New Way Air Bearings

What New Way Air Bearings does

New Way Air Bearings, Inc. is a privately held U.S. manufacturer founded in 1994 and headquartered in Aston, Pennsylvania, specializing in Porous Media™ air bearing components. The company's core technology uses carbon material embedded with millions of sub-micron-sized holes that evenly distribute compressed air across bearing surfaces, creating a non-contact, frictionless motion system with sub-nanometer repeatability. Its product catalog spans standard modular components — flat round and rectangular air bearings, air bushings, radial bearings, air slides, vacuum preloaded bearings, and T-Series air spindles (55mm–375mm) — as well as newer lines including turbomachinery gas bearings, servo-driven rotary stages, air turns for roll-to-roll converting, and balance bearings for rotor machines. A patent-protected vacuum replication process enables precision mounting of bearings to guide surfaces, and full-carbon variants address high-temperature applications above 250°C.

The company generates revenue primarily through one-time hardware sales of catalog components, supplemented by custom-engineered solutions for specialized applications. It operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct technical sales and a network of more than 20 authorized distributors and systems integrators in over 30 countries (IBS Precision Engineering in Europe, Axis New England, H2W Technologies, The Modal Shop). Customers span precision manufacturing (CMM, semiconductor inspection, optical systems), aerospace and defense (Navy SBIR, spacecraft simulators, metrology stages), energy (hydrogen electrolysis via Sparknano, supercritical CO2 turbomachinery), scientific research (ESRF synchrotron, Keck Observatory), automotive testing, and medical devices. The firm holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and on Deloitte's Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 in 2008 and 2009.

New Way is led by founder Drew Devitt (Chairman and CTO) and Nick Hackett (President and CEO), with a team of 11–50 employees. The firm has operated without disclosed external funding rounds, suggesting a self-funded, profitable growth trajectory since inception. Its 30th anniversary in 2024 and continued product launches and trade show presence indicate active ongoing operations, though detailed post-2009 revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

New Way Air Bearings

Legal name

New Way Air Bearings, Inc.

Website

https://newwayairbearings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New Way Air Bearings is a privately held U.S. manufacturer founded in 1994 that designs and sells Porous Media™ air bearings and air spindles for frictionless precision motion in semiconductor, aerospace, metrology, energy, and scientific research applications worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Aston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Bearing Products: Sales of modular, off-the-shelf air bearing components including flat round and rectangular air bearings, vacuum preloaded air bearings, radial air bearings, air bushings, air slides, conveyor air bearings and precision chucks. Products sold globally through distributors and direct sales.
2. Air Spindles: Sales of T-Series air spindles in various sizes (55mm to 375mm) for precision rotary motion applications. Spindles provide frictionless rotation with sub-micron error motion specifications.
3. Custom Products: Engineering support and custom air bearing solutions for unique customer requirements, often working with system integrators to develop specialized applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New Way Air Bearings manufactures precision Porous Media air bearing components and assemblies used for frictionless, non-contact motion control. The company designs, engineers, and produces standard and custom air bearing products — including spindles, slides, bushings, thrust bearings, and vacuum-preloaded bearings — for OEMs, machine builders, and integrators across precision manufacturing, metrology, aerospace, semiconductor, and medical imaging applications.

Product overview

New Way Air Bearings offers a comprehensive portfolio of Porous Media™ air bearing products organized into three main categories: Components (core air bearings including Air Bars, Air Bushings, Air Spindles, Flat Round/Rectangular Bearings, Linear Slides, Radial Bearings, Spherical Bearings, Thrust Bushings, Vacuum Preloaded Bearings, and Turbomachinery Seals), New Technologies (Air Turns™, Balance Bearings, Servo-Driven Rotary Stages, and Turbomachinery Gas Bearings), and Mounting Components (mounting hardware, air supply fittings, tubing, regulators, filters, flexure mounts, and epoxy surfaces). The company also provides Custom Products for specialized applications. All products are based on proprietary Porous Media Technology™ using carbon with millions of sub-micron holes for even air distribution. The T-Series Air Spindle line offers six sizes from 55mm to 375mm, and the company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Bars

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 5x greater stiffness than roller bearings (160,000 lb/inch vs 30,000 lb/inch)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IBS Precision EngineeringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial European distributor for New Way Air Bearings. Acts as systems integrator, incorporating New Way porous media air bearings into precision engineering products like the ISARA 400 coordinate measuring machine. Collaborated on custom solutions for Sparknano's spatial ALD technology.
• Axis New EnglandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of more than 20 worldwide distributors for New Way. Specializes in machine and robotic automation for lithography, semiconductor, and precision optics industries. Provides cost-effective air bearing solutions to customers in precision industries.
• H2W TechnologiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor integrating New Way air bearings into air bearing stage product line since early 2000s. Uses Flat Round Air bearings, Air Bushings and Dovetail Linear Slides for large-scale inspection stages. Expanded from single-axis to multi-axis stages using New Way products.
• The Modal ShopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSystems integrator partner utilizing New Way porous media air bearings for precision calibration systems.
• Precision Epoxy ProductsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDivision of Rock Art, Ltd producing precision epoxy test bed surfaces for aerospace applications. Works with New Way flat round air bearings for spacecraft simulator test beds.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Michael Chiu of MIT on paper 'Low-Cost, Highly Damped, Precision Linear Motion, Using Porous Carbon Air Bearings and Epoxy Replication' exploring manufacturing methods for precision linear bearing systems.
• NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Drew Devitt of New Way on MIT research testing of porous carbon air bearings, contributing to validation of air bearing performance data.
• Sandia National LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesting partner for porous media technology under supercritical CO2 applications, validating technology for turbomachinery applications.
• Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC)minorOthersPhiladelphia-based economic development organization dedicated to southeastern Pennsylvania manufacturers. Nominated New Way for Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Technology Excellence Award.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Air Bearings Ltd (Hema Group): UK-based direct competitor in air bearings for precision motion and turbomachinery. Closest functional peer to New Way in porous-media/orifice-style air bearing products for metrology and high-speed rotating equipment.
• H2W Technologies: US-based manufacturer and New Way distributor that integrates porous-media air bearings into its own air-bearing stages for inspection, metrology, and encoder calibration. Functions as both partner and direct competitor in air-bearing-based linear motion stages.
• IBS Precision Engineering: European systems integrator and official distributor for New Way that builds CMM machines and precision stages integrating New Way bearings. Closest peer in coordinate measuring and precision metrology markets.

Broad incumbents

• Aerotech Inc. Large US-based manufacturer of precision motion and positioning stages used in semiconductor, medical, and photonics applications. Overlaps with New Way on air-bearing-based stages but offers a much broader portfolio including screw-driven and linear-motor systems.
• Physik Instrumente (PI): Global precision motion systems vendor offering nanopositioning and air-bearing stages. Competes with New Way at the high-precision end of the same customer segments (semiconductor, photonics, research).
• Renishaw plc: UK metrology and encoder specialist whose RLS division supplies magnetic encoders used in New Way instrumented spindle designs. Adjacent rather than head-to-head, but serves the same precision metrology end customers.
• THK Co., Ltd. Global linear motion and bearing manufacturer (LM guides, ball screws, actuators). Established incumbent that competes with air-bearing technology in precision linear motion applications.
• SKF Group: World's largest rolling-element bearing manufacturer with a portfolio spanning ball, roller, and specialized bearings. Indirect substitute for New Way's air bearings in less precision-sensitive applications, but a benchmark incumbent in the broader bearing market.
• Schaeffler Group (INA/FAG): Major German bearing manufacturer with deep reach into industrial, automotive, and aerospace precision motion. Competes indirectly with air-bearing technology for many of the same OEM design slots.

Others

• SMC Corporation: Global pneumatics and fluid-power giant that supplies a complementary air-bearing product line and the air-preparation hardware (regulators, filters, fittings) used to operate New Way bearings. More an enabling supplier than competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgZ0CN9cMOQZ5a9lqEF5uqw
• Xx.com/airbearings

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 New Way Air Bearings