UHV Design
UHV Design Ltd is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of magnetically-coupled and bellows-sealed motion, transfer, heating and deposition components for high and ultra-high vacuum environments, serving research institutions, OEMs, particle accelerators, semiconductor manufacturers, fusion programmes and government laboratories worldwide via direct sales and a network of authorised distributors in 18+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLaughton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What UHV Design does
UHV Design Ltd designs, manufactures and supplies high-vacuum (HV) and ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) motion and heating components for the scientific instruments, research, and industrial production markets. The portfolio centres on magnetically-coupled rotary feedthroughs (MagiDrive series), bellows-sealed linear actuators (LSM family with 500+ variants), sample transfer arms, wobble sticks, port aligners, multi-axis precision motion stages, configurable analytical stages (MultiCentre), UHV deposition stages (EpiCentre), viewport shutters, CVD heater modules up to 1,200°C, and supporting motion controllers (MASC) and heater power supplies. Core technical differentiators are magnetic coupling that transfers motion across the vacuum wall without dynamic seals (preserving vacuum integrity down to 10⁻⁹ mbar and limiting magnetic leakage to under 200 mgauss at 50 mm), kinematic bellows guidance supporting 10,000 to 1,000,000 cycles, and bakeable 250°C construction.
UHV Design operates a sales-led, customisation-heavy go-to-market. Products are sold direct to research institutions, manufacturers and government laboratories, supplemented by an authorised distributor network in 18+ countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Pricing is quote-based via an in-site product configuration tool that allows buyers to configure standard products, preview 3D CAD, and request pricing; bespoke engineering is offered to key accounts such as OEMs, particle accelerators and government labs. The company's primary end-segments are particle accelerators and synchrotrons, surface science research, and thin-film deposition, with secondary exposure to semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace engineering, fusion research (ITER and STEP referenced) and production environments. Five established named product families (MagiDrive, EpiCentre, MultiCentre, MASC, Power Probe) form a coherent ecosystem in which motion, thermal management and control components are designed to interoperate inside a single UHV manipulation system.
The business is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIM-listed Judges Scientific Plc and operates from a purpose-built headquarters at Acorn House, Ringmer, East Sussex, opened in 2024 to coincide with the company's 25th anniversary; the facility houses design, machining, assembly, clean room and dedicated test room operations under one roof. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and received an EcoVadis Bronze medal in 2024 (top 35% of assessed manufacturers), and its products have been featured in Physics World for accelerator and free-electron-laser applications. Customer relationships are long-tenured, with named clients including Ametek (15+ years), Applied Microengineering, Deben UK, Rivac Technology, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company is privately held.
UHV Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UHV Design
- Legal name
- UHV Design Ltd
- Website
- https://uhvdesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- UHV Design Ltd is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of magnetically-coupled and bellows-sealed motion, transfer, heating and deposition components for high and ultra-high vacuum environments, serving research institutions, OEMs, particle accelerators, semiconductor manufacturers, fusion programmes and government laboratories worldwide via direct sales and a network of authorised distributors in 18+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UHV Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vacuum Components and Motion Systems
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)
- SIC
- Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment (IMAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where UHV Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Laughton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
UHV Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- UHV/HV Motion and Heating Products: Sale of standardised vacuum motion and heating products including rotary feedthroughs, linear actuators, sample transfer arms, deposition stages, heater modules, motion controllers, viewport shutters, and precision motion systems. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales, with standard product catalogue and customisation options for key accounts.
- Product Customisation Services: Custom engineering and modification of standard products for key accounts (OEMs, Particle Accelerators, Government laboratories) to meet specific technical, electrical and control requirements. Design, manufacture, testing and supply of bespoke UHV motion solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard product catalogue with customisation options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
UHV Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UHV Design designs, manufactures, and supplies high-vacuum (HV) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV) motion, manipulation, and heating products. The portfolio includes rotary feedthroughs, linear actuators, sample transfer arms, wobble sticks, port aligners, deposition stages, heater modules, viewport shutters, and motion controllers. They also provide bespoke custom engineering services for key accounts including OEMs, particle accelerators, and government laboratories.
Product overview
UHV Design is a specialist manufacturer of high-vacuum (HV) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV) motion and heating products, operating as a single unified product portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The product range centres on precision motion components — including rotary feedthroughs (MagiDrive series), linear actuators (bellows-sealed LSM and magnetically-coupled variants), sample transfer arms, wobble sticks, port aligners, and multi-axis precision stages — paired with thermal management solutions such as heater modules, heater power supplies, and deposition stages (EpiCentre, EC-I, EC-R, EPS, GLAD series). Supporting these are viewport shutters, motion controllers (MASC and hand-held DC), and a bespoke custom engineering service for OEM, research, and government customers. All products share a common thread of UHV compatibility, magnetic coupling or bellows-sealed technologies, and integration with each other to form complete vacuum manipulation systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MagiDrive: Magnetically-coupled rotary feedthrough series for UHV applications
- EpiCentre
- MultiCentre
- MASC
- Power Probe
Products and services
- Rotary Feedthroughs (Hollow MagiDrive Series)
- Linear Actuators (Bellows-Sealed and Magnetically-Coupled)
- Sample Transfer Arms
- Port Aligners
- Sample Parking Stage
- Radial Telescopic Transfer Arms (RTTA)
- Wobble Sticks (WS40 Range)
- Precision Motion Systems (Y, XY, XYZ, XYZT)
- Push Pull Actuators
- Configurable Analytical Stages (MultiCentre)
- Deposition Stages (EpiCentre, EC-I, EC-R, EPS, GLAD)
- Heater Modules
- Viewport Shutters (VPS Series)
- Heater Power Supplies
- Motion Controllers (MASC and Hand-held DC)
- Custom Product Engineering Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Products operate in vacuum environments as low as 10⁻⁹ mbar during actuation
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use UHV Design
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
UHV Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
UHV Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered regional.
- SV VACUUMSERVICE OYregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Finland.
- ALTEC EQUIPMENTregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in France.
- HISTERESIS S.R.L.regionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Romania.
- AVACTEC ABATEMENT & VACUUM TECHNOLOGYregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Spain.
- ROWACO ABregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Sweden.
- AC SCIENTIFICregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Italy.
- QUANTUM VAKUUMTECHNIKregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Germany.
- KURT J LESKER COMPANYregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in the United States of America and China (Shanghai trading company).
- VEQ S.A.regionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Argentina.
- VT VACUUM TECHNOLOGIES (P) LTDregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in India.
- TECHNOPORT LTDregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Japan.
- QUINTESS CO. LTDregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Korea.
- TORQUE SCIENCE PTE LTDregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Singapore.
- OMEGA SCIENTIFIC TAIWANregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Taiwan.
- WINGSSERV TECHNOLOGY CO. LTDregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Thailand.
- ISRAEL SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS LTD.regionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Israel.
- NANO VACUUMregionalAuthorised distributor for UHV Design products in Australia.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
UHV Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Oxford Instruments: UK-listed scientific instruments group (similar parent structure to Judges Scientific Plc) serving research and industrial markets with analytical instruments, vacuum components, and nanotechnology tools. Comparable in parent-group business model and adjacent in surface science / vacuum end markets.
- INFICON: Swiss-listed vacuum instrumentation specialist offering leak detectors, residual gas analyzers, and thin-film controllers. Targets the same semiconductor and research customer base with broader instrumentation rather than mechanical motion components.
- Edwards Vacuum (Atlas Copco): Major vacuum technology provider (part of Atlas Copco) offering vacuum pumps, abatement, and instrumentation across semiconductor, research, and industrial markets. Competes in vacuum-enabled applications though its portfolio centres on pumps rather than motion components.
- VAT Group: Swiss-listed global leader in vacuum valves and related components serving semiconductor, display, and vacuum-process industries. Overlaps with UHV Design on the vacuum-component side but operates at much greater scale with a broader portfolio.
- Pfeiffer Vacuum: German-listed global supplier of vacuum pumps, leak detectors, and components. Operates in the same end-markets (semiconductor, research, industrial vacuum) but with a broader vacuum-pumps-centric portfolio rather than motion specialisation.
Direct peers
- SPECS Group: German manufacturer of surface analysis systems (XPS, ARPES, STM) and associated UHV sample manipulation stages. Directly comparable in multi-axis analytical stages (similar to MultiCentre) and shares UHV surface science research customers.
- Huntington Mechanical Laboratories: Specialist manufacturer of vacuum components including manipulators, feedthroughs, and motion stages for UHV applications. Comparable product range and customer overlap with research institutions and OEMs in surface science and accelerator markets.
- MDC Vacuum Products: US-based manufacturer of vacuum components, fittings, feedthroughs, and motion hardware for HV and UHV systems. Direct competitor across standard vacuum component categories with comparable customer profile in research and semiconductor applications.
- Kurt J. Lesker Company: Global manufacturer and distributor of vacuum components, feedthroughs, and motion products. Both a direct competitor in vacuum motion components and UHV Design's authorised US and China distributor, making it the most directly comparable peer in product, customer base, and channel.
- Thermionics Vacuum Products: US manufacturer of vacuum feedthroughs, sample manipulators, and motion components for UHV and HV environments. Directly competes with UHV Design on rotary and linear motion products sold into the same particle accelerator and surface science customer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
UHV Design social profiles
Digital presenceUHV Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
UHV Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UHV Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
UHV Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UHV Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UHV Design
What does UHV Design do?
UHV Design designs, manufactures, and supplies high-vacuum (HV) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV) motion, manipulation, and heating products. The portfolio includes rotary feedthroughs, linear actuators, sample transfer arms, wobble sticks, port aligners, deposition stages, heater modules, viewport shutters, and motion controllers. They also provide bespoke custom engineering services for key accounts including OEMs, particle accelerators, and government laboratories.
Is UHV Design a public or private company?
UHV Design is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was UHV Design founded?
UHV Design was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is UHV Design based?
UHV Design is headquartered in Laughton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does UHV Design make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. UHV/HV Motion and Heating Products are the primary driver. The others are product Customisation Services.
Who are UHV Design's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Oxford Instruments, INFICON, Edwards Vacuum (Atlas Copco), VAT Group and Pfeiffer Vacuum. Direct peers are SPECS Group, Huntington Mechanical Laboratories, MDC Vacuum Products, Kurt J. Lesker Company and Thermionics Vacuum Products.
Does UHV Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for UHV Design.
What industry is UHV Design in?
UHV Design's product category is Vacuum Components and Motion Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAG, Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment. Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3585.