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January 19, 2007 - Victor, NY - New Scale Technologies, Inc.
today announced plans to create a $1M manufacturing center for
automated, high-precision manufacturing of its patented SQUIGGLE
motors. The new 15,000 square foot facility will allow New Scale to
increase its production capacity to 100,000 SQUIGGLE motors per
month. This capacity will be used to fulfill existing and
anticipated contracts for SQUIGGLE motors for mobile phone camera
modules and other miniature devices.
"This investment highlights the success of our newest and smallest
SQUIGGLE motor," said New Scale CEO and chief technology officer
David Henderson. "It is part of a phased plan to expand production
of these tiny ultrasonic motors through increasing automation of our
assembly processes."
The state-of-the-art manufacturing center will feature
micrometer-precision robotic assembly, which is essential for
achieving the precision and repeatability needed to produce these
millimeter-scale motors in high volumes. The new facility is also
designed for flexibility, allowing New Scale to manufacture multiple
SQUIGGLE motor products to target multiple OEM (original equipment
manufacturer) markets.
New Scale currently has a strong position in the market for mobile
phone cameras, which is forecast to grow from 500 million/year in
2005 to 900 million/year in 2009. This represents an emerging market
for more than one billion tiny motors/year as camera designers race
to improve image quality by adding features such as
auto focus
and optical zoom to mobile phone cameras. Miniaturization,
precision, robustness and low power consumption are critical
requirements that are not met by traditional motors. With half the
size and ten times the precision of competing motor technologies,
the SQUIGGLE motor is expected to capture a sizeable share of this
market.
New Scale is also actively pursuing market opportunities in
miniature
motors for medical devices, where the SQUIGGLE motor enables
smaller devices such as drug pumps and MRI-compatible systems.
Additional opportunities exist for electronic security locks,
intelligent fasteners, cryogenic imagers for homeland security, and
emerging microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip applications.
New Scale was founded in 2002 and shipped its first SQUIGGLE motors
in 2004. It doubled its workforce in 2006 and plans to do so again
in 2007, hiring approximately 30 new employees in skilled
manufacturing, quality assurance, quality control and automated
manufacturing equipment operation.
The new Victor manufacturing center is three times the size of the
company’s existing facility, also in Victor. The investment is funded by the
company’s ongoing profitable operations, with additional support
planned from Ontario County’s Office of Economic Development
Revolving Loan Fund.
"New Scale Technologies is a great Ontario County success story,"
said Ontario County Industrial Development Agency director Mike
Manikowski. "This high-tech product was invented here, first
produced here by skilled technicians, and is now creating high-tech
manufacturing jobs of the type that can’t easily be done using
low-cost offshore labor."
The company is already planning its next phase of manufacturing
expansion. It is currently evaluating several potential locations
for its next facility, which will have capacity to produce one
million motors per month.
About New Scale Technologies, Inc.
New Scale Technologies, Inc. (www.newscaletech.com)
makes miniature ceramic motors that enable our customers to create
smaller products and research tools. Our patented piezoelectric
SQUIGGLE motors are half the size of competing micromotors and offer
ten times better position resolution and push force. With only seven
parts and no gears, SQUIGGLE motors are more efficient and precise
than conventional electromagnetic motors. These ultrasonic motors
are compatible with extreme environments including vacuum, very low
(sub-Kelvin) temperatures, and high magnetic fields including MRI
chambers. SQUIGGLE motors are used in microelectronics, optics,
lasers, biotechnology, medical devices, aerospace and defense, fluid
control, nanotechnology research, and office/consumer products
including mobile phone cameras.
SQUIGGLE is a registered trademark of New Scale Technologies, Inc.
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