UK manufacturing is undergoing a significant structural shift. With 55,000 unfilled shop-floor roles reported across British manufacturing in 2025, and the UK government's Modern Industrial Strategy committing £4.3 billion to advanced manufacturing grants and R&D, the economic rationale for investment in industrial automation and control systems has never been stronger. The UK factory automation and industrial control systems market reached approximately USD 17.6 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 10% through to 2035 — driven by the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, the integration of IIoT across production environments, and the urgent need to improve productivity in the face of persistent labour shortages.
At the heart of every automated production line, every SCADA system, every PLC-controlled process and every smart sensor network is a chain of precisely manufactured electronic assemblies. Those assemblies need to be built to a standard of quality and reliability that matches the demands of continuous industrial operation — and they need to be sourced from a manufacturing partner with the process control, quality systems and sector experience to deliver them consistently.
Arkle Electronic Systems has been manufacturing high-reliability electronics for industrial and control system OEMs for over 50 years. Based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, we are an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified contract electronics manufacturer delivering PCB assembly, cable and harness assembly, and full electronics box build for industrial automation, process control and machine building OEMs across the UK.
Applications We Support
Arkle manufactures complex, reliable electronic assemblies for a broad range of industrial and control system applications, including:
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Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and associated I/O modules — precision PCB assemblies for PLC platforms, expansion modules and distributed I/O systems where component density, reliability and thermal performance are all critical
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HMI and operator interface electronics — assemblies for human-machine interface panels, touchscreen controllers and display systems used across industrial and process environments
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SCADA and data acquisition systems — electronics for supervisory control, data acquisition and industrial monitoring platforms, including remote telemetry units and edge processing devices
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Motor drives and power electronics — robust PCB assemblies for variable speed drives, servo amplifiers and power conversion units deployed across industrial machinery and process plant
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Industrial sensors and transducers — electronics for pressure, temperature, flow, level and position sensing systems requiring high accuracy and long-term measurement stability
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Machine vision and inspection systems — PCB assemblies for industrial camera systems, image processing units and automated inspection platforms deployed on production lines
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Process control instrumentation — electronics for flow computers, analyser systems, data loggers and process measurement instruments used across manufacturing and utilities
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Robotics and motion control — assemblies for servo drives, motion controllers and robot controller electronics where precision, thermal management and long service life are all requirements
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Industrial communications and networking — electronics for industrial Ethernet switches, protocol gateways, wireless access points and fieldbus interface modules used in IIoT-connected manufacturing environments
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Cable and harness assemblies — custom looms and electro-mechanical harnesses for machine builders, panel builders and industrial equipment OEMs, built to IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards
Our high-mix, low-to-medium volume production model is well matched to the industrial OEM market, where product variants are common, build quantities range from small prototype runs through to sustained production, and consistent quality across every build is non-negotiable.
Arkle manufactures complex electronic assemblies for a broad range of telecommunications and broadcast applications, including:
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Telecoms network infrastructure — PCB assemblies for fibre network equipment, optical line terminals, distribution point units (DPUs), network interface devices and edge processing platforms supporting the UK's ongoing full-fibre and 5G infrastructure build
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5G and wireless access equipment — electronics for small cell base stations, radio access network (RAN) equipment, antenna processing units and fixed wireless access (FWA) terminals
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Satellite communication systems — assemblies for ground station equipment, satellite modem electronics, and VSAT terminal platforms serving fixed and mobile satellite connectivity applications
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Professional broadcast infrastructure — electronics for broadcast signal routing, distribution, conversion and processing equipment used in studio, outside broadcast (OB) and transmission facility environments
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Audio and video signal processing — high-quality PCB assemblies for signal processing, encoding, decoding and format conversion equipment for broadcast and streaming applications
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Broadcast transmission equipment — assemblies for transmitter electronics, multiplexing equipment and terrestrial broadcast infrastructure
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Test and monitoring equipment — electronics for network monitoring, signal quality analysis and broadcast test equipment
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Cable and connectivity systems — custom cable assemblies and harnesses for rack-mount broadcast infrastructure, field broadcast units and telecoms equipment enclosures
Our high-mix, low-to-medium volume production model suits the telecoms and broadcast equipment market well — where product variants are common, build quantities are typically measured in hundreds rather than thousands, and quality consistency across every build is non-negotiable.
Built for Industrial Demands
Built for Industrial Demands
Industrial electronics operate in some of the most demanding environments in any sector — continuous duty cycles, wide ambient temperature ranges, exposure to vibration, contamination, humidity and electrical noise, and the expectation of long mean time between failures in applications where unplanned downtime carries significant cost. The electronics manufacturing process must support these requirements, not just the design.
Arkle's manufacturing capability is built around the process disciplines that industrial-grade electronics demand:
Arkle's quality credentials include:
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ISO 9001:2015 — Quality Management System
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ISO 14001:2015 — Environmental Management System
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Cyber Essentials Plus — Certified 2026
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IPC-A-610 — Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies
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IPC/WHMA-A-620 — Cable and Harness Assembly Standards
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IPC-J-STD-001 — Requirements for Soldering
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IPC-7711/7721 — Rework and Repair of Electronic Assemblies
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RoHS and WEEE compliant
Every build at Arkle is supported by full traceability documentation — component lot records, inspection data, test results and process records. Our Quality Management System provides complete visibility from goods-in through to final despatch, and our processes are structured to support the supplier quality requirements that industrial OEMs increasingly demand of their contract manufacturing partners.
Our ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management certification is increasingly relevant to industrial customers operating under sustainability reporting obligations, ESG frameworks or supply chain compliance requirements from their own end customers. Arkle's environmental management system covers our full manufacturing operation, and our RoHS and WEEE compliance ensures assemblies meet the substance restrictions that apply across the UK and European industrial supply chain.
Quality and Environmental Credentials
Why Industrial OEMs Choose Arkle
50+ years of manufacturing for demanding applications
Established in 1974, Arkle has been building complex electronics through every generation of industrial technology — from analogue control systems through to modern digital, IIoT-connected platforms. That depth of experience means our engineering and production teams understand the practical realities of manufacturing for continuous industrial duty, not just the standards on paper.
High-mix capability that matches industrial OEM production profiles
Industrial control and automation OEMs rarely produce high-volume, single-variant products. More commonly they manage a portfolio of related products — base units, variants, options and accessories — across a range of build quantities that fluctuate with project pipeline. Arkle's high-mix production environment handles this well. We run multiple product families simultaneously, accommodate engineering changes efficiently, and maintain consistent quality and traceability regardless of build quantity.
Full turnkey supply chain management
Managing component sourcing across a complex industrial BOM — specialist power semiconductors, industrial-grade passives, custom sensors, programmable devices — is a significant operational burden. Arkle's turnkey procurement service takes that burden off our customers, managing supplier relationships, monitoring component availability and proactively addressing obsolescence and supply chain risks across all active programmes.
UK-based with fast response and engineering support
Manufactured in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Short lead times, direct communication and genuine responsiveness when engineering changes or production queries arise. For industrial OEMs managing customer project timelines and installation schedules, having a CEM who can respond quickly to a design change or an urgent build request has real operational value.
A partner built for long-term programmes
Many industrial products have long production lifecycles — a control system or instrumentation product that is specified into a major plant installation may remain in production for ten years or more. Arkle's 50-year track record of sustained customer relationships reflects our ability to support long-programme manufacturing consistently — the same quality, the same processes, the same team — across every phase of a product's life.
Working with Arkle on Your Industrial Programme
We welcome enquiries from industrial automation OEMs, control system manufacturers, machine builders, process instrumentation companies and their supply chain partners across the UK. Whether you need to qualify a new CEM, transfer an existing programme or find a reliable partner for a new product introduction, we are happy to discuss your requirements in detail.
We offer a no-obligation review of your BOM, design documentation and quality requirements, and can provide a full programme proposal including costing, lead times and the quality documentation package we will provide. NDA execution is available at the outset for programmes where IP sensitivity requires it.
Speak to our team about your industrial electronics manufacturing requirements.
Contact us | +44 (0)1438 721710 | info@arkle-electronics.co.uk
Arkle Electronic Systems Limited | Unit 15, Wedgwood Gate, Wedgwood Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 4SU ISO 9001:2015 | ISO 14001:2015 | Cyber Essentials Plus | IPC-A-610 | IPC/WHMA-A-620 | RoHS Compliant
