Manufacturing
Marketing Partner
PI USA (Physik Instrumente)
PI is a privately held company that designs and manufactures world-class precision motion and automation systems including air bearings, hexapods and piezo drives at locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded 5 decades ago and today employs more than 1700 people worldwide. PI's customers are leaders in high-tech industries and research institutes in fields such as photonics, life-sciences, semiconductors and aerospace.
Mailing Address:
16 Albert Street
Auburn, MA 01501
United States of America
Tel: 508-832-3456
Email: info@pi-usa.us
Website: https://www.pi-usa.us/en/
Company Category: Factory Automation
Company Sector: Manufacturing
Keywords: Nano-precision motion systems, air bearings, hexapods, piezo
Partner Status: Marketing Partner
Products
PI USA - 7 Reasons Why Air Bearings Outperform Mechanical Bearings
Motion system designers often ask the question whether to employ mechanical bearings or air bearings. Air bearings deserve a second look when application requirements include lifetime, precision, particle generation, reproducibility, angular accuracy, runout, straightness, and flatness.
Articles
Fast Hexapod Improves Aircraft Manufacturing Process
PI presented a new, high-speed hexapod at the International Aerospace Exhibition ILA Berlin in June 2024, as a partner in the LuFo VI-1: ADMAS (Advanced Machining and Sealing) research project.
Fiber Alignment and Photonic Chip Test & Assembly Just Got Easier
The new algorithm and technology have the potential to drastically reduce complex fiber alignment and photonics alignment procedure times by several orders of magnitude, surpassing any other existing technique used for automated fiber optic alignment in the market.
Nanopositioning and Motion Control Solutions for the Semiconductor Industry
Recently, the convergence of photonics and electronics, known as Silicon Photonics, has marked a significant advancement in both performance and the reduction of power consumption.
Elevating Precision Motion and Control with Magnetic Levitation to New Heights
What sets magnetic levitation apart is the ability to create a contactless, ultra-high-precision virtual bearing within our control system”. Dr. Christian Rudolf provides a glimpse into the exciting development journey of PI's magnetic levitation solutions.
Comparing XY-Theta Motion / Positioning Stage Options for Precision Automation Applications
These systems can be configured and supplied as individual components or as complete integrated motion systems with custom interfaces, cable management solutions, vacuum feedthroughs and application-optimized integrated granite and aluminum structures.
Improving Image Stabilization with Hexapod 6-Axis Motion Simulators for More Reliable Image Capturing
Taking sharp pictures despite fast changing lighting and ambient conditions, recognizing traffic signs or road markings in driver assistance systems, or identifying dangerous situations in surveillance systems – all of this is possible today with the help of modern cameras.
How Hexapod Robotic Platforms Can be used to Test Image Quality of Digital Imaging Cameras
Taking sharp pictures despite poor lighting conditions, taking snapshots without blurring, recognizing traffic signs and road markings or identifying dangerous situations with specific systems - all of this is possible today with the help of modern cameras.
Why Repeatability and Accuracy are Different in Motion and Positioning Related Applications
The terms accuracy and repeatability are often used interchangeably. However, accuracy is not possible without repeatability, but repeatability is achievable without accuracy. There are other errors, too, non-linearity errors, and linearity errors caused by thermal effects.
LIDAR: How Smart Active Alignment Mechanisms can Reduce Manufacturing Costs
Today, tantalizing futuristic transportation applications have motivated this mushrooming industry to develop an impressive array of clever new implementations, accompanied by a wave of investment from venture capitalists, software giants, and established players ...
Gantry Systems for High Performance 3D Printing Applications
3D Printing motion systems are built from standard 3D Print optimized gantry platforms and pre-configured for use with Nordson Ultimus V (or customized to extruder). The direct hardware integration has been considered.
What is the Difference between Hexapod 6-DOF Alignment Systems vs Conventional Stacks of Stages?
When faced with a multi-axis alignment and positioning application, motion engineers typically assemble a system from a stack of individual linear and rotary stages. This approach works well for applications when only a few degrees of freedom are involved (e.g. XYZ).
How to Improve the Precision of Positioning Stages with ACS Dynamic Error Compensation
Precision motion systems always exhibit some amount of positioning inaccuracy (or position error) due to various factors. These errors can be measured using external measurement devices, such as a laser interferometer...
Precision Robotics and Automation: Hexapods Advance Production Processes
Traditional robots can handle heavy loads at high speed, but lack positioning accuracy. Hexapod robots - six-legged parallel-kinematic machines - have a long history in precision optics alignment & micro / nano-manufacturing automation. They were considered overkill for traditional industrial automation applications, but the need for miniaturization and higher precision is rapidly changing the situation. New high-speed fieldbus interfaces facilitate integration with PLC or CNC controllers.
White Papers
WHITE PAPER: ADVANCED ALGORITHMS ENABLE THROUGHPUT
Starting at wafer level, every silicon photonic chip needs to be tested. PI's Fast Multichannel Photonic Alignment (FMPA) controller algorithms were the breakthrough necessary for prober-industry leaders like FormFactor and MPI to deliver tools for fast and economical characterization and validation. For Silicon Photonics (SiPh) test and assembly applications such as wafer probing, alignment time is the primary cost driver. This is true for both engineering probers and even more so for production probers, where uptime and throughput are especially critical. With their advanced autonomous alignment functionality and fab-qualified mechanics, PI photonics alignment subsystems meet the demanding needs of the industry. Hence, they provide unmatched throughput and accuracy not restricted to silicon photonics probing, but including any type of precision optical alignment.
Press Releases
Democratizing Microscope Stages with Ultrasonic-Motors: New Design Features 10nm Resolution, Affordable Price
High-end, cost-effective system provides wide velocity range, ultra-high stability, and auto-locking, for long term imaging, new from PI
PI Extends Production Capacity - New Manufacturing Building
Videos reveal finalists' new technologies, with online voting beginning October 28 and onsite voting available during the event.
High-Performance Linear Stage for Automation features Frictionless Motor and Excellent Guiding Precision
PI's new linear motor stage was designed for test, assembly and automation applications where extreme guiding precision and accuracy are key.
Ultra-Low-Profile Z-Tip-Tilt Nanopositioning Stage Provides Frictionless Motion
Solution for Precision Alignment and Assembly, new from PI
Spherical Air Bearings enable Frictionless 3DOF Rotation for Satellite Attitude Control Testing
Multi-axis motion solutions for Aerospace Applications, new from PI
S-335 Two-Axis Fast Steering Mirror (FSM) Piezo Tip/Tilt Platform
For high-speed laser beam steering and image enhancement applications, new from PI
V8 Piezo-Walk Technology Powers Vacuum Compatible Nanopositioning Stage, new from PI
UHV option is ideal for applications in semiconductor and beamline research. The compact design facilitates the integration of the new N-332 linear positioner.
Highly Dynamic 4DOF Piezo Wafer Stage for Inspection and Metrology, new from PI
Leveraging decades of piezo nanopositioning technology experience, introducing at 2024 Semicon West
New Wafer Stages and Ultra-Precision Motion Systems at Semicon West, July 9 - 11, in San Francisco, CA
Experience PI's new piezo wafer stages, granite-based multi-axis systems for thin film metrology, air bearing stages, laser beam steering systems, and sub-nanometer precision piezo stages, backed by decades of nanopositioning experience.
XYZ Nanopositioning Stage for Scanning and Positioning in Photonics and Microscopy Applications
A compact nanopositioning stage provides fast response and high scanning speed - ideal for fiber alignment and super resolution microscopy applications - new from PI.
