What Hine Automation does

Hine Automation, LLC is a privately held, Florida-based designer and manufacturer of vacuum and atmospheric automation systems and robotic components for the semiconductor industry. Founded in 2009 by Ed Richards and Jeff Cole, both with 30+ years of vacuum automation experience, the company operates from a single headquarters and manufacturing site in St. Petersburg, FL. Its product portfolio centers on the Constellation platform of cassette-to-cassette vacuum transfer systems (HA-200 through HA-800), supported by a modular component catalog that includes vacuum robotic arms (HA-3.0, HA-5.0), atmospheric robots (HAtm-4.0, HAtm-5.0), vacuum and atmospheric elevators (HA-50V/51V, HAtm-50), vacuum and atmospheric aligners (HA-7x series, HA-75C/76), and a range of load locks (SL-200C/300C, SL-300GBT, SL-300T, SL-1300, SL-4150) plus the DLP-300 EFEM. The proprietary HALO control software integrates these components into SECS/GEM-compatible subsystems, and reliability has been validated through long-duration testing, with one test robot exceeding 10 million cycles and core products rated at MCBF >3 million cycles.

Hine earns revenue through a quote-based, direct enterprise sales model targeting global semiconductor equipment OEMs. Approximately five revenue streams are disclosed: (1) standalone hardware sales of robotic components, (2) integrated automation systems sales (Constellation transfer systems and EFEMs), (3) custom design services for bespoke customer specifications, (4) contract manufacturing for subsystems produced to customer drawings, and (5) rebuild, repair, and robotic replacement services for installed equipment. All pricing is negotiated case-by-case through a direct sales team (no distributor or channel network), and contracts are typically multi-year. Notable disclosed customers include Nordiko Technical Services, Denton Vacuum, Angstrom Engineering, an unnamed plasma processing OEM, an unnamed ALD equipment supplier, and two unnamed global semiconductor equipment manufacturers spanning silicon, compound semiconductor, thin-film deposition, MEMS, and solar/perovskite R&D applications. The company has formalized partnerships with Mitsubishi Electric (technology integration for servo amplifiers and predictive maintenance) and with Valencia College/ROOTS Education (workforce development for a 22-week Robotics & Semiconductor Technician program).

Name

Hine Automation

Legal name

Hine Automation LLC

Website

https://hineautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hine Automation designs and manufactures vacuum and atmospheric automation systems and robotic components for global semiconductor equipment OEMs, serving customers from its St. Petersburg, FL headquarters since 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Automation Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

akta.pro primary industry

Wafer Handling, Automation & Robotics (AMHS) (HDAHAEAI)

Keywords

• Vacuum automation systems
• Semiconductor wafer handling
• Robotic components manufacturing
• EFEM systems
• Load lock chambers

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Robotic Components: Sale of vacuum and atmospheric robotic arms as standalone components or integrated into customer systems. Components include HA-series vacuum robots, HAtm-series atmospheric robots, elevators, aligners, and end effectors.
2. Integrated Automation Systems: Sale of complete cassette-to-cassette vacuum transfer systems (Constellation series), EFEM systems (DLP series), and load lock systems. Systems integrate multiple components for complete wafer handling solutions.
3. Custom Design Services: Engineering services for customized automation solutions tailored to specific OEM requirements. Includes mechanical, electrical, and software design for bespoke systems.
4. Contract Manufacturing: Manufacturing services for customers who need subsystem components fabricated to specification. Leverages Hine's manufacturing capabilities for components that fit within larger customer projects.
5. Rebuild and Repair Services: Maintenance and repair services for legacy products and existing customer systems. Includes robotic replacement services for vacuum robotic arms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hine Automation designs and manufactures vacuum and atmospheric automation systems and robotic components for semiconductor wafer handling. Its product portfolio spans cassette-to-cassette vacuum transfer systems (Constellation series), EFEMs (DLP-300), vacuum and atmospheric robotic arms, elevators, aligners, load ports, and a family of automated vacuum load locks (SL-series) supporting wafer sizes from 75mm to 300mm. The company also provides custom design engineering, contract manufacturing, and rebuild/repair services for OEM customers in semiconductor, solar, MEMS, and thin-film deposition industries.

Product overview

Hine Automation designs and manufactures vacuum, atmospheric automation systems and robotic components for the semiconductor industry. The product portfolio centers on the Constellation platform of cassette-to-cassette vacuum transfer systems, complemented by a comprehensive range of modular robotic components including vacuum and atmospheric robots (HA-5.0, HA-3.0, HAtm-5.0, HAtm-4.0), elevators (HA-50V, HA-51V, HAtm-50), aligners (HA-7x series, HA-75C/76), and cassette load ports (CLP, MLP, ALP series). The company also offers integrated wafer handling systems including EFEM products like the DLP-300, and various load lock solutions (SL-200C/300C, SL-300GBT, SL-300T, SL-1300, SL-4150). Services include custom design, contract manufacturing, rebuild and repair, and robotic replacement. Products support wafer sizes from 150mm to 300mm for silicon and compound semiconductor applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Constellation Vacuum Transfer Systems (Integrated Wafer Handling Systems) Complete cassette-to-cassette integrated vacuum transfer systems (4–8 sided configurations) that combine HA-series robotics, elevators, and aligners into a single wafer handling platform for semiconductor OEMs. Designed for high reliability wafer transfer between process modules and load locks.
• DLP-300 EFEM Equipment Front End Module that handles substrates up to 300mm, interfaces with SECS/GEM controls, and provides ISO Class 1 cleanroom compatibility for semiconductor equipment OEMs. Configurable to 1–4 load ports to match tool throughput and footprint requirements.
• HA-Series Vacuum Robotic Arms (HA-3.0, HA-5.0) 2-axis and 3-axis vacuum robotic arms for wafer transfer inside vacuum chambers, handling wafers up to 300mm with payloads up to 4.5kg. Feature coaxial ferrofluidic rotary seals, ultra-low base pressure, and >3 million cycle reliability. Used by semiconductor OEMs as core motion components in process tools.
• HAtm-Series Atmospheric Robots (HAtm-4.0, HAtm-5.0) SCARA-type 3-axis atmospheric robots for wafer handling in non-vacuum environments. Used by semiconductor OEMs as atmospheric-side motion components, with integrated controllers, wafer mapping sensors, and high MCBF reliability.
• HA-Series Vacuum Elevators (HA-50V, HA-51V) Vacuum random-access wafer elevators with stainless steel bellows and brushless DC motors. Provide vertical wafer transport inside vacuum chambers with 34kg payload and ±0.05mm repeatability for semiconductor OEMs.
• HAtm-50 Atmospheric Elevator Atmospheric random-access wafer elevator for vertical wafer transport on the atmospheric side of semiconductor tools. CE and SEMI S2 compliant for safety and environmental requirements.
• HA-7x Series Vacuum Optical Aligners (HA-74, HA-75, HA-76) Vacuum optical aligners that perform swift centering and angular positioning of wafers up to 300mm using laser-through-beam and CCD array detection. SEMI S2 compliant and Class 1 cleanroom compatible for semiconductor OEM process tools.
• Automated Vacuum Load Lock Systems (SL-Series) Automated vacuum load lock chambers and systems that transfer wafer cassettes between atmospheric and vacuum process environments. Configurable for different wafer sizes (up to 300mm), batch sizes, glovebox interfaces, and custom OEM requirements.
• CLP-200/300 Vacuum Cassette Load Ports Vacuum cassette-to-cassette load ports for 25 and 50 wafer cassettes, providing high-throughput wafer entry/exit with wafer mapping and cross-slot detection. Plug-and-play vacuum transport for OEM integration.
• MLP-200/300 Vacuum Mini Load Ports Vacuum mini load ports for single-wafer or up to 4-wafer cassettes, providing a cost-effective wafer entry/exit option for OEM applications that do not require full cassette handling.
• ALP-200 Atmospheric Cassette Load Port Atmospheric cassette-to-cassette load port integrating the HAtm-50 elevator with wafer mapping and cross-slot detection. Supports wafers up to 300mm with 3 million MCBF reliability for OEM process tools.
• Custom Design Engineering Services Custom mechanical, electrical, and software engineering services that design purpose-driven automation solutions tailored to specific OEM application requirements.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Contract manufacturing services for automation systems and robotic components produced to customer specification, leveraging Hine's U.S. manufacturing capabilities for OEM subsystem builds.
• Rebuild and Repair Services Legacy product support and targeted repair services for existing Hine automation equipment installed at customer sites.
• Robotic Replacement Services Replacement and upgrade services for vacuum robotic arms and vacuum elevators in legacy Hine equipment deployed at customer sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer achieved >40% cost reduction vs. competitive systems while meeting technical specifications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• ROOTS EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2023Education partnership to address semiconductor industry skills shortage. Hine provides robotic equipment including 7x Hatm-5.0s and 3x Hatm-4.0s atmospheric arms to Valencia College's Advanced Robotics Learning Factory. The collaboration supports a 22-week Robotics & Semiconductor Technician certificate program with simulated wafer processing production line and mock cleanroom.
• Valencia CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2023Partnership with Valencia College Osceola campus (Kissimmee, Florida) to add specialized semiconductor track to technology program. Hine Automation provides ten robotic arms for the simulated wafer processing production line and mock cleanroom training facility.
• Mitsubishi ElectricstrategicTechnology or Integration · 17 April 2023Technology partnership for smart robotic development. Mitsubishi Electric provides MR-J5 Servo Amplifiers with oscillation dampening and predictive maintenance capabilities embedded in Hine's atmospheric robotic arms. Partnership enables real-time data monitoring, vibration suppression, and predictive maintenance features.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kensington Labs: Kensington Labs designs and manufactures vacuum robotic wafer handling systems and aligners for the semiconductor industry — essentially the same product portfolio as Hine (vacuum robots, aligners, transfer systems). They are a direct head-to-head competitor in wafer handling robotics for OEMs and fabs.
• RORZE Corporation: RORZE is a Japanese manufacturer of wafer handling robots, loaders, and transport systems for semiconductor and FPD equipment. It directly competes with Hine in vacuum and atmospheric robotic arms and load ports sold to OEM customers globally.
• Sinfonia Technology: Sinfonia Technology manufactures wafer transfer robots, load locks, and EFEM products for the semiconductor industry. It is a direct competitor in wafer handling subsystems supplied to equipment OEMs, particularly in Asia.
• SPN Tech (formerly Movatec/MECS): SPN Tech provides wafer handling automation, EFEMs, and load ports for semiconductor OEMs. It directly competes with Hine in integrated wafer handling subsystems, particularly in the 300mm tool market.
• DAIHEN Corporation: DAIHEN supplies vacuum robotic wafer handling systems (including its Octopus series) for semiconductor and solar manufacturing. It directly competes with Hine in vacuum wafer transfer robots sold to equipment OEMs.

Broad incumbents

• Brooks Automation: Brooks Automation is the largest incumbent in semiconductor wafer handling automation, offering vacuum robots, atmospheric robots, EFEMs, and cryogenic equipment. It competes with Hine on integrated wafer handling subsystems but at much greater scale and with a broader portfolio.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Robotics Division): Kawasaki supplies cleanroom and semiconductor-spec robotic arms for wafer handling applications. It is a broader industrial robot incumbent whose semiconductor-grade products overlap with Hine's atmospheric and vacuum robotic arms.
• Yaskawa Electric: Yaskawa supplies semiconductor-grade cleanroom robots and motion control products for wafer and FPD handling. Its broader industrial robotics portfolio makes it an incumbent competitor in the motion/automation space where Hine competes.
• Murata Machinery: Murata Machinery supplies automated material handling systems, wafer stocker/transport products, and cleanroom automation for semiconductor fabs. It is a broader incumbent whose wafer transport products overlap with Hine's load locks and transfer systems.

Others

• Crossing Automation (now part of Brooks): Crossing Automation was a direct wafer handling automation competitor that was acquired by Brooks Automation. Its former product lines (now under Brooks) competed directly with Hine's load locks and transfer systems, illustrating the consolidation pressure on smaller niche players.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGSo3Dd4DdqLu-9CwftuxSQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/hineautomation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hine-automation

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Hine Automation