A relentless drive for greater testing accuracy

An exclusive interview with a technical leader

-- Test & Measurement World, 6/1/2006

Steve Baldo Global Business Unit Leader Test & Measurement Products W.L. Gore & Associates Newark, DE Steve Baldo serves as the global business unit leader for test and measurement in the Electronic Products Division of W.L. Gore & Associates. He joined Gore in 1998 as a product manager for high-speed digital interconnects and later held a number of positions, including product manager for the flagship microwave/RF test cable assemblies product line and marketing leader for test and measurement. He earned a BSEE from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Delaware. He is also a Professional Engineer registered in the state of Delaware. Contributing editor Larry Maloney spoke with Baldo about Gore and its products in a recent telephone interview. Steve Baldo comments on test products, customer needs, and new business ventures for product development in the continuation of this interview.

A: Gore's corporate culture encourages problem solving and inventiveness, relying on teamwork and direct communication rather than cumbersome chains of command. We operate in small teams that can move with greater agility, which has served us well for nearly 50 years in obtaining hundreds of patents and reducing time to market for innovative products in diverse consumer, industrial, electronic, and medical markets.

Q: How does this approach influence the development of test products?

A: It has helped us stake out a leadership position in our microwave/RF cable test assemblies. These products deliver guaranteed phase and amplitude stability with flexure, ensuring signal integrity from the measurement instrument to the device under test. Holding calibrations for accurate and repeatable measurements allows engineers to make better decisions and assessments during product design, while minimizing downtime. We're proud that our 110-GHz test cable options won a 2005 Best in Test award in the accessory category from the editors of Test & Measurement World.

Q: What are some of the most common applications for these assemblies?

A: Both in metrology labs and in cutting-edge R&D settings, our VNA assemblies are used with vector network analyzers for critical measurements and device characterization. We also have a line of lightweight Gore Phaseflex cables that feature internal ruggedization. This product serves vector network uses outside the lab, such as on the production floor or on flight-line or field-test applications. The assemblies are also used in scalar analyzers, scopes, and probes. In terms of extreme demands on these assemblies, probably the most challenging area is in thermal vacuum chambers for applications in space.

Q: What is driving the growth of these products?

A: The entire market is demanding test products that will operate reliably at higher and higher frequencies, as devices get more sophisticated. Design requirements are getting more complex, which means that R&D labs are pushing the envelope in their testing. For example, we see more demanding requirements for test cable performance over temperature at higher frequencies.

Q: How do you harness the Web for customer service?

A: Engineers go to Gore's Online Store to order our most popular connector and length configurations for our test cable assemblies. There's also an online cable builder, which helps engineers identify the right cable/connector combinations for the job. Using this tool, along with our online microwave loss calculator, engineers do not have to guess when making design decisions or determining design margins. Gore provides the guaranteed and typical loss values for their specific configuration.

Q: In January, Fortune named Gore one of the best companies to work for—for the ninth consecutive year. From an engineer's standpoint, what makes the company so special?

A: Engineers at Gore are not entangled in cumbersome reporting systems, but rather are organized around specific projects. They are also motivated by the freedom to set their own goals, with guidance from sponsors and mentors, not bosses, to ensure alignment with company and product line objectives. This type of environment builds satisfaction and commitment, which directly relates to the cutting-edge performance and success of our products.