| The EM Group consists of EM
management, Measurement and Modelling.
Companies in most industrial and services sectors now have to operate installations
or large systems in a very complex electromagnetic environment. The extensive
use of electronic devices and remote communications leads to the necessity of
comprehensive EMC risk assessments in order to ensure that the installation or
the system operates correctly in its environment, thus reducing the risk of failures
or incidents. ERA also offers consultancy for EMC best practice, and EMC
risk assessments on a wide range of topics and industry sectors. In addition
to the technical aspects of EMC, European and national laws (in particular the
EMC Directive 89/336) requires that a proof of compliance to essential protection
requirements be provided:
| | For
installations, this proof is obtained through the completion of an EMC control
plan and its associated EMC business file. | |
| For
large systems that cannot be tested in a laboratory, or have many variants, or
for which no standard applies, the proof is obtained through the completion of
a Technical Construction File. | | |
| With ERA
EM Management Plans services, client benefits include: |
| | Conformity
of installations or large systems over their whole life-cycle |
| | Reduced
operational cost of installations or large systems |
| | Litigation
risks minimised | | |
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EM Measurements |  |
| The EM Group consists
of EM management, Measurement
and Modelling. ERA's
services undertake electromagnetic measurements, surveys, trials, investigations,
and testing over the entire frequency range between 20 Hz and 40 GHz. Assessments
are made of susceptibility and emissions, to conducted and radiated EM coupling
mechanisms, in both the frequency and time domains. Work is carried-out at all
levels ranging from individual components, modules, systems, platforms, and complete
installations; for defence, aerospace, railways, and the built environment. ERA
has both fixed and mobile facilities, including: shielded enclosures, instrumentation
trailers, spectrum analysers, signal generators, amplifiers, antennas and probes,
some of which can be operated under computer control. The facilities include complex
data/signal processing capabilities.
| The main
areas of work include: | |
| Determination
of EM environments | |
| Development
of EM standards | | | Problem
solving and consultancy | |
| Railway
and train testing | |
| Research
and development | |
| Shielding
and coupling assessments | |
| Radiation
hazards to personnel, flammable atmospheres and electro explosive devices (detonators)
| | | Site
surveys of radiated and conducted EM environments |
| | Support
to MoD | | | Suppression
to mitigate against unwanted effects | |
| Training |
| | TV
shadowing/reflection problems | |
| Whole
aircraft testing and certification | EMS services
works closely with other ERA services to provide a one-stop-shop for EMC. |
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| EM
Modelling | |
| The EM Group consists
of EM management, Measurement
and Modelling. EM
modelling using single analytical expressions or complex modelling tools can help
predict the risks to electronic equipment, human health and explosive environments
from a range of EM threats. Field strengths inside a building due to external
threats
| The main benefits of modelling
are: | |
| Large
area coverage can be achieved | |
| Proposed
and non-operational systems can be assessed | |
| Statistical
factors can be applied to determine increased risks over long periods. For example,
it is important to consider the effects of new mobile telephone base-stations
being built in the vicinity | |
| "What-if"
scenarios can easily be tried to optimise a system by minimising the risk and
costs. For example, the impact of installing shielding, or varying antenna placement
may be investigated. | |
| The
underlying mechanisms can be investigated |
| |
| Key services |
| | The
effect of the environment on large infrastructures (e.g. buildings and railways).
This includes threats external to the infrastructure, such as mobile base-stations,
radars, etc and could require designing shielding to mitigate any possible impact.
| | | The
effect of the large infrastructure on the environment e.g. TV assessments |
| | The
compatibility of the building/infrastructure with possible internal threats and
equipment that could be adversely impacted. This could include assessments of
minimum cable separations, field strengths from power distribution, zoning of
areas where sensitive equipment must not be placed. |
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EM Management Plans
