightly slower there. With our private equity ownership, they don't like risks, so we always have to be one step ahead of the next geopolitical move. Everyone was getting worried about Taiwan, and now Vietnam, since it's not TAA-compliant [Trade Agreements Act]. They're looking to derisk to places like Mexico. We're looking at Costa Rica.
EE Times Europe: Are labor rates the only factor influencing your choice of manufacturing locations, or are there other factors?
O'Shea: On the face of it, India should be perfect for electronics. It's close to where they need to get raw materials. It's got a friendly trade and political system, and labor is unbelievably cheap, but the problem is the cultural differences. We all got used to China, where if I want something made, I get a quote and a prototype next week, and if you order 100,000 of them, you get it in 10 weeks. We got spoiled by China. They turn it around so fast; it's so efficient, and they get it done. However, things happen a lot more slowly in places like Mexico and India, and you have to have patience.