Steatite awarded a multi-million dollar contract by NATO Support and Procurement Agency

Two hands being shaken with an electronic overlay and Steatite logo

Steatite has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to supply customers with MANET radio systems through the NATO Logistics Stock Exchange (NLSE). The NLSE is a secure web-based application linking Armed Forces and Suppliers via a single electronic marketplace. The NSPA’s e-business application provides online & paperless procurement to satisfy consolidated requirements from participating NATO nations and partners

See our full range of communications technology for challenging environments.

Solid State Plc completes acquisition of Custom Power

Solid State is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Custom Power LLC., the battery systems and energy solutions provider based near Los Angeles in the United States, details of which were announced on 12 July 2022.

Gary Marsh, Chief Executive of Solid State, said:

“We are delighted to have completed the transformational acquisition of Custom Power, which represents a step-change in our power business.

“The newfound scale and increasingly international offering open up opportunities in specialist and growth markets driven by decarbonisation and the drive for cordless power.

“We look forward to integrating Custom Power and welcoming our new colleagues to the Solid State Group.”

Solid State Plc enters agreement to acquire battery pack manufacturer Custom Power LLC.

Solid State Plc, our parent company, has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire Custom Power LLC for a maximum consideration of $45.0m.

Custom Power is a battery systems manufacturer and energy solutions provider based near Los Angeles in the United States of America.

Commenting on the acquisition, Solid State Plc CEO Gary Marsh said: “After lengthy negotiations, we are delighted to be able to announce this very exciting news. This will be Solid State’s largest acquisition to date and brings huge benefits to the group as well as to Custom Power.”

Solid State’s strategy for expansion, through both organic growth and highly targeted acquisitions, is providing increased scale to the group’s capabilities in addition to providing access to lucrative markets that have historically had high barriers to entry.

The acquisition of Custom Power further builds upon this by bringing many benefits that are highly complementary to the group and in-line with the group’s strategic aims to internationalise the business, further develop its “our brand” product portfolio, broaden its complimentary product portfolio, and invest in developing its talent. In particular, the move will bring new and increased capabilities to the group’s power business, specifically within the defence, medical and industrial markets.

Mel Weis, CEO of Custom Power, commented: “This is an exciting move that will combine the battery power capabilities of Custom Power with those of Solid State Plc. allowing our customers access to highly customised power solutions on an international level. Both businesses are leaders in this field and together they will benefit from increased reach, resource and expertise. We are very much looking forward to joining the Solid State family and the opportunities that the increased scale will bring.”

Steatite announces involvement in substantial project for London Underground

Solid State plc (AIM: SOLI), the specialist value added component supplier and design-in manufacturer of computing, power, and communications products, is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a contract to help deliver a new One Person Operation CCTV system for Transport for London, as part of the Piccadilly Line Upgrade on the London Underground Network.

The new digital system will be utilised on the Piccadilly line, which will benefit from 94 new state-of-the-art Tube trains from 2025. It will allow real time IP video images of the platform edge (the “mind the gap” area) to be transmitted to, and displayed, on in-cab screens for driver awareness.

Steatite will be providing custom-designed computers for use on the trains and within the wider station-based system. Carrier boards with specialist display outputs are being designed by Steatite’s Imaging business, Active Silicon, to be utilised at the heart of the onboard system. The finished systems will be tested to various rail-standards using Steatite’s in-house EMC testing chamber and environmental test facility, allowing de-risking of the project prior to carrying out official certification at an independent test house.

Matthew Richards, Managing Director of the Systems division, said: “We are very excited to be involved in this project. By drawing on Steatite and Active Silicon’s technical prowess, this is a superb example of our ability to utilise multiple skill sets within the business to overcome complex challenges, and to design, test and implement a world-class solution.”

BAE announcement

Solid State plc (AIM: SOLI), the specialist value added component supplier and design-in manufacturer of computing, power, and communications products, announces that following a pre-qualification stage and a competitive tender process, BAE Systems has awarded Steatite Ltd, the manufacturing arm of Solid State Plc, a multi-million pound contract to design, develop and qualify computer consoles for maritime platforms. The multi-function use of the console will need to comply with many industry and MOD specific standards. This challenging set of requirements required an approach that offered innovation, value and agility.

A BAE Systems’ representative, said: “This is a critical path programme and our expectations are high.  Steatite provided us with the assurance that they have the technical skills, resources and commitment to deliver against challenging timescales and meeting commercial constraints.  We are looking forward to working with the team on the project.”

Matthew Richards, Managing Director at Steatite, added: “We have worked with BAE Systems for many years on maritime and land based systems. I am delighted that our recent investments in test and security infrastructure and personnel combined with our existing engineering expertise has been recognised by BAE Systems.  We have hit the ground running on the project and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with BAE Systems.”

The project will be led from the Redditch site utilising the new EMC facility installed in 2021 whilst drawing on technical skills from the Solid State Group.

UAV Whitepaper

What are the most important factors when designing a UAV? Our white paper looks at the latest developments, what’s available to engineers and how to go about selecting the right components for each project in order to optimise surveillance, remote monitoring and even delivery technology.

Click here to download our UAV whitepaper.

Compact autofocus-zoom camera with 4K resolution

Active Silicon’s latest addition to the Harrier camera range brings 4K resolution to imaging systems and vision applications.

With its small size and high resolution, the block camera is ideal for applications where broadcast-quality UHD vision is required such as high-speed industrial inspection, security & surveillance and medical imaging.

The Harrier 18x AF-Zoom HDMI 4K Camera is a compact autofocus-zoom camera with real-time 4K video output and 18x optical zoom. Fitted with a 8.4MP Sony CMOS sensor, the camera provides HDMI video at a maximum of 3840x2160p 30/25 fps and simultaneous CVBS analog output.

The camera also offers sophisticated camera features including Real-time True Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Day & Night mode – Infrared Cut filter Removal (ICR), Digital Noise Reduction (2D + 3D DNR) and Digital Image Stabilization. VISCA or Pelco–D/P Control Protocol over serial communication or USB (virtual COM port) are available for camera control.

The Harrier 4K camera adds the option for razor-sharp stills and crystal clear video options to the Harrier autofocus-zoom camera range. Other HD Harrier modules deliver 3G/HD-SDI, HDMI, USB3 and IP H.264 Ethernet with optical zooms of 10x to 40x.

With a camera for every application and budget, you can see the full range online and contact Active Silicon to see which camera option will best enhance your vision system.

DS-1300: Computing for a demanding world.

We’ve just added the new Cincoze DS-1300 series to our range of high-performance fanless computers, enabling us to meet the most challenging operational requirements. 

The units are based on latest 10th generation Intel Core and Xeon processors, and can be easily configured to meet the exact requirements of military, transport and industrial applications. 

The computers are ultra-reliable, rugged and flexible and are well suited to the extreme environmental conditions associated with mobile/vehicular use, or the durability needed to operate in a 24/7 manufacturing setting. 

The DS-1300 series is designed with a wide operating temperature, wide range DC power input (from 9V to 48V), high tolerance to shock and vibration, and high-standard industrial protection.

It’s also certified to stringent industry standards, including MIL-STD-810G military standard and EN50155 (EN 50121-3-2 only) for rolling stock environments.

Benefits include: 

Expansion – Multiple PCI Express, PCI & Mini PCIe options, plus CMI slots for additional Ethernet, COM & DIO.

Temperature – The DS-1300 range is designed for use in extreme operating environments, with support for an external fan to enhance cooling in the harshest environments. 

Performance – High performance embedded PCs supporting latest generation Core i9 10-core and Xeon server-grade processors.

Longevity – Due to be in production for around 10 years, the DS-1300 fanless PC is ideal for long-term projects 

Specification – The DS-1300 series is fully modular and can be configured to meet the exact requirements of the application.

Reliability – Built using the highest quality industrial-grade components, the Cincoze DS-1300 fanless PC is designed to last.

For more information regarding the DS-1300, please click here: https://www.steatite-embedded.co.uk/products/high-performance-fanless-pcs/cincoze-ds-1300/

Steatite acquires digital imaging specialist, Active Silicon

Steatite has acquired digital imaging specialist, Active Silicon Ltd, in a move that will strengthen Steatite’s computing capabilities in key target areas.

Established in 1988, Active Silicon designs and manufacturers imaging and embedded vision systems allowing the capture, processing, and transmission of image data in high performance and critical environments.

World-class products include innovative embedded systems for IoT applications, pioneering autofocus-zoom cameras and high-speed acquisition cards allowing real-time, high-resolution image capture over long cable lengths. 

With a longstanding, global customer base, Active Silicon’s products have applications in multiple areas of industry, science, and technology – including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, robotics, medical imaging, security and defence.

Combining Active Silicon’s expertise and technology with our industrial computer product portfolio will enable the enlarged business to address the growing demand for 3D vision and robotic applications, as well as the increased requirements for embedded machine vision and edge AI computing products.

Commenting on the acquisition, Gary Marsh, Chief Executive of Solid State Plc (Steatite’s parent company), said:

“The computing sector has been a key market for Solid State, which has driven a focus on expanding capability in the development of AI enabled technologies for industries such as medical, security, defence and life sciences.  We see the acquisition of Active Silicon as a considerable step in broadening our customer offering and further extending into the product value chain.

Steatite secures £2.2m transport sector order

Steatite is delighted to announce that a £2.2m contract has been secured to supply in excess of 1000 computer systems.

The units supplied by Steatite will be part of a rugged computing and display system for a customer in the transportation sector. Delivery is expected over a 12-24 month period, starting early in the financial year 2021/2022.

Matthew Richards, Steatite’s Managing Director, commented:
“At our recent results announcement in early December, we expanded on the work we were doing to broaden our exposure to certain structural growth markets. Transportation was one of those and therefore it is pleasing to be able to announce such a significant contract award resulting from that focussed effort.”