everything RF recently interviewed Ernest T. Werbel, the Chief Design Engineer of Werbel Microwave LLC. He is from Livingston, New Jersey and got his associates in Electronics Engineering Technology, at County College of Morris, Randolph NJ. Ernest completed his Bachelors in Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology from New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark NJ. He founded Werbel Microwave in 2014.
Q. Can you tell us about Werbel Microwave? When did you start the company and how has it evolved over the years?
Ernest T. Werbel: Firstly, thank you for the opportunity to participate in the everything RF community. I appreciate everything that Raghav and his team have done for us since the beginning, getting our products listed on everything RF and featuring our products in the email blasts. I recognize the potential risk to everything RF’s reputation in getting Werbel Microwave listed on their platform when we were just a startup. I am grateful that you took a chance on me when I was just a nobody. I am elated to have Werbel Microwave recognized as a provider of quality RF-MW products in this industry after 10 challenging years. I started Werbel full-time in 2014 but the story, but if I may, the story goes back a bit further.
As a child and teen in the 90s, I was always interested in electronics. When I was very young, a radio was a magical box with a voice. Later, when my grandparents passed in ’97, my parents and I were cleaning out their home in Brooklyn. Among other things were many old and broken consumer electronic items (radios, VCRs, etc.) that they accumulated over the decades. At that point, I was 13 years old, so I knew there was something technical inside, but had no understanding. In those days, there were no electronic recycling programs. All that stuff would have gone in the trash. So, I thought: if we are going to junk it anyway, I may as well take it apart and see what was inside, to satisfy that childhood curiosity.
In the 2000s, I took a job as an electronic assembler, populating pc boards by hand, running a wave soldering machine, and doing basic testing of voltage and current. I found my way into the field of RF and Microwave through an internship program at the community college. I held several positions since then, including junior engineer and project manager. I discovered that my strong point was to take an engineering prototype and get it production-ready, to where high volumes can be produced by minimally trained people, and a senior technician can take the final measurements.
At 28, I hit a low point in my personal life, which will remain private. I moved back home with my parents. I decided that at this point, I would realize my dream of bringing back Made in USA electronic components. I had no budget and no real plan. But I said to myself: I am turning 30 soon. I don’t want to be 70 and look back on this day wondering where this idea could have gone and regret not doing it. So, I spent the next month writing a business plan. I then deleted it because I realized that all I was doing was procrastinating.
It was around October 2013. I stripped our single-car garage to the studs, installed insulation & flooring, and painted. I had no knowledge about construction and had no money to pay contractors, so YouTube was my friend. I got some folding tables and a desk, set up a space heater, and used the last of my life savings and credit cards to buy a used network analyzer and benchtop CNC mill to make pc boards.
At this point, I felt I knew enough about microwave technology to make basic prototypes. I decided to look for work as a freelancer. Many freelance consultants deliver software files only, and it is up to the customer to implement the design. So, my selling point was going to be that I deliver files plus working prototypes.
Turns out, there were many requirements in the RF-MW industry for small runs; typically, under 10 pcs. These were also one-time use cases, so clients were not interested in purchasing the design. They only wanted a source for the finished product. Much of this manufacturing is overseas, and those manufacturers only want to deal in big quantities. The US-based companies that were willing to do prototype quantities were very expensive. So, having the advantage of free rent space and no payroll, I took these small opportunities to build a customer base and library of product designs to cover many applications.
Business steadily grew, mostly through word of mouth. I had no advertising budget or experience, but I have known many people throughout my RF/MW career since 2006. I rented some table space at the local IEEE shows, made new connections at IMS, mailed letters, brochures, cold calls, whatever it took.
In 2017 I moved into an office space and started hiring employees. Business steadily grew, but not without problems. You see, when production goes from 5 pcs to 100 pcs, being consistent and repeatable will make or break the project. When I am the designer, I can make 5 pcs in my sleep. But then I hand the project off to a college student and say “Here, make 100 like this” and only half of the parts work, we need to dissect the process and document every detail.
Even something as seemingly insignificant as the way in which one person holds the tool can account for certain positioning of parts during assembly. RF and Microwave technology, especially at GHz and above, is very susceptible to dimensional tolerance. Being off by a few thousand of an inch in one place is enough to throw everything else off. Finding ways to fixture parts to guide assembly is crucial. By this time, 3D printing technology started to become mainstream. With a 3D printer, we can quickly and inexpensively produce fixtures within hours that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars and weeks from a machine shop.
Over the years we grew organically and added even more equipment. At the end of 2023, we moved to a larger space. We currently have a pick-and-place PCB assembly line, LPKF Protolaser for developing new layouts, 4-port VNA’s, screw feeder machines, laser engraver, temperature chamber, Hi-POT testing and computerized screwdrivers to automate processes and ensure product quality.
Q. What products do you develop? Which product line is currently the most significant for your business?
Ernest T. Werbel: The bread and butter of the product line are the directional couplers and power dividers by far. 2-18 GHz is a widely used and popular band as it covers many applications including the military-lettered bands. High runners also include splitters for commercial use and Wi-Fi distribution. We continue to develop passives and are extending the operating frequency to 26.5 GHz and 40 GHz series in current development.
We also developed complementing product lines including resistive splitters, 90-degree hybrids, and amplified splitters.
Q. What key market segments does Werbel Microwave serve?
Ernest T. Werbel: We seem to have found a good mix of commercial and military segments. It has been my experience that depending on the political climate, one segment will be up while the other is down. Because we do not focus too heavily on either, we were able to maintain steady, organic growth year after year. Many of our products by design can be used in either space. Depending on the needs of the application, we can upgrade tolerances, specifications, materials and fabrication process to ruggedize the product.
Further, by serving a mix of commercial and military markets, we can buffer against a recession. Politics aside, there are peaks and valleys in military investment. Similarly, this happens in the commercial infrastructure market in a recession. But consider during the 1930’s, what did people who were out of work do? They went to the movies. In the early 2020s, what did people who were out of work do? They watched movies and played games on their phones… phones that would not work without the technology we are involved in. So, even in a recession economy, the demand for our products is there.
By making our product line this versatile it allows us to reuse the designs. For example, if someone is using our splitter in an indoor chassis, in a temperature and climate-controlled environment, we can offer the commercial-grade version. Otherwise, we can offer IP-rated coating, use lead solder, sweat-solder the pc boards to the chassis, and captivate screws with epoxy, as some examples.
One would expect that these products are being made overseas and there are no more opportunities for U.S.-based manufacturing. I am finding this to be the opposite. I cannot speak for others, only my own experience doing this for the past 10 years. Yes, it is difficult to compete with overseas. But our customers recognize the importance of a high-quality, Made in USA product with local technical support.
Q. Does Werbel Microwave offer both off-the-shelf and custom products? For custom solutions, what parameters can be adjusted, and what is the typical turnaround time?
Ernest T. Werbel: Over the years, we have developed a catalog of off-the-shelf products that we maintain a regular stock of finished goods and materials. They are “one size fits most” applications. For example, the 2-18 GHz products can be used in many narrowband applications within that range.
We welcome custom challenges, and we have a few approaches when it comes to this. When a custom requirement comes in, I like to tell the client that the easiest product to design is the one we already have. We will first suggest a catalog product that can either meet the specifications out of the gate, be tuned and optimized, or be characterized over the frequency band the customer needs.
If that is not enough, we have the in-house design engineering capability. We currently have a technical team consisting of an RF engineer, two engineering technicians and two test technicians. We have 3D and 2D mechanical CAD software, RF simulation software, 3D printers, an LPKF Protolaser (to prototype pc board layouts) and manual machining equipment. New products are qualified over temperature and repeatability.
Typical turnaround time therefore can vary depending on the needs of the application. In my earlier example, if an existing product can be re-specified, we can assign a new model number, complete the routing, and deliver within 2-4 weeks. However, if an entirely new design from the ground up is needed, including design simulation, board layouts, and mechanical enclosures to be made, then it may take several months to produce a deliverable.
Having 10 years of design and product experience in Werbel, plus additional years of experience in manufacturing, and considering myself a very hands-on designer, and all the machinery and equipment we have, we can rapidly conceptualize and prototype new ideas.
Q. What are Active Splitters? Where are these used? Are these an important part of the Werbel Microwave Product Portfolio?
Ernest T. Werbel: An active splitter, also called an active multi-coupler, is a power divider with an integrated low-noise amplifier. The amplifier is often located at the input junction to the splitter. To keep the device compact, the amplifier is a surface mount IC that is powered by a DC voltage, which is brought in from the outside by way of a feedthrough terminal, but may also use a DC jack and transformer if the customer wants it.
A typical application is a GPS receiver, to distribute signal to multiple destinations, while the amplifier overcomes the inherent loss of the splitter, plus additional cabling losses, if more gain is desired. For example, an 8-way power divider automatically has 9 dB of loss in each path, from 10*log(1/8). Additional loss due to the material could result in about 10~12 dB of loss. A typical amplifier IC (“gain block”) may provide 18~20 dB of gain to overcome this loss, and the additional gain can help to overcome losses elsewhere in the system.
An 8-Way Power Divider from Werbel Microwave
If DC voltage is needed at the input port, such as to power an antenna, this is achievable by using an internal bias tee. Outputs are DC-blocked.
Active splitters are currently not a large part of Werbel Microwave’s portfolio; however the series is in development, and we plan to offer catalog models in the near future.
Q. Can you tell us more about the Rackmount Assemblies that you developed?
Ernest T. Werbel: Depending on the application, it may be convenient for the customer to mount products into a 19” rack chassis. This capability was introduced in the latter half of 2023, and they are very customizable. They are reviewed and designed on a case-by-case basis.
Q. How do you differentiate yourself from other RF /Microwave Passive Component manufacturers?
Ernest T. Werbel: As we grow the company, we do not want to sacrifice personalized service. As I grow the business I plan to remain personally involved with all aspects of the company and approachable by the customers.
No customer’s project should be overlooked as being too small or not having future potential. I can recall many projects that I have done for clients that ended up being dead ends from a strict business perspective. But learning from such projects. I developed internal techniques and procedures that translated into optimizing existing products.
A friend said to me once: “Whether you go to school or you make mistakes, either way, you pay to learn.” He was right. If I end up eating my shirt on a project, as long as I accept my mistake, do not repeat it, and in the end, deliver what the customer needs, it will save 10X the cost later because we will now know what not to do, and apply the correction to many similar issues. So, this becomes this compounding effect of process optimization and efficiency: “If this idea solved the problem on model A, it would also work on models B, C and D.”
Maintaining approachability and prompt service to the customers go a long way to fostering relationships. So many companies are lacking this, and it’s only getting worse. Interact with any big corp and you will see what I mean: you get pushed from person to person; at best the staff isn’t knowledgeable, and at worst they act like you are bothering them. That’s enough ranting for one day, but it illustrated the problem many people face and how we strive to set ourselves apart. I have committed that as long as I am here, as a company we will provide the best service possible. There will be a live person to talk to, live email responses, and no phone menus or chatbots. At Werbel, we treat people like people!
Q. Can you tell us about the Team and Facility at Werbel Microwave? Do you have your own production facility?
Ernest T. Werbel: Werbel Microwave operates from an office/light industrial facility in Whippany, New Jersey. We currently employ 15 people including assemblers, technicians, a Jr. engineer, a sales manager, and an office administrator.
Q. Werbel Microwave recently joined forces with HASCO Components in a new partnership. Could you tell us about this collaboration and the types of projects you aim to pursue together?
Ernest T. Werbel: The partnership between Werbel Microwave and HASCO Components leverages HASCO’s RF Marketing & Consignment to Stock Program, enabling Werbel to focus on producing high-quality components while HASCO manages sales, marketing, and logistics. This collaboration ensures “just-in-time” products are globally available, with flexible pricing and optimized sales territories tailored to Werbel’s needs and target market, while simplifying order fulfillment and expanding our reach.
In 2025, we look forward to a continued synergistic collaboration that focuses on leveraging each company's strengths to meet the needs of customers worldwide.
Q. What are some of Werbel Microwave’s plans for 2025? Are you planning on adding any new product lines?
Ernest T. Werbel: To continue growing and expanding new products, lines and capabilities, as well as to optimize internally and become more efficient. Our current plans include completing the active splitters lineup, adding low-PIM couplers and pushing the power dividers into higher frequency ranges, including 26.5 GHz and 40 GHz.
