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Latronics Corporation
Latronics Corporation in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, is a leading supplier of high-power semiconductor packages and the only remaining U.S.-owned manufacturer of these hermetically sealed packages. Latronics uses new technologies in the manufacturing process of hermetic packages which have dramatically reduced waste streams. The company generates waste from its manufacturing processes in packages used in alternating current and direct current drives, rectifier supplies, uninterruptible power supplies, motor starters, welding, induction heating and railway traction. Rail transportation markets include power transistor packages, diodes and Gate Turn-Offs (GTO) used in power propulsion inverters and power supplies for locomotives. The use of independent electrical suppliers and producers severely tax available line capacity. Latronics packages house electronic, thyristor-based controllers which are faster and more reliable than the older mechanical systems. In 1997, Latronics formed a Green Council to strategize on methods of source reduction. The "green concepts" they implemented lowered operating costs while tracking and prioritizing waste streams. Their "green" council was made up of representatives from their engineering, accounting and maintenance departments. Through this program the company has made reductions or improvements in 12 waste streams. These include the elimination of methanol from the final drying process, reducing trichloroethylene emissions through pollution controls, decreasing the amount of scrap copper generated and achieving a 70 percent reduction in sludge from the nickel plating process.
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Latronics Corporation |
