What Hover-Davis does

Hover-Davis, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Rochester, New York, is a privately held manufacturer of electromechanical tape feeders and material-automation accessories for the surface mount technology (SMT) electronics assembly industry. The company designs and builds feeders that present components to pick-and-place machines, covering paper or embossed ANSI/EIA 481 pocket tape from 8mm to 120mm in width. Its product family includes the QF Series Tape Feeders (simple PLC signal control for value-driven integration), the SA Series Tape Feeders (an 8mm-to-56mm single-lane design with an open-source 8-bit ASCII communication protocol for advanced integration), the Axium Flexible Material Automation Solutions (automated feeding of shields, labels, and masks with plug-and-play SMT compatibility and a robotic interface), and Multi-Tube Feeders (automated part presentation from tube packaging with empty-tube ejection during picking). The product line emphasizes integration interoperability with both legacy PLC-controlled lines and modern pick-and-place architectures, including support for odd-form components via deep-pocket and large-tape-window options.

The company's go-to-market is built around an exclusive third-party distribution relationship with Universal Instruments Corporation, under which all Hover-Davis products are integrated into UIC's specialty and system-integrator feeder portfolio and sold alongside UIC's ion, Gold Plus, and NPI strip tape feeders. Through UIC, Hover-Davis products reach global end markets that include mobility, server and networking, automotive, medical, military and aerospace, industrial IoT, wearables, smart agriculture, and renewable energy. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no direct revenue, order book, or end-customer disclosures are available in the public source material. The company employs between 51 and 100 people and has been operating continuously since 1989 with no documented mergers, acquisitions, leadership changes, or funding events in the available data.

Strategically, Hover-Davis occupies a niche role as a specialized accessory supplier to the UIC ecosystem rather than a direct competitor to broad-line feeder OEMs. Its differentiation rests on configurability across tape widths and component packaging formats, open-protocol integration flexibility, and depth in odd-form and non-standard media handling. The single-channel distribution model concentrates revenue risk on the UIC relationship but also provides scaled global access without the overhead of a direct sales force. There is no evidence of proprietary AI, software, or data-driven capabilities; the company's value proposition is mechanical and integration-protocol based.

Name

Hover-Davis

Legal name

Hover-Davis

Website

https://hoverdavis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hover-Davis is a Rochester, NY-based manufacturer of electromechanical tape and tube feeders for SMT electronics assembly, distributed exclusively through Universal Instruments Corporation to global electronics manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronics Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Back-End/Advanced Packaging Equipment (Die Attach/Wire Bond/Flip-Chip/TCB) (HDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Advanced Packaging (2.5D/3D-IC, Fan-Out WLP, Chiplets) (HDAHADAB)

Keywords

• Tape feeders
• SMT component feeding
• Pick-and-place equipment
• Surface mount automation
• Electronics manufacturing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Hover-Davis designs and manufactures electric multi-pitch tape feeders used on surface mount technology (SMT) placement machines to deliver components from pocket tape to the pick-and-place process. Its feeder product lines — QF Series, SA Series, Axium Label Feeders, and Multi-Tube Feeders — are engineered to handle ANSI/EIA 481 standard pocket tapes across a range of component sizes without manual mechanical changeover. All feeders are sold exclusively through Universal Instruments Corporation as third-party feeders integrated with Universal Instruments placement systems.

Product overview

Hover-Davis is presented as a third-party feeder brand on Universal Instruments Corporation's feeder portfolio. The brand offers a specialized range of tape feeders and material automation solutions designed for surface mount technology (SMT) integration. The product lineup includes QF Series Tape Feeders (value-driven, broad tape width compatibility with PLC integration), SA Series Tape Feeders (advanced communication protocol with ASCII-based control), Axium Flexible Material Automation Solutions (automated feeding of shields, labels and masks with robotic interface), and Multi-Tube Feeders. These feeders are positioned as compatible additions to Universal Instruments' precision assembly equipment, enabling manufacturers to handle various component packaging formats including standard ANSI/EIA 481 pocket tape across different widths and configurations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QF Series Tape Feeders: Simple control for easy integration, 8mm to 120mm; Paper or embossed ANSI/EIA 481 pocket tape with integrated holder options for reels up to 27 inches.
• SA Series Tape Feeders
• Axium Label Feeders
• Multi-Tube Feeders

Products and services

• QF Series Tape Feeders Electric multi-pitch tape feeders for surface mount technology placement machines, supporting ANSI/EIA 481 pocket tape standards and enabling tool-free, software-controlled pitch adjustment for high-mix electronics assembly. Sold as third-party feeders through Universal Instruments Corporation.
• SA Series Tape Feeders Electric tape feeders for SMT pick-and-place lines that handle ANSI/EIA 481 standard pocket tapes with adjustable pitch control. Distributed exclusively through Universal Instruments Corporation for use on its placement machines.
• Axium Label Feeders Electric label feeders designed to feed label components in tape format to surface mount placement equipment. Sold as third-party feeders through Universal Instruments Corporation.
• Multi-Tube Feeders Electric multi-tube feeders engineered to deliver components from tube packaging onto SMT placement lines, extending Hover-Davis' feeder portfolio beyond pocket-tape formats. Distributed through Universal Instruments Corporation.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Universal Instruments CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHover-Davis operates as a third-party feeder manufacturer whose products (QF Series, SA Series Tape Feeders, Axium Label Feeders, Multi-Tube Feeders) are integrated and distributed through Universal Instruments Corporation's specialty feeder portfolio. Universal Instruments markets these feeders as Hover-Davis Third-Party Feeders, providing distribution and integration services for electronics manufacturing customers worldwide.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Fuji Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of SMT pick-and-place machines (NXTR, AIMEX series) with proprietary feeder systems. Serves the same large-EMS customer base that buys specialty feeders like those from Hover-Davis.
• Mycronic: Swedish SMT assembly equipment manufacturer (including the former Mydata pick-and-place line). Sells pick-and-place machines with associated feeders and serves the same electronics manufacturing customers as Hover-Davis.
• Juki SMT Systems: Pick-and-place OEM serving mid- and high-volume SMT lines with its own feeder ecosystem. Comparable to Hover-Davis's customer base in EMS contract manufacturing.
• Hanwha Precision Machinery: South Korean SMT pick-and-place equipment maker (formerly Samsung Techwin). Sells integrated lines with proprietary feeders, addressing the same electronics assembly customers as Hover-Davis.
• ASM Pacific Technology: Global leader in SMT and semiconductor assembly equipment, including pick-and-place systems and feeders. Targets the same advanced packaging and surface mount electronics manufacturing customers.
• Universal Instruments Corporation: Hover-Davis's exclusive distributor and a major SMT pick-and-place OEM. UIC markets its own broad feeder portfolio (ion, Gold Plus, tray, DIMM, radial, axial) alongside Hover-Davis products, making it both partner and overlapping competitor in specialty feeding.
• Panasonic SMT (Panasonic Connect): Major OEM of SMT pick-and-place equipment with captive feeder product lines. Competes with Hover-Davis indirectly by offering integrated feeder solutions for high-volume electronics manufacturers.
• Yamaha Motor (SMT Section): SMT equipment division of Yamaha Motor offering pick-and-place platforms with integrated feeder portfolios. Overlaps with Hover-Davis at the SMT line component feeding layer.

Direct peers

• Europlacer: UK-based pick-and-place manufacturer that also sells its own tape and tube feeder families for SMT lines. Overlaps directly with Hover-Davis in component feeding for mid-volume and high-mix electronics assembly.
• Essemtec: Swiss manufacturer of SMT pick-and-place machines and flexible feeder systems, including tape and odd-form feeding solutions. Directly comparable to Hover-Davis as a supplier of specialty feeders for high-mix assembly.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoverdavis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hover-Davis