Loebsack backs Intermec’s defense inventory tracking bid

U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack got some rugged talk about rugged computers Tuesday as he toured a company that is working on a project for the U.S. military.

Intermec Corp. is creating a worldwide supply chain management system for the U.S. Navy, backed by satellite communications. Loebsack helped Everett, Wash.-based Intermec obtain a $3.2 million earmark for the project last year, and said he'll work to obtain more funds to advance the project this year.

Engineering and design work on the project will be performed in Cedar Rapids, where Intermec employs about 260.

At the heart of the Navy system will be Intermec's rugged hand-held computers, which are tested extensively to meet military specifications. Company officials said the computers are designed to withstand sand, soakings, drops, vibrations, and extreme temperatures. Loebsack toured a lab filled with machines that test the hand-held computers to ensure they meet standards for durability.

“It's all about our speed and ability to move quickly on our designs,” said Brian Hendrickson, director of systems integration and test for Intermec. He said a single product may be deliberately dropped 26 times to see how it responds at various points of impact.

While military standards are high, Hendrickson said that has an upside for Intermec.

“The nice thing about this customer is they actually understand what they need,” he said. In comparison, he said some commercial customers only discover they need equipment that meets a high ruggedness standard as a result of past equipment failures.

Some of the company's computers are designed to receive both CDMA and UMTS wireless signals, so that they can switch networks when they lose signals. They can scan bar codes from a distance of 60 feet.

More military business could boost employment in future years.

Intermec executives also spoke to Loebsack about the company's recovery from the June 2008 Cedar River flood. Water heavily damaged the first floor of the company's downtown facilities, including a costly anechoic chamber that is used to test equipment in isolation from outside radio waves.