What Photon Automation does

Photon Automation, Inc. is a US-based custom industrial automation integrator founded in 2000 and headquartered in Greenfield, Indiana, with a secondary laser applications laboratory in Farmington Hills, Michigan (opened June 2023). The company designs and builds turn-key automated manufacturing systems centered on industrial laser technology — including laser welding, brazing, cutting, drilling, marking, and engraving — integrated with robotics, machine vision (up to 21 megapixels, including 2D/3D scanning and confocal measurement), precision measurement, and FPGA-based real-time control. Its flagship proprietary capability is Pulse Spread Technology (PST), protected by US Patent #9,067,278, which rapidly modulates laser power relative to beam position to enable joining of dissimilar materials. The company operates a 250,000 sq ft headquarters facility with applications laboratories, machine shop, and manufacturing space, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

The company serves enterprise customers across five primary verticals: battery manufacturing (EV, including cell processing, laser welding, and end-of-line testing), automotive, medical and pharmaceutical (titanium pacemaker housings, surgical tools), aerospace (2xxx/7xxx/Al-Li aluminum alloys), and consumer products. Its product portfolio spans Laser Systems, Automated Assembly, Battery Assembly Systems, Inspection & Testing, and a Laser Applications Lab offering rapid prototyping and DFM consulting, plus battery module and pack assembly services for low-volume and prototype builds. In August 2025, the company launched Photon Energy as a wholly-owned subsidiary focused on turn-key contract manufacturing and development services for battery and energy storage systems, supported by a January 2026 strategic collaboration with XC Technology.

Photon Automation generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise field sales of custom automated machinery and contract manufacturing services, with pricing determined through bespoke quoting. The company also runs an FMA-certified Laser Welding Certificate Course at its Photon Technology Center, taught by Dr. Najah George, Ph.D. (Senior Director of R&D, 35+ years of laser experience). Go-to-market is anchored in direct sales, industry event participation (ALAW, NAATBATT, The Battery Show, EALA, CIAIC), thought leadership through white papers in Laser Focus World, Manufacturing Engineering, and other trade publications, and association partnerships (FMA, LIA, Purdue MEP). The company is privately held with no disclosed external institutional funding.

Name

Photon Automation

Legal name

PHOTON AUTOMATION, INC.

Website

https://photonautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Photon Automation designs and builds custom turn-key automated manufacturing systems with a laser focus — integrating industrial lasers, robotics, and machine vision — for enterprise customers in EV battery, automotive, medical, aerospace, and consumer products industries, with a wholly-owned Photon Energy subsidiary for battery and energy storage contract manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Laser Automation Systems

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Custom automation systems
• Laser welding equipment
• Battery assembly systems
• Robotic manufacturing systems
• Automated inspection systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Automated Machine Design & Manufacturing: Photon Automation designs and manufactures custom automated systems including laser welding machines, robotic assembly systems, battery assembly lines, and automated inspection systems. Products range from semi-automated stand-alone machines/fixtures to fully automated production lines. This is the primary revenue driver.
2. Battery Module & Pack Assembly Services: Contract manufacturing services for battery module and pack assembly including laser welding, cell processing, adhesive dispensing, testing, and end-of-line testing. Includes low-volume and prototype builds.
3. Laser Training & Technical Education: Professional laser welding training courses including FMA Laser Welding Certificate programs and custom technical education for cutting with lasers. Courses held at the Photon Technology Center in Farmington Hills, MI or onsite at customer facilities. Instructor: Dr. Najah George, Ph.D.
4. Application Development & Consulting: Application development services, prototype manufacturing and testing, and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) consulting. Laser applications testing and feasibility assessment services.
5. Laser Job Shop Services: Short-run laser processing solutions offered through Photon Automation's applications laboratories, including laser welding, cutting, drilling, cleaning and marking services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Photon Automation designs and manufactures custom automated manufacturing systems with a laser focus, including laser welding stations, robotic assembly cells, battery module and pack assembly lines, and automated inspection platforms. The company integrates industrial lasers (welding, brazing, cutting, drilling, marking), robotics, machine vision, precision measurement, and advanced beam delivery optics into turn-key systems. It also provides contract battery assembly services through its Photon Energy subsidiary, laser welding training programs, and application development and Design for Manufacturability consulting.

Product overview

Photon Automation offers a portfolio of custom automation and robotic systems with a laser focus, built around its core Laser Systems product (for welding, brazing, drilling, cutting, marking, and engraving) augmented by proprietary Pulse Spread Technology (US Patent #9,067,278) for dissimilar material joining. Its manufacturing systems include Battery Assembly Systems, Automated Assembly, Inspection & Testing, and a Laser Applications Lab — all of which feed into its Battery Module Assembly services. The company further extends its portfolio through Photon Energy, a contract manufacturing division for battery and energy storage. Supporting the product suite are Laser Training services (FMA-certified certificate courses and professional technical education) and a library of technical white papers covering laser welding applications for batteries, medical devices, aerospace, and copper materials. The entire operation is backed by ISO 9001:2015 certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Photon Energy: Contract manufacturing and development services division focused on the battery and energy storage industry, offering design for manufacturability consulting, battery system design support, prototype assembly, low- to mid-volume battery module and pack assembly, and regulatory compliance consulting.

Products and services

• Laser Systems Custom laser systems integrating high-performance automation with industrial lasers for welding, brazing, drilling, cutting, marking, and engraving, including robotic platforms, vision systems, 3D scanners, scanning optics, on-axis machine vision, and weld monitoring. Designed for advanced manufacturing challenges across battery, automotive, medical, aerospace, consumer products, and pharmaceutical applications.
• Battery Assembly Systems Automated manufacturing lines for building and testing high-capacity EV batteries, including cell processing, adhesive dispensing, robotic assembly, assembly pressing, laser welding, electrical testing, and material handling with data management.
• Battery Module Assembly Services Contract battery module and pack assembly for low-volume and prototype builds, including laser welding, CT scanning for weld qualification, end-of-line testing (DC Hipot, AC Withstand, Insulation Resistance, pulse testing up to 800A), and data collection at Photon Automation's Greenfield, IN facility.
• Inspection & Testing Systems Automated inspection systems using high-speed bulk feeding, machine vision cameras, lasers, and sensors to detect defects, with parts sorted by size, color, or key feature dimensions using Photon's real-time FPGA controller.
• Automated Assembly Systems Custom automated assembly systems that integrate advanced manufacturing processes with robotics and sensing methods, combining multiple processes on a single system with precision feedback devices and data collection capabilities, designed for high-speed assembly and 100% part sorting and inspection.
• Laser Applications Lab Services Application development, prototype manufacturing, feasibility testing, laser job shop services (welding, cutting, drilling, cleaning, marking), and Design for Manufacturability consulting delivered through Photon Automation's applications laboratories, featuring multiple laser sources, advanced beam delivery systems, scanning optics, robotics, vision systems, laser marking equipment, CT scanner, and 3D printers.
• Photon Energy Contract Manufacturing Services Photon Energy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Photon Automation offering turn-key energy storage system (ESS) contract manufacturing and development services, including design for manufacturability consulting, battery system design support, application development for joining cells and busbars, prototype assembly, low- to mid-volume battery module and pack assembly, performance testing, BMS troubleshooting, and regulatory compliance consulting for portable, motive, grid, and industrial ESS products.
• Pulse Spread Technology (PST)
• FMA Laser Welding Certificate Course
• Professional Laser Cutting Training Course
• Cylindrical Li-ion Module and Pack Laser Welding Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Photon Automation has been developing automated machines since 2000, serving a diverse customer base with increased productivity and reduced cost through proper implementation of automated machines.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• XC TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026XC Technology and Photon Automation announced a strategic collaboration in January 2026 to support Photon Energy, Photon Automation's new subsidiary focused on turn-key energy storage system (ESS) contract manufacturing. XC Technology brings deep expertise in advanced manufacturing processes and battery technology advisory. The partnership combines XC Technology's battery process experience with Photon Automation's precision laser welding and turn-key manufacturing systems to offer complete services from design support and prototyping to full-scale production for ESS products (portable, motive, grid, industrial).
• Blue Whale Energy & Innovation (BWE&I)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2024Blue Whale Energy & Innovation, a battery testing and evaluation lab, established a satellite testing lab at Photon Automation's Greenfield, IN facility in February 2024. BWE&I provides end-of-line testing capabilities including performance testing and abuse testing for li-ion cells, modules, and packs. The partnership enables Photon Automation to offer end-to-end services from prototype manufacturing to fully validated mass-produced battery packs, with BWE&I's testing capacity up to 420V and over 700 test channels.
• Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA)minorOthersPhoton Automation partners with the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) to deliver the FMA Laser Welding Certificate Course at the Photon Technology Center. FMA is a sponsoring organization for the three-day certificate program led by Dr. Najah George, Ph.D.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JR Automation (Hitachi): Hitachi-owned custom industrial automation integrator focused on automotive, EV battery assembly, and material handling. Direct competitor to Photon Automation in custom battery assembly lines and laser-based robotic systems for EV manufacturers.
• Manz AG: German equipment manufacturer specializing in automated production lines for lithium-ion battery cells and modules, including laser-based joining. Directly comparable to Photon Automation's battery assembly systems and Photon Energy contract manufacturing offering.
• Acieta: US-based custom industrial automation integrator with broad robotic cell and custom machine experience for manufacturing. Comparable to Photon Automation as a similarly sized custom automation integrator serving US manufacturers.
• Concept Systems: US-based industrial automation integrator specializing in robotics, vision, and laser-enabled manufacturing systems for advanced manufacturing. Comparable in size and capability to Photon Automation.

Broad incumbents

• KUKA: German robotics and systems integration giant with a growing portfolio in EV battery cell and pack production automation. Competes with Photon Automation in delivering automated battery assembly lines and laser-integrated robotic welding solutions.
• Comau: Stellantis-owned automation and robotics specialist with a dedicated battery manufacturing and e-mobility business. Comparable to Photon Automation in EV battery pack/module assembly automation and laser joining.
• Dürr: German industrial equipment group with a substantial battery cell and pack production systems business. Competes with Photon Automation in delivering full-scale automated battery manufacturing lines and laser welding solutions.
• Trumpf: Global leader in industrial laser technology and machine tools with dedicated automated laser welding solutions including for e-mobility. Adjacent competitor to Photon Automation's laser welding systems business.
• IPG Photonics: Largest global manufacturer of fiber lasers used in welding, cutting, and marking. While a laser source supplier rather than a systems integrator, IPG competes at adjacent layers of the laser automation stack that Photon Automation addresses.

Emerging players

• Cognex: Global leader in machine vision and industrial barcode reading used in automated inspection and quality control. Adjacent participant in the machine vision component layer that Photon Automation integrates into its automated systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvNhaG8L05OJIGFI8P_INRw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/photon-automation-inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/photonautomation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Photon Automation