www.captec.co.uk

Rugged COTS Computers in Defence Applications

Established since 1985 Captec are Europe’s leading and longest established designers and manufacturers of rugged, highly reliable Industrial PC based computers in a wide diversity of form factors, with extensive experience in supplying computers for defence, security, aerospace and related applications.

Captec supply from standard to fully custom designed computers to suit the application’s exact requirements. Specialist technical capabilities includes design of:

• Custom enclosures to fit specific form factors and available space
• Preventative features for protection against shock and vibration
• Active and passive thermal management for high performance computing in fanless, sealed applications
• Ingress Protection against water, sand and dust
• EMC compliance to very demanding standards of emission and susceptibility
• Compliance testing & certification

Specialist operational capabilities includes:

• Whole lifecycle management of COTS components
• Obsolescence management
• Traceability and Conformance
• Quality Control
• Documentation and Change Control

Specialist business capabilities includes:

• Mature and robust management team
• Company of vision and values
• Financial robustness for large scale projects with long term rollouts
• Mature and robust management team
• Professional bid teams to support in the tender & proposal phases
• Pricing management across multiple currencies to offer fixed price & long term options
• Teams of professionally competent and capable people managed through best practice of Investors in People
• Committed to the environment

All systems are cost effective, yet of the highest quality and reliability manufactured under ISO 9001:2000 accreditation.

Tried, tested and trusted, Captec has a global presence with offices in the UK, Germany & North America with teams in place to provide design, technical support, logistics, manufacturing and local sales. With over 3000 customers across a wide diversity of market sectors, in the defence sector Captec is an existing supplier to major names including UK Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy, British Aerospace, Rolls Royce, Thales, Sperry, Ultra, Qinetiq, EADS and many more.

Ruggedised computing systems

Captec understands the more demanding requirements of defence, aerospace and security applications and is able to supply high reliability, ruggedised computing systems based on the cost effectiveness of COTS components. COTS computing solutions are repeatedly demonstrating their ability to deliver outstanding performance, high reliability, and exceptional cost effectiveness. Consequently, using COTS computing systems in ruggedised format is an accepted fact, providing best performance/value balance for increasingly stretched defence and security budgets.

COTS components for computing are here to stay, because it is the only form in which the required components are available, there are no MIL-STD equivalents. The impact of this change is already evident, particularly in terms of obsolescence management, where projects with development phases that can last up to tens of years, and in-service lifetimes of greater still are being built with components with lifecycles measured in months and performance specifications tailored to lowest cost and commercial requirements. The long term effects on reliability are as yet less quantified, simply because insufficient in-service data exists to assess real failure rates and lifetimes. However, what this highlights is the need to manage COTS through best practice, to leverage its benefits and mitigate its shortfalls.

Captec has built up a substantial body of specialist skills, knowledge and expertise to tightly manage the lifecycle of phasing in COTS computing systems. Captec’s strategy is focused on five key areas:

• Ensuring that the COTS parts satisfy the performance requirements of the application as closely as possible through rigorous testing and technical benchmarking assessment.
• Ensuring that best of batch selection is undertaken through up-screening testing.
• Engineering in additional mitigating protection to compensate and remain fit-for-purpose particularly in areas such as in shock, vibration, thermals and ingress protection for water/sand/dust.
• Ensuring continuity of component supply through extensive best practice obsolescence management, close partnerships and controls of the supply chain and storage management.
• Compensation for lack of Certification of Conformity and origin by rigorous testing, recording and change control inspection regime.

COTS Component management is a highly challenging task, requiring a unique mix of skills and capabilities, ranging from purchasing and logistics, through stress and thermal management, to more traditional engineering design and quality control. Captec delivers all this through a rich mix of standard and custom computing solutions backed by engineered technology and dedicated OEM support. Captec’s customers benefit from their ability to leverage technology experience across a wide variety of markets. Recognizing the diverse application requirements in each market, Captec offers a comprehensive product portfolio that spans the computing spectrum to include rugged computers in a wide diversity of form factors and configurations. Designed for scalability, modularity and seamless integration, Captec's innovative and respected solutions have been integrated into a variety of demanding applications.

Central to Captec's philosophy and business approach is maximizing the value of the computer system investment by reducing cost of ownership and minimizing impact of obsolescence. By means of maximum backwards compatibility from one generation to another coupled with the insertion of technology refresh opportunities that increase performance without disruption to the existing hardware or software environment.

Captec remains at the forefront of the COTS industrial computing industry with its reputation for solutions that are characterised by their cost effectiveness, high reliability and outstanding performance.

For further details please contact:

Mr Max Toti
Captec Ltd
11 Brunel Way
Segensworth
Fareham
Hampshire PO15 5TX
UK

Tel: 01489 866066
Fax: 01489 866088
http://www.captec.co.uk
sales@captec.co.uk

 

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