With its wide range of rugged industrial antennas, Webb Industries has demonstrated its ability to provide bespoke solutions for a multitude of industrial applications.
For example, where specialised and durable antennas are required, the company has had success with its extra rugged whip antennas, where the attachment between the whip and the spring has been considerably strengthened. “We learnt from sugar cane farmers that the standard whip mechanism was not strong enough for all applications and our new, enhanced attachment has opened up markets for the whip antenna across the industrial spectrum,” says Webb designer and engineer Terry Reuss.
He adds that this is a good example of what is at the heart of Webb’s antenna service. “We endeavour to give our customers the best possible solution for their particular requirements. If this means re-designing a basic off-the-shelf product, we will do this,” says Reuss.
Another good example is the Webb-designed range of short, helical-type antennas used mainly in the mining industry. “These are particularly tough, rugged antennas for use in the harshest environments like down a mine,” says Reuss. “Different types of mines and different applications on those mines can require a unique antenna solution and we, more often than not, can provide it.”
The cash-in-transit (CIT) industry has also shown interest in these very tough antennas. “In an attack, the antennas are often first to be targeted to cut communications and the Webb helical antennas are certainly fit-for-purpose in foiling this strategy,” Reuss says.
Depending on the application, these antennas can house UHF, VHF, GPS and GSM in various combinations.
A range of antennas which has proven very successful in the industrial environment is Webb’s VLP (Very Low Profile) Iridium antennas. Reuss explains that while the round version of these antennas is only 3 mm thick and 8 cm in diameter, by extending the footprint of the board it can be made to include 2,4 GHz, wideband cellular and 900 MHz ISM in the 3 mm format.
One of the big users of these antennas is the tracker industry. “While it is possible to include more than one frequency,” says Reuss, “the tracker industry in South Africa, for cost and other reasons, tends to focus on single-purpose antennas.”
Here too the bespoke solution is the name of the game and one of Webb’s clients in this industry, Pieter Smits, CEO of GlobalTrack, says that his company worked together with Webb to produce something that would be fit-for-purpose in terms of its requirements. “They did a great job in producing the product,” Smits says.
Reuss adds that because the VLP antenna can be supplied painted in any colour, it can be more easily disguised for covert and external installations. “The low profile means less protrusion and therefore less chance of damage or vandalism when installed on bigger mobile and static machines like trucks, earthmoving equipment, cranes, remote utility meters and the like,” he concludes.
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