Labtech Microwave, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of microwave solutions, has attained ISO 14001 reaccreditation, with the aim of continuously developing the company’s environmental working practices. ISO 14001 specifies the requirements for an organization’s environmental management system and applies to those aspects over which it has control and where it can be expected to have an influence.

Since 2004’s original certification the company has steadily worked towards phasing out or replacing two key manufacturing processes, one being electroless copper and the other Fluoroetch (the removal of fluorine from Teflon-based substrates). Health and safety legislation limits worker exposure to formaldehyde and difficulties in removing it from the workplace atmosphere has resulted in Labtech reducing the electroless copper process from their manufacturing operation by 40 percent over the past two years. Fluoroetch use has been similarly reduced and is being replaced by a less consumptive March plasma 1600 system, which is also faster, more reliable and has greater capacity for specialized work.

Commenting on the company’s reaccreditation and environmental management development, Mike Attwood, Labtech’s health, safety and environmental process manager, said, “In addition to the phasing out of electroless copper and Fluoroetch, we now use Chrome (III) instead of the potentially carcinogenic Chrome (VI) aluminum passivation process and look to eliminate all solvent consumption in due course. Labtech is also fully equipped to meet the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) legislation and now in a position to offer customers formal compliance certificates which meet the Joint Industry Guide (JIG101) standard.”