Puzzle Precision completes 20,000 circuit board order for CSIRO

Newcastle-based electronics assembly business, Puzzle Precision is close to completing an order for 20,000 circuit boards which will be the heart of the receivers for Australia’s Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio-telescope.

As reported in @AuManufacturing news, the $188 million pathfinder will form part of the world’s largest telescope, the SKA being built at sites spread across Western Australia and South Africa.

CSIRO Chairman, David Thodey said the ASKAP telescope would soon move into full operation and be used by astronomers from Australia and around the world.

Thodey and members of the CSIRO board were meeting with business, government and community leaders at its Newcastle site, which has an energy focus.

Thodey said: “It is great to see partnerships with local businesses like Puzzle Precision show how world-class engineering and research in areas like astronomy and space science can be turned into real-world impact when we work with local businesses, and grow our national space industry.”

Puzzle Precision Director, Sandra Coburn, said: “It has been a wonderful opportunity to be part of such a significant scientific project for Australia.

“Collaborating with CSIRO has helped us to grow our business, increase our local workforce, and continue to improve the processes that are needed for advanced manufacturing.”

The Australian component of the SKA, will be hosted at CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, and will initially comprise over 130,000 antennas spread over 65 kilometres in remote WA.

Picture: Puzzle Precision

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