OAV Air Bearings
OAV Air Bearings is a privately held US precision motion-systems manufacturer that designs and builds porous-graphite (GraphAir™) air bearings, motorized stages, and multi-axis platforms for aerospace & defense, semiconductor, automotive, medical, and research applications worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPrinceton, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What OAV Air Bearings does
OAV Air Bearings is a privately held US manufacturer of precision air bearings, frictionless motion components, and integrated motion stages, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, with precision manufacturing operations in Pennington, NJ. The company designs and produces a broad catalog of porous-graphite air bearings — including air bushings, roller bearings, thrust bearings, flat round and rectangular bearings, tapered roller bearings, spherical bearings, vacuum-preloaded bearings, foil bearings, and modular configurations — alongside pre-integrated motorized linear guides, multi-axis platforms (XY, XYZ, XYθ, XYZθ), and rotary stages. Its core technology is the proprietary GraphAir™ porous graphite air bearing platform, which delivers uniform air distribution across the bearing face via pressurized porous carbon surfaces rather than discrete orifices, achieving sub-micron to nanometer positioning accuracy and rotational accuracy up to 0.025 µm with self-acting foil bearings reaching 250,000 RPM at 40mm.
OAV sells primarily through direct enterprise field sales supported by a global authorized distributor network spanning 15+ countries, supplemented by online RFQ intake, a Product Finder tool, and an Air Bearing Calculator. The company is AS 9100 Rev D and ISO 9001:2015 certified, with EU-RoHS and REACH compliance for regulated markets, and operates wholly-owned sales subsidiaries OAV Labs (Seoul, Korea) and OAV Teknoloji A.S (Kayseri, Turkey). Revenue is generated through custom and standard hardware sales on an Assemble-to-Order basis, engineering consultation and design services (3D CAD, prototype validation, rotor dynamics), and OEM-grade components and spare parts; pricing is quote-based with upfront payment for custom work and Net 30 for credit-approved enterprise customers. Marquee customers include NASA, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, SpaceX, Honeywell, L3 Technologies, Ford, Siemens, 3M, Bosch, MIT, and Princeton University, with target verticals spanning aerospace & defense, semiconductor manufacturing, automotive (including EV battery), medical equipment, metrology, research and testing, machine tools, and marine/renewable energy.
OAV Air Bearings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OAV Air Bearings
- Legal name
- OAV Air Bearings
- Website
- https://oavco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- OAV Air Bearings is a privately held US precision motion-systems manufacturer that designs and builds porous-graphite (GraphAir™) air bearings, motorized stages, and multi-axis platforms for aerospace & defense, semiconductor, automotive, medical, and research applications worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OAV Air Bearings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Air Bearings and Motion Systems
- NAICS
- Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991)
- SIC
- Ball & Roller Bearings (3562), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aerospace Bearings, Bushings & Motion Components (IMABANAB)
Keywords
Where OAV Air Bearings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Princeton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
OAV Air Bearings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Air Bearing Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of custom and standard air bearings tailored to specific customer applications. Products include air bushings, roller air bearings, thrust bearings, flat air bearings, foil bearings, modular bearings, linear guides, and motorized stages. Manufacturing follows Assemble-To-Order (ATO) model with custom and standard jobs typically requiring upfront payment. Enterprise customers with approved credit may pay on Net 30 terms.
- Engineering and Design Services: Precision motion engineering consultation, custom design, prototype validation, and rotor dynamics analysis services. Engineers provide detailed drawings, 3D CAD models (formats: dxf, dwg, sat, iges), and technical support for air bearing integration into customer products.
- OEM Component and Spare Parts Supply: Supply of aerospace-quality components including fittings, shafts, tubing, O-rings, blocks, and plates. Compatible with standard and custom system configurations, supporting OEM and aftermarket spare parts needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Air Bearings — quote-based pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom Air Bearing Solutions — project-based pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Authorized Distributor Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels12 records
OAV Air Bearings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OAV Air Bearings designs, manufactures, and supplies precision air bearings and integrated frictionless motion systems based on its proprietary GraphAir™ porous graphite technology. The product portfolio spans air bushings, roller air bearings, thrust/flat/tapered/spherical/foil/vacuum-preloaded air bearings, linear guides, multi-axis platforms, and pre-integrated motorized rotary and linear stages, sold as both standard catalog items and fully custom engineered solutions. Bundled with every sale is application-specific engineering consultation, prototype validation, 3D CAD modeling, and rotor dynamics analysis serving aerospace, semiconductor, automotive, medical, metrology, machine tool, and research customers.
Product overview
OAV Air Bearings is a precision motion systems company offering a comprehensive portfolio of air bearing products and integrated motion solutions. The product lineup centers on their proprietary GraphAir porous graphite bearing technology, which enables frictionless non-contact motion across diverse industrial applications. Core products include over 15 distinct air bearing types (Air Bushings, Roller Air Bearings, Thrust Air Bearings, Flat Air Bearings, Tapered Roller Air Bearings, Spherical Air Bearings, Foil Air Bearings, Modular Air Bearings, Vacuum Preloaded Air Bearings, and specialty variants like X-Spin and Temperature-Controlled models), complemented by Linear Air Bearing Guides, Linear Slides Assemblies, and Components (fittings, shafts, tubing, O-rings, blocks, and plates). The integrated motion product line includes Pre-Integrated Linear Guides, Multi-Axis Platforms, and Motorized Rotary Air Bearing Stages that combine GraphAir bearings with motors and feedback systems. Supporting tools include a Product Finder Tool for application-based product selection and an Air Bearing Calculator for engineering calculations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GraphAir™: Proprietary porous graphite air bearing technology that provides uniform air distribution and zero contact motion
- OAV Labs
Products and services
- Air Bushings Externally pressurized GraphAir™ bearings for precision shaft guidance. Porous air films provide uniform radial support with zero mechanical contact and low hysteresis, used for precision linear and rotary shaft applications.
- Air Bearing Bars Linear air bearing components designed for precision shaft guidance and motion applications.
- Epoxy Bonded Air Bearings GraphAir™ bearing elements secured with a thin epoxy bond layer for minimal bond thickness ensuring accurate positioning and stiffness, providing stable permanent attachment without mechanical fasteners.
- Flat Rectangular Air Bearings Flat rectangular bearings providing non-contact axial constraint using GraphAir™ technology with externally pressurized air films delivering smooth stable motion optimized for rotary applications.
- Flat Round Air Bearings Planar air bearings designed to operate on flat nonporous surfaces using GraphAir™ technology, compatible with granite, aluminum, glass, and ceramic substrates.
- Foil Air Bearings Self-acting air bearings for high-speed machinery using hydrodynamic air films to eliminate external air supply while delivering stable non-linear performance at extreme speeds up to 250,000 RPM (40mm journal bearings).
- Linear Air Bearing Guides Linear GraphAir™ bearing guides for long-travel precision motion with uniform air pressure distribution ensuring straightness and smoothness, high stiffness with no rolling or sliding elements.
- Linear Slides Assemblies Pre-assembled linear motion systems combining air bearings with guide rails for ready-to-install precision motion stages.
- Modular Air Bearings Air bearing elements designed as independent installable modules that can be configured across different systems and geometries, enabling flexible layouts, scalability, and custom architectures.
- Open Pillow Block Air Bearings GraphAir™ bearing pillow blocks for precision shaft guidance using a rigid shaft-supported rail design to minimize deflection and maintain straightness over long precision travel.
- Roller Air Bearings Preloaded GraphAir™ bearings supporting both horizontal and vertical load axes with opposing externally pressurized air films establishing controlled preload for exceptional stiffness, stability, and precision under combined loads.
- X-Spin Roller Air Bearings Outer ring spin rotary air bearings with stationary bore and rotating outer ring delivering non-contact motion with rotational accuracy up to 0.025 microns in a robust drop-in bearing form.
- Motorized Rotary Air Bearing Stages Direct-drive rotary stages with GraphAir™ bearing radial and axial support enabling smooth velocity and zero cogging effects with high load capacity and low angular error motion.
- Roll-to-Roll Contactless Air-supported rollers for continuous web handling creating a stable air cushion between roller and material, eliminating friction, surface damage, and contamination for delicate films and high-value webs.
- Tapered Roller Air Bearings GraphAir™ bearings designed for combined radial and axial load support, consisting of inner assembly and outer cage with tapered geometry, typically mounted in opposing pairs on a shaft.
- Temp-Controlled Thrust Air Bushings Thrust GraphAir™ bushings for extreme temperatures with integrated thermal control maintaining stable geometry, stiffness, and accuracy in thermally critical precision applications.
- Thrust Air Bearings & Bushings Fully integrated air bearings operating on three-way frictionless surface with GraphAir™ technology providing axial and radial constraints for ultra-precise frictionless thrust motion.
- Vacuum Preloaded Air Bearings Opposed air films combined with controlled vacuum preload using GraphAir™ technology for increased stiffness, suppression of dynamic lift variation, improved load capacity, and positional stability.
- Spherical Air Bearings GraphAir™ bearings designed for multi-axis and angular motion with precision spherical elements operating against a concave porous surface, providing stable non-contact support for high accuracy in demanding environments.
- Components Aerospace-quality fittings, shafts, tubing, O-rings, blocks, and plates designed to complete and support air bearing assemblies, compatible with standard and custom system configurations — supplied as OEM components and spare parts.
- Pre-Integrated Linear Guides Motorized linear stages with integrated GraphAir™ bearing guidance. Externally pressurized air films eliminate friction, wear, and stick-slip. Factory-aligned motors, bearings, and feedback systems deliver high straightness, stiffness, and repeatable positioning accuracy.
- Multi-Axis Platforms Stacked linear and rotary GraphAir™ bearing axes in a unified structure supporting XY, XYZ, XYθ, XYZθ, and custom kinematic architectures with high system stiffness and smooth coupled multi-axis motion.
- GraphAir Bearing Technology Proprietary porous graphite air bearing technology enabling uniform air distribution and zero-contact motion for frictionless performance and ultra-precision engineering — marketed and licensed under the GraphAir™ brand as OAV's core technology platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 0.025 µm rotational accuracy on X-Spin rotary air bearings
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use OAV Air Bearings
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
OAV Air Bearings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
OAV Air Bearings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ACHSTRON Motion Control GmbHcoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Germany market from locations in Rottweil and Cologne, Germany. Handles local sales, customer support, and distribution of OAV air bearing products across Germany.
- CGB Precision Products P/LcoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Australian market from Carrum Downs, Victoria, Australia. Provides local sales and support for OAV precision air bearing products.
- CYH Importação e Exportação LtdacoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Brazilian market from São Paulo, Brazil. Handles local distribution and customer support for OAV air bearing products in Brazil.
- Plant & Mill Motion Control Sdn BhdcoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Malaysian market from Penang, Malaysia. Provides local sales, support, and distribution of OAV air bearing products.
- Plant & Mill Supplies Pte LtdcoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Singapore market from Loyang Lane, Singapore. Handles local distribution and support for OAV precision air bearing products.
- PMC Technology Co.coreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Thailand market from Bangkok, Thailand. Provides local sales and distribution of OAV air bearing products in Thailand.
- Kaltec International Co., LTD.coreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the Taiwan market from New Taipei City, Taiwan. Handles local distribution and customer support for OAV air bearing products.
- Shanghai Winer Motion Co., Ltd.coreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the China market from Shanghai, China. Provides local sales, support, and distribution of OAV air bearing products in China.
- Ishavi Optronix Pvt LtdcoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the India market from Shivamogga, Karnataka, India. Handles local distribution and customer support for OAV air bearing products.
- Iso Tech InccoreAuthorized OAV distributor serving the US market from Hartfield, Pennsylvania, USA. Provides local sales and distribution support for OAV air bearing products in the Pennsylvania region.
- OAV Labs (Seoul, South Korea)coreOAV subsidiary acting as the authorized sales and operations office for OAV Air Bearings in South Korea, covering sales, customer support, and market development in the Korean market.
- OAV Teknoloji A.S (Kayseri, Turkey)coreOAV subsidiary acting as the authorized sales and operations office for OAV Air Bearings in Turkey, covering sales, customer support, and market development in the Turkish market.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OAV Air Bearings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OAV Air Bearings social profiles
Digital presenceOAV Air Bearings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
OAV Air Bearings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OAV Air Bearings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
OAV Air Bearings subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
OAV Air Bearings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OAV Air Bearings 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 OAV Air Bearings
What does OAV Air Bearings do?
OAV Air Bearings designs, manufactures, and supplies precision air bearings and integrated frictionless motion systems based on its proprietary GraphAir™ porous graphite technology. The product portfolio spans air bushings, roller air bearings, thrust/flat/tapered/spherical/foil/vacuum-preloaded air bearings, linear guides, multi-axis platforms, and pre-integrated motorized rotary and linear stages, sold as both standard catalog items and fully custom engineered solutions. Bundled with every sale is application-specific engineering consultation, prototype validation, 3D CAD modeling, and rotor dynamics analysis serving aerospace, semiconductor, automotive, medical, metrology, machine tool, and research customers.
Is OAV Air Bearings a public or private company?
OAV Air Bearings is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was OAV Air Bearings founded?
OAV Air Bearings was founded in 2011. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is OAV Air Bearings based?
OAV Air Bearings is headquartered in Princeton, United States, in the North America region.
How does OAV Air Bearings make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Air Bearing Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are engineering and Design Services and OEM Component and Spare Parts Supply.
Does OAV Air Bearings have an API?
No public API is recorded for OAV Air Bearings.
What industry is OAV Air Bearings in?
OAV Air Bearings's product category is Precision Air Bearings and Motion Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABANAB, Aerospace Bearings, Bushings & Motion Components. Its NAICS code is 332991 and its SIC code is 3562.