The Electrotechnology Applications Center (ETAC) at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem — which assists manufacturers in evaluating and implementing infra-red, ultraviolet, radio frequency, microwave, electron-beam and other energy technologies for heating, drying, coating and curing applications — is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
As part of its mission to develop the region's technology infrastructure, BFTP provided critical early-stage funding to this center, which has assisted many BFTP clients across the Commonwealth.
"ETAC offers confidential assistance to manufacturers to help them increase productivity, reduce energy costs and achieve and maintain environmental compliance," says Dr. Michael Vasilik, director of ETAC. "Companies from all industries use ETAC to explore and improve equipment, materials and processes and to conduct test runs and technology demonstrations before purchasing expensive equipment."
Originally developed by Northampton Community College, PP&L and BFTP, ETAC is now a financially self-sufficient department of NCC. Last year, it assisted more than 140 companies, with projected annual cost savings of $6 million, energy savings of 22 million kilowatt-hours, water savings of 81 million gallons, pollution reductions of 4.9 million tons of emissions and 2,000 tons of solid waste.
From the July/August 2005 issue
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