A big player in the world of the very small
The Karlsruhe-based company PI has recently become co-owner of miCos GmbH in Eschebach, Germany. This allows PI to supplement its extensive micro- and nanopositioning portfolio with a specialist in the field of vacuum applications and system integration. PI thereby expands its range of fast, high-precision system solutions, especially in the area of micropositioning, with air bearing technology and linear motors, for example.
In the future, PI-miCos will function as a subsidiary of PI GmbH & Co. KG. Lucius Amelung will remain Managing Director.
Dr. Karl Spanner, Managing Director of PI, is pleased with the success of the negotiations: "We expect a lot from the synergy effects of this integration and are looking forward to the related challenges and a successful cooperation. Our use of common resources – such as technical know-how, many years of experience, highly qualified employees and extensive industry knowledge – opens up new potentials.“
Lucius Amelung, Managing Director of miCos GmbH, sees only advantages for customers and the company as a result of the merger with PI: "We have found a strong, experienced partner in PI. Cooperation with the technological leader in nanopositioning technology and piezoelectric drives opens up new possibilities for us to develop high-quality, innovative products. We are acquiring a new global presence while maintaining our product portfolio, the Eschenbach location and the contacts for our customers."
The integration process of the two successful companies will be quickly implemented in the coming months.
Physik Instrumente’s (PI) piezoelectric components are being used as ultrasonic transducers in air-bubble detectors (ABD), such as Sonotec’s Sonocheck ultrasonic sensors, generating and receiving ultrasonic waves in much the same way as sonar is used. ABDs are used in medical engineering where there is a frequent requirement for products capable of producing an undisturbed flow of liquid, without the presence of pockets of gas. This is essential for applications such as dialysis, transfusion pumps and heart-lung machines, where continuous flow monitoring is necessary, and is achieved with the aid of ultrasonic technology.
Teem Photonics, France, a world leader in passively Q-switched microchip lasers, has chosen PI's P-611 NanoCube® piezo stage – a high-precision, multi-axis piezo nanopositioning system – for its new µFab3D microfabrication system. Typically used in microfluidics, cell biology and the manufacture of photonic crystal structures in micro-optics, the µFab3D system uses two-photon absorption to produce 3D polymer, protein, metal or other biomaterials microstructures. The integration of PI’s versatile P-611 NanoCube into the µFab3D system enables precise alignment of laser and machining points, achieving resolution of 200 nm at speeds of up to 100 µm/s, for homogenous, high quality results.