Alencon Systems LLC is pleased to announce the completion of a significant expansion of its state-of-the-art suburban Philadelphia manufacturing and research and development headquarters. The expansion coincides with a doubling of the companyís staff which occurred during 2021, with many of the new hires coming in the companyís manufacturing department.
Alencon exclusively manufactures its industry leading product line of galvanically isolated DC:DC optimizers ñ the SPOT and BOSS ñ and related accessory products including the GARD, FEED and PODD, among others, in this facility. Additionally, all engineering and R&D activities are carried out in the same building. As part of this expansion, Alencon has significantly expanded its R&D lab facilities to support the further improvement of its current products and development of new alternative energy power electronics technologies and products. The expansion also included a number of energy efficiency improvements, including an upgrade to more efficient lighting.
Alenconís headquarters in Hatboro, Pennsylvania are based just outside of Philadelphia. The facility is strategically located in very close proximity to the areaís main transportation arteries. Alenconís facility is located one mile from the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a short walk from major public transit hubs including the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authorityís (SEPTA) regional rail and commuter bus stations.
ìThe rapid growth of DC-based clean energy sources and loads such as solar, battery energy storage, electric vehicles and fuel cells have created rapidly increased demand for Alenconís DC:DC converter products,î says Hanan Fishman, Alencon Systems President. ìAlencon is one of very few suppliers of the alternative energy hardware that manufactures its products here in the U.S.
ìMaking our products here in the U.S. assures we can produce them at the highest level of quality. Additionally, doing so means our products can offer the highest level of cybersecurity features while also making them consistent with the current Administrationís emphasis on domestically manufactured clean energy products.
Alenconís manufacturing and R&D facility includes number of unique features, chief amongst which is a dedicated one-megawatt grid connection. Additionally, the facility has a rooftop solar array and over 500 KW of programmable DC power supplies. Alenconís facility also includes extensive thermal testing capabilities which allows the company to perform accelerated life testing under the harshest real-world conditions to assure the companyís products will meet our customersí requirements for the life of their alternative energy projects. The factory is a certified UL manufacturing facility which is regularly audited by the nationally recognized testing laboratories (NRTLs) that provide UL certification of the companyís products, including regularly calibrated high power, high voltage test equipment.
ìThe collocation of our R&D and manufacturing facilities with so much sophisticated test equipment and access to so much power is a real competitive advantage for us,î explains Alenconís Vice President of Engineering Michael Muhlbaier. ìAdditionally, being located to so many leading universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Rowan University, Princeton University and Temple University among others offers us a great talent base of engineers to draw from to support our growth.
ìOur location offers access to vast labor pool of highly skilled electro-mechanical manufacturing personnel,î explains Matthew Schramm, Alenconís recently appointed Director of Manufacturing. ìWith the expansion of our facility, we are implementing best in class manufacturing practices to assure our products are made efficiently, safely and reliably.
