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:
440 Hartford Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
United States of America
Tel: 508-832-3456
Email: info@pi-usa.us
Website: https://www.pi-usa.us/en/
Company Category: Factory Automation
Geographic Region: USA - North East
Company Sector: Manufacturing
Keywords: Nano-precision motion systems, air bearings, hexapods, piezo
Partner Status: Marketing Partner
Products
PI USA - Hexapod for Industrial Alignment
This new compact 6-axis hexapod was designed with 24/7 industrial precision alignment tasks and easy serviceability in mind. It is equipped with absolute encoders (no need for referencing) and motor brakes that automatically engage during a loss of power, for extra safety. Debuting at Photonics West 2025 last month, applications include camera lens alignment, micro assembly, and fiber optical alignment applications.
Articles
7 Key Engineering Hurdles in Building High Precision Gantry Systems for Automation
Multi-axis gantry platforms are central to high-throughput automation in fields like semiconductor inspection, laser processing, and advanced metrology. Yet, the difficulty of making them precise, reliable, and production-ready is often underestimated.
High-Throughput PIC Production Needs Precision Alignment Equipment for Photonics Arrays, Fibers, Lenses
Selecting the Right Alignment Method: From Passive Methods to fully Automated Fiber and Array Alignment Solutions
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 systemâ€. 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
Integrating photonic structures or elements such as waveguides, photodiodes, lasers, and multiplexers presents a variety of demanding challenges to test and assembly processes, starting at wafer level through to final packaging. The common theme: multiple channels, multiple elements, and multiple interacting inputs, as well as outputs, across multiple degrees of freedom, all requiring multiple alignment optimization.
PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCERS FOR ULTRASONIC SURGERY TOOLS
Tools based on piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers are increasingly used in medical applications, including minimally invasive surgeries and dentistry. Common instruments used in advanced procedures are ultrasonic scalpels, phaco handpieces, and scalers. These devices leverage acoustic waves to efficiently process both hard and soft tissues. For instance, during oral surgery, ultrasound enhances mechanical actions like drilling, offering additional benefits such as shock or cavitation effects, leading to faster, more selective processing that safeguards surrounding areas, like blood vessels.
Press Releases
Fast 2D Piezo Scanning Stage for Image Stabilization and Resolution Enhancement
Fast, nanometer-precise XY motion enables active image and laser-beam stabilization, pixel shifting, and super-resolution imaging in advanced optical systems.
4th Industry Recognition for PI's Parallel Multi-Channel Photonics Alignment Technology Platform
Photonics technology will save a huge amount of energy in next generation data centers.
Hexapod Concept for Low-Temperature Quantum Applications
Low-temperature nanopositioning concept to address growing demand for ultra-precise optical alignment in cryogenic environments.
PI Earns Gold in MassEcon Economic Impact Awards
Ceremony to be held in April.
PI Introduces Configurable Modular Precision Linear Stage Family with Thousands of Possible Configurations
Affordable Precision with Options for Nearly Every Application
X-365 Precision XY Gantry System Offers Configurable, Affordable Motion for High-Throughput, High-Accuracy Applications
PI expands its high-performance gantry positioning platform portfolio with a flexible Cartesian robot solution for precision automation.
New Brochure for High-Precision Motion Control, Nanopositioning Automation & Piezo Solutions
For semiconductor, photonics, laser processing, industrial automation, microscopy and life sciences applications
PI Introduces Miniaturized Alignment Engine Platform for Scalable, Parallel E/O Wafer-Level Test
Parallel piezo aligners with fly height sensors enable faster PIC wafer testing.
PI at Photonics West: See the Latest Advancements in Nanopositioning Automation and Precision Motion Control
… in San Francisco, January 17 - 22, Booths 8517 (BIOS) / 3517 (PW) South Lobby, or visit our Tech Center in Fremont, CA.
E-713 High-Performance Motion Controller Family Introduced
Highest Flexibility and Performance for Semiconductor, Photonics and SR-Microscopy Applications
