The EMC -The tendering phase

How can electromagnetic compatibility be optimally taken into account during the product tendering phase?

In order to answer this question, we have chosen to focus on the most general level, i.e. the "system" level. According to Michel Baeckeland's definition , a system is a set of equipment, installations, know-how and techniques capable of playing an operational role or providing logistical support, or both. A system can thus be considered self-sufficient for the operational environment in which it is to be implemented. In this definition, two essential notions emerge: the notion of the system's mission and the notion of the environment in which it will fulfill this mission. These two notions will be explored in greater depth in this article. And the various steps involved in taking electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) into account during the tendering phase will be analyzed.

The themes developed in the rest of this article also apply to equipment, all the more so as the distinction between equipment and system depends on the frame of reference. For example, a radio altimeter is a piece of equipment when viewed from the point of view of the aircraft in which it is installed and whose function is to ensure safe flight, but it is a system when viewed from the point of view of the sub-assemblies (boards, power supply, antenna, etc.) that make it up, since it performs its own function, which is to indicate altitude.

The tender phase can be broken down into three parts: the tender preparation phase, which ends with the launch of the tender and consultation of potential suppliers; the response phase, which ends with a technical and financial proposal; and finally, the supplier selection phase, which ends with the contract or order. In this last stage, EMC will be one of many criteria to be taken into account.

Once this choice has been made, the tendering phase is over, and the project phase begins. Only the first two phases - drawing up the call for tenders and responding to the call for tenders - will be developed in this article.

Two categories of players have a role to play in the tendering phase: customers and suppliers. The customer, referred to in the following as the project owner, is the person to whom the system will be delivered. He will be responsible for gathering the needs of future users, and will be assisted by teams of experts in drawing up the invitation to tender, and then in selecting the supplier who will be in charge of the project. The supplier, known as the system's prime contractor,...