RFS manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, strengthens the company’s global leadership in manufacturing and R&D after just one year of full operation
Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), a global designer and manufacturer of total-package solutions for wireless and broadcast infrastructure, today announced that its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, has made significant increases in its production capabilities to help propel the company to prominent leadership among wireless and broadcast infrastructure providers worldwide.
After just one year of full operation, the Suzhou facility has already had to increase production to meet growing global demand for RFS’ indoor and outdoor network coverage solutions. With the smart manufacturing and lean management techniques that have been adopted at the Suzhou plant, manufacturing productivity at the facility has increased by 30% and base station antenna (BSA) production capacity has increased by 66%.
To support the strong demand for its products, RFS will also transfer RF cable production from its Shanghai facility to the Suzhou plant. By the end of September, the Suzhou facility is expected to be producing a full portfolio of cable products, manufacturing 15,000 km of RF cables annually to further strengthen RFS’ leading position in the global RF cable market.
Herbert Merz, CEO & President of RFS, emphasized the key role the Suzhou factory plays for RFS globally: “Our expansion at the Suzhou facility and the high demand for our products confirm that our strategy to help operators simplify the evolution of their wireless networks is the right one. We are committed to expanding our investments in China so we can continue to build the production, R&D and technology skills needed to support our global customer base. With these investments, we are in a better position to increase our leadership in wireless technology innovation and to more closely collaborate with our customers and partners to support the rapid growth of 4G and the evolution to 5G.”
Matti Tapani Sairanen, Regional Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales at RFS, provided more detail about how the Suzhou facility helps RFS better serve its customers: ”All of the major operators in Asia Pacific are RFS customers and revenue from the Asia Pacific region accounts for 1/3 of the company’s total revenue. The Suzhou facility — our first smart factory — is an important manufacturing base for us because it brings us closer to our local suppliers and our customers. We can leverage advanced systems, processes and technologies as well as data analytics, digital solutions and optimized supply chain management to increase our manufacturing capacity and accelerate delivery times.”
About RFS’ Suzhou facility
RFS’ Suzhou facility is a world-class manufacturing base, and a showcase for the company’s industry-leading solutions for wireless and broadcast infrastructure. Located in Daxin Industrial Park in the Hushuguan Development Zone, the facility held its groundbreaking ceremony in January 2016, and began operations in March 2017. The facility became fully operational in July 2017. It produces base station antennas, filters and RF cables for Asia Pacific and global markets.
To improve product quality and delivery, the Suzhou facility will launch a pilot program for new global standards in manufacturing control systems in Q4 2018. In parallel, the company has initiated several Industry 4.0 projects, including digitalization and automation to support production.
RFS operates multiple manufacturing facilities worldwide as well as 4 R&D centers, including 1 in China.
Trademarks: RFS® is a trademark of Radio Frequency Systems. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About RFS
Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) is a global designer and manufacturer of cable, antenna and tower systems, plus active and passive RF conditioning modules, providing total-package solutions for wireless infrastructure.
RFS serves OEMs, distributors, system integrators, operators and installers in the broadcast, wireless communications, land-mobile and microwave market sectors. As an ISO compliant organization with manufacturing and customer service facilities that span the globe, RFS offers cutting-edge engineering capabilities, superior field support and innovative product design. RFS is a leader in wireless infrastructure.
For more information, visit www.rfsworld.com, or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RFSworld.
RFS Press Contact
Véronique de Fournoux
Communications Director
E-mail: Veronique.De_Fournoux@rfsworld.com
Cell: +33 (0)6 08 56 94 30
