Press

The infrastructure that runs Texas runs on distributed electronics. RTUs at compressor stations, flow computers on gathering lines, SCADA nodes at substations, smart meters across service territories, protection and control boards in cabinets nobody opens for years. This equipment is installed at remote sites, expected to operate for decades, and noticed only when it fails. … Read more

Dallas-Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing robotics markets in the country. AMR fleets are deploying across metroplex warehouses and distribution centers, cobot suppliers are building out their Americas operations, and robotics companies across Carrollton, Coppell, and Plano are moving platforms from prototype toward production. Every one of those platforms is, electrically, a set … Read more

For two decades, offshoring PCBA was the default math. Labor arbitrage made the unit price unbeatable, and everything else — lead time, freight, engineering distance — was treated as friction to be managed. Then came 2020 through 2022: factory shutdowns, port backlogs, component shortages, and ocean freight rates that multiplied several times over. Procurement teams … Read more

Run a supplier qualification for industrial control electronics and a pattern emerges quickly: every supplier who survives the first screen looks the same on paper. IPC-certified workmanship. A registered quality system. AOI and X-ray on the floor. Traceability. The certificates that were once differentiators are now the price of admission — and if every finalist … Read more

Quick answer: IPC Class 3 is the most demanding of the three product classes defined in IPC-A-610, the electronics industry’s standard for the acceptability of assembled circuit boards. Class 3 applies to high-performance electronics where the product must function on demand, downtime cannot be tolerated, or the operating environment is unusually harsh — and it … Read more

What the manufacturing supply chain looks like from inside a mission-critical program — and what changes when it works Picture a program 18 months in. The design is maturing, qualification is on the horizon, and the transition from prototype to low-rate production is no longer theoretical. The engineering team is good. The suppliers, individually, are … Read more

Over the past several weeks, we’ve explored the principles behind BUILT TO DELIVER™—how Libra was intentionally constructed, how our teams perform in high-reliability environments, how we solve problems and adapt as programs evolve, and the culture that supports it all. When customers are building complex systems—where reliability, precision, and accountability matter—the real advantage often comes … Read more

Why mechanical precision in machining and Wire EDM translates to schedule confidence and risk reduction on mission-critical programs Mechanical precision requirements do not always appear prominently in early program documentation. They emerge in supplier qualification surveys, design review criteria, and pre-award capability assessments — and when they do, they can shape which suppliers are realistically … Read more

Part of Libra’s BUILT TO DELIVER™ series exploring how we support customers operating in complex, high-reliability industries. Culture Shows Up in the Work Manufacturing complex systems requires strong processes. Quality systems guide production. Engineering disciplines ensure precision. Operational frameworks maintain consistency. These systems create the structure needed to support high-reliability industries. But when complexity appears—and … Read more

Why programs tied to EOIR, avionics, and electronic warfare may require more than standard RF test support Defense electronics programs do not always advertise their RF test requirements up front. They surface in qualification criteria, supplier surveys, and pre-award assessments — and when they do, they can define which suppliers are eligible to bid and … Read more