Name

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.

Legal name

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.

Website

https://pi-usa.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. is a US-based precision motion control and nanopositioning company supplying piezoelectric actuators, hexapods, air bearings, and alignment systems to semiconductor, photonics, aerospace/defense, and life science manufacturers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Motion Control & Nanopositioning Equipment

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metrology & Inspection Systems (CMM, Laser Trackers, Optical Comparators) (IMAAAHAC), Metrology Automation & Robotics (Automated Cells, In-Line Gauging) (IMAAAHAH)

Keywords

• Precision motion control
• Nanopositioning systems
• Piezoelectric actuators
• Hexapod positioners
• Photonics alignment

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Precision Motion Control Hardware: Sale of precision motion stages, nanopositioning systems, hexapods, linear stages, rotary stages, and piezo actuators. Products range from standard catalog items to customized OEM solutions targeting semiconductor, photonics, life sciences, and aerospace industries.
2. Piezoelectric Components and Transducers: Sale of piezoceramic components including discs, plates, rings, tubes, bending elements, and custom assemblies. PI Ceramic division supplies OEM piezo ceramics for medical, industrial, and research applications.
3. Motion Controllers and Electronics: Sale of motion controllers, piezo drivers/amplifiers, and software for precision motion control. Includes EtherCAT-based platforms and multi-axis control systems.
4. Custom/OEM Solutions: Customized development and manufacturing of application-specific piezo components and motion systems for OEM customers, including medical device manufacturers and industrial equipment makers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. designs, manufactures, and sells precision motion control and nanopositioning systems, including hexapod positioners, air bearing stages, piezo flexure nanopositioning stages, linear and rotary stages, piezo actuators and transducers, fast steering mirrors, photonics alignment platforms, and motion controllers. The company also produces piezoceramic components through its PI Ceramic division. Products target semiconductor, photonics, life sciences, medical, aerospace/defense, and industrial automation markets requiring nanometer to sub-micron positioning accuracy.

Product overview

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. is a global precision motion control and nanopositioning technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into two main divisions. The Motion Control division provides 6-axis hexapod positioners, gantry systems, air bearing stages (linear and rotary), piezo flexure nanopositioning stages, fast steering mirrors, linear and rotary stages, microscopy stages, photonics alignment systems, vacuum products, and motion controllers including the E-713 series and A-800 series ACS-based controllers. The PI Ceramic division (piezo design and manufacturing) produces multilayer PICMA actuators (Chip, Stack, Encapsulated versions), Piezoceramic components (discs, plates, blocks, rods, rings, tubes, spheres), DuraAct patch transducers, and power ultrasonic transducers including Langevin transducers for industrial and medical applications. The portfolio also includes specialized systems like the PINovAlign photonics alignment platform, NanoCube 6-DOF systems, cryogenic hexapods for quantum applications, and configurable platforms like the MPL stage family and X-365 gantry systems. Products serve semiconductor manufacturing, photonics, metrology, aerospace, defense, life sciences, and medical engineering industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PI Ceramic: Piezoceramic components division specializing in piezoelectric actuators, ultrasonic transducers, and OEM piezo solutions
• PI miCos
• ACS Motion Control
• PICMA
• PILine
• PIMag
• PIglide
• PINovAlign
• PIOne

Products and services

• A-123 Air Bearing Linear Slide Motorized nanopositioning stage combining 3-phase linear motor, preloaded air bearings, and integrated linear encoder for noncontact motion with travel ranges from 50mm to 750mm, resolution down to 1nm, maximum velocity of 1000mm/sec, and payload capacity up to 40kg.
• F-572 High-Performance 3- to 6-Axis Photonics Alignment System Precision motion control platform for high-throughput photonics manufacturing and test applications supporting payloads up to 2kg with linear travel ranges of 60mm, linear velocities up to 500mm/s, and minimum incremental motion of 5nm, featuring embedded Fast Multi-Channel Alignment routines.
• PINovAlign Active Parallel Photonics Alignment Platform Active parallel photonics alignment platform featuring PILightning algorithm that reduces photonic alignment times from minutes to seconds while enabling parallel multi-channel optimization with nanometer-level accuracy, addressing scaling silicon photonics manufacturing bottlenecks.
• E-413 Amplifier Family Multi-channel, low-noise piezo driver for piezo stacks, transducers, scanner tubes, and precision actuators with bipolar operation, 50W peak power, up to 100mA per channel, and output range of -250V to +250V for nanopositioning, medical engineering, aerospace, and photonics applications.
• Modular Precision Linear (MPL) Stage Family Configurable platform enabling thousands of unique stage combinations through selectable travel ranges (50-300mm), motor types (servo, stepper), and feedback systems, designed to shorten engineering design cycles and reduce costs.
• X-365 Precision XY Gantry System Configurable Cartesian gantry platform with travel ranges from 200x200mm to 600x800mm and nanometer-class position feedback for semiconductor handling, laser processing, and laboratory automation.
• V-571.Z Vertical Translation Stage Direct-drive vertical translation stage with user-adjustable magnetic counterbalance supporting up to 4kg load, 25mm or 50mm travel ranges, and 1nm resolution with absolute encoders for photonics, semiconductor, optical alignment, and metrology.
• F-713 6-Axis Photonics Alignment System Updated 6-axis photonics alignment system with upgraded controller providing greater flexibility and scalability, retaining a hybrid mechanical design combining hexapod and piezo-scanner with easier integration to third-party electronics.
• E-713 Motion Controller Family High-performance motion controllers for nanopositioning and precision control in semiconductor, photonics, and microscopy industries; successor to E-712 series with modular design supporting various drive technologies and position sensors.
• F-141 PINovAlign 6-Axis Fiber Alignment System 6-axis fiber alignment system for precision automation in photonics with high acceleration, speed, and resolution, optional full six-degree-of-freedom alignment, and onboard machine learning control.
• NanoCube 6-DOF Nanopositioning System 6-DOF nanopositioning system for photonics, semiconductor, and microscopy applications offering high precision, compact size, and fast automated alignment routines supporting high-volume manufacturing and testing.
• H-815 Industrial Hexapod High-precision, industrial-grade hexapod designed for continuous operation in demanding environments with sub-micron accuracy, payloads up to 10kg, and advanced control and safety mechanisms.
• 6-Axis Hexapod Positioners Parallel kinematic positioning systems offering 6 degrees of freedom motion control for precision alignment, testing, and manufacturing applications across photonics, semiconductor, aerospace, and life sciences.
• Gantries and Granite Systems Precision gantry systems and granite-based positioning platforms for industrial automation and high-precision manufacturing applications.
• Air Bearings (Linear & Rotary) Ultra-high-precision air bearing stages providing frictionless motion for semiconductor, metrology, and optics applications.
• Piezo Nano-Positioning Stages Flexure-based nanopositioning stages utilizing piezo actuators for sub-nanometer resolution motion control.
• Piezo Actuators and Transducers Piezoelectric actuators, stacks, benders, and transducers including PICMA multilayer actuators, PICA stack actuators, and DuraAct patch transducers.
• Fast Steering Mirrors and Tip/Tilt Platforms High-speed beam steering and optical alignment systems for laser communication, free-space optics, and active optics applications.
• Linear Stages (X, XY, XYZ) Precision motorized linear stages offering single, dual, and multi-axis positioning for industrial and scientific applications.
• Rotary Stages and Goniometers Precision rotary positioning systems and angular positioning stages for optics, semiconductor, and metrology applications.
• Microscopy Stages and Bio-Imaging Tools Motorized and nanopositioning stages for microscopy, bio-imaging, and life sciences research applications.
• Photonics Alignment Automation Automated alignment systems for photonics manufacturing including fiber alignment, PIC alignment, and wafer-level testing solutions.
• Vacuum Products Vacuum-compatible positioning stages and actuators for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and high vacuum applications including aerospace and scientific research.
• Motion Controllers and Drivers Precision motion controllers, piezo drivers, and power supplies including EtherCAT-enabled controllers and multi-axis control systems.
• PICMA Chip Multilayer Actuators Miniature multilayer piezo actuators offering superior lifetime, ultra-compact size from 2mm, microsecond response time, subnanometer resolution, and UHV-compatibility to 10^-9 hPa.
• P-882 to P-888 PICMA Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuators Ceramic-insulated high-power piezo actuators with operating voltage -20 to 120V, excellent temperature stability, UHV-compatibility, and flexible designs including versions with inner hole, round, or rectangular cross-section.
• Piezoceramic Plates, Blocks, and Rods High quality piezoceramic components with tight mechanical tolerances and high geometric flexibility (1mm to 80mm) for ultrasonic technology, sensor, and actuator applications.
• Piezoceramic Discs and Cylinders Piezoelectric discs with high geometric flexibility (OD 1mm to 80mm) for ultrasonic technology, flow sensors, and non-destructive material testing applications.
• DuraAct Patch Transducers Robust and flexible piezo composites functioning as both sensors and actuators with patented laminated structure consisting of piezo ceramic, electrodes, and polymer exterior.
• Power Ultrasonic Transducers High-performance Langevin transducers for industrial and medical applications with frequencies up to several megahertz, used in ultrasonic cleaning, welding, surgical scalpels, and in vitro diagnostics.
• A-800 Series ACS Motion Controllers ACS-based motion controllers featuring EtherCAT connectivity and multi-axis control capabilities for precision positioning systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21% throughput improvement demonstrated in high-tech manufacturing automation at Photonics West 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Turner Laser SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurner Laser Systems provides custom turn-key laser solutions based on PI stages and ACS controllers. This partnership integrates PI's precision motion stages with Turner's laser system expertise to deliver complete solutions for laser processing applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thorlabs: Thorlabs is a broad incumbent in photonics, optics, and motion control with motorized stages and nanopositioners, competing with PI especially in research and OEM photonics instrument markets.
• Renishaw: Renishaw offers precision encoders, motion systems, and metrology solutions, providing adjacent positioning and measurement technology used in semiconductor and photonics production that overlaps with PI's encoder and stage portfolio.
• Newport (MKS Instruments): Newport offers a broad portfolio of motion control, optics, photonics, and vibration isolation products under MKS Instruments, overlapping with PI's stages and photonics alignment in a much wider enterprise offering.

Direct peers

• Mad City Labs: Mad City Labs builds nanopositioning piezo stages and AFM scanners, competing with PI on sub-nanometer flexure stages for research and microscopy customers.
• SmarAct: SmarAct produces high-precision piezo-driven positioners, hexapods, and nanopositioning systems with comparable sub-nanometer positioning, directly competing with PI in microscopy, optics, and metrology applications.
• nPoint: nPoint specializes in piezoelectric nanopositioning stages and capacitive-sensor feedback systems, directly comparable to PI's piezo flexure nanopositioning and capacitive feedback product lines for microscopy and metrology.
• Aerotech: Aerotech manufactures precision motion control stages, hexapods, and nanopositioning systems for semiconductor, photonics, and research applications - directly competing with PI's hexapod and motion-controller portfolio across overlapping customers and similar end-markets.

Emerging players

• Excelitas Technologies: Excelitas provides photonics, optics, and detection components used in semiconductor and life-science instrumentation, supplying adjacent building blocks that complement PI's motion solutions in similar OEM customers.
• Prior Scientific: Prior Scientific manufactures precision motorized microscopy stages and automation components, overlapping with PI's microscope-stage and life-sciences positioning offerings.

Regional players

• Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics supplies optical components, filters, and complementary positioning tools used in the same photonics and laser-processing workflows where PI's alignment systems and fast steering mirrors are deployed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pi-usa-pi-physik-instrumente-l.p.
• Xx.com/PI_Physik_Inst

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.