Firms Ally To Create Smaller Motion-Control Systems

Analog IC provider austriamicrosystems has formed a strategic business and technical partnership with New Scale Technologies Inc., a privately held developer and manufacturer of miniature motion systems. The companies will integrate austriamicrosystems’ high-performance analog ICs with New Scale’s patented piezoelectric Squiggle motors. By reducing the supporting control electronics to single ICs, the partnership allows New Scale to create complete motion systems on the same scale as its miniature motors, currently less than 2 by 2 by 6 mm. Under the Series B preferred equity transaction, austriamicrosystems made a $6 million investment in exchange for a 25 percent minority share of New Scale, which is based in Victor, N.Y. As part of their strategic partnership, austriamicrosystems and New Scale are actively pursuing opportunities in auto focus and optical zoom modules for mobile phone cameras, actuators for electronic locks, micro fluidic pumps for medical devices, and active control systems for automotive components. "This partnership enables us to produce a new line of disruptively small motion systems with best-in-class precision and power efficiency," David Henderson, New Scale’s CEO and CTO, said in a statement.