Mechanical - Manufacturing - Microwave Technology Interfaces

The advances in communications technology over the past few decades have been impressive. However, the commensurate advances in mechanical engineering and manufacturing process, which underpin this technology, receive little attention. The dependency of electronic performance on mechanical precision is particularly marked in the microwave sector. This paper illustrates the importance of these basic technologies by considering the inter relation of microwave design and mechanical manufacture and by examples of some typical failures in electronic circuits.