In research
laboratories, product development departments and on production lines around the world,
scientists and engineers depend on Newport
Corporation. The company is the leading worldwide manufacturer and distributor of
precision components and systems used for development and application of
laser and optical technologies, supporting not only advanced research, but also
sophisticated new technology and industrial applications. Its products and expertise are
increasingly used in semiconductor manufacturing and testing, fiber optic communications
and other commercial applications that require ever
increasing higher-precision and tighter tolerances.
Founded on Innovation:
Established in 1969 as Newport Research Corporation, the company's first products were
innovative steel-clad, honeycomb core tables designed to isolate
laser experiments from vibration. They proved to be a flexible, lower cost,
high-performance alternative to solid granite and solid steel tables, and found ready
acceptance among scientists who needed a stable platform for their laser-based
investigations.
As holography and interferometry technology excelled, Newport expanded the product
offering to meet the new needs of scientists and engineers. In addition to developing
vibration control products for this delicate, high-precision pursuit, the company worked
closely with its customers to become a full line source for mirrors, tables, posts, bases
and other related products. In 1971, the company began distributing products through the
Newport Catalog, which is recognized as the foremost sourcebook for precision
electro-optic and opto-mechanical products.
In 1991, the company purchased the micro-positioning products division of
Micro-Controle
located in Evry, France, known throughout the world for its design and manufacturing of
ultra-high precision positioning and motion control systems. In this acquisition, Newport
also gained Micro-Controle's U.S. sales organization, Klinger Systems Center originally
located in New York, now fully integrated into Newport's Precision Motion Systems
Division.
RAM Optical Instrumentation, Inc. was acquired by Newport Corp. in 1995. RAM Optical is a
manufacturer of video-based measurement and inspection systems. The product line includes
a variety of systems that incorporate advanced video microscopy and measurement technology
for small parts and assemblies. Newport Corp. also acquired Light Control Instruments,
Inc. of San Luis Obispo, Calif. in 1995. Light Control Instruments designs and
manufactures laser diode related test and control instrumentation and systems.
MicroPrecision Instruments was acquired in January 1996 and is fully integrated into our
Precision Motion Systems Division. Based in Plymouth, MN it is the leading supplier of
submicron precision linear, xy and rotational stages to OEMs primarily in semiconductor
and computer peripheral test and measurement applications.
High-Tech Products for High-Tech Markets:
For many years, Newport Corporation was known primarily as a company supplying
laser/electro-optical products to the laboratory and research market. Today the company's
focus has broadened to include high-growth, high-technology niche markets where its
equipment and expertise can add value to production processes and products. Its motion
control, vibration control, and positioning equipment, for example, find specific
applications in semiconductor manufacturing, fiber optic communications, and healthcare
and life sciences research and testing.
The company has applications expertise in precision test and measurement, non-contact
inspection, automated optical alignment, laser micro-ablation, non-destructive testing,
scanning microscopy, wafer inspection and microprobing.
Innovative new products that complement Newport's core technologies are added annually to
the Newport Catalogs, still regarded as a technical reference by scientists and engineers
worldwide. The catalogs are completely online and within this web site. In its 1997
editions, the company listed more than 6300 standard products. They include a full array
of compatible optics, fiber optics, positioners, instruments and vibration control
systems. Full technical support is offered in all disciplines, and OEM distribution
arrangements are used in specific markets. Products are divided into five categories:
Positioning Equipment. The company offers a full line of manually-operated and motorized
positioning equipment for motion control and precision automation applications. Its
products feature proprietary motion control architecture and many offer submicron accuracy
and repeatability. Newport's positioning systems include drives, linear and rotary stages,
motion controllers and related hardware. Optics. Products are targeted toward laser
users and those working with collimated light. This product line includes
opto-mechanical
devices such as collimators, beam expanders and spatial filters as well as optical
components like mirrors, beam splitters, prisms, polarized filters and lenses.
Vibration Control. High-precision measurements and processes - from cell manipulation and
electron microscopy to micromachining and wafer probing - require the stability that comes
from vibration-isolated support structures. Newport features the widest available
selection of tables, workstations, breadboards, accessories, legs and isolators, with an
installed base of over 30,000 systems worldwide.
Photonics. Products include laser diode instrumentation, optical power and energy meters,
optical detectors, optical fibers and fiber optic components, precision fiber alignment
components and systems, as well as lasers and other light sources. Automated
Photonics Packaging. High precision automated solutions for performing fiber alignment,
device characterization, and pigtailing/connectorizing of opto-electronic and integrated
optic devices. This includes package
design and manufacturing services. Video Metrology. A variety of non-contact video
based 3-axis measurement systems and a complete line of accessories and support services,
ranging from Measurement Software, Fiberoptic Illumination, Video Storage and
Documentation products, Crosshair Generators, Video Micrometers, Calibration Standards,
Application Engineering and Calibration Services.
Facilities:
Newport Corporation is headquartered in Irvine, California, and has 9 international
subsidiaries and 24 sales offices worldwide. In Irvine, it occupies two buildings totaling
191,000 square feet, which are devoted to manufacturing, sales, support and
administration. In 1994, the Irvine facility was registered as an ISO 9002 supplier after
passing a quality standards audit by the British Standards Institute. The company is the
first U.S. broad line supplier in the laser/electro-optic industry to achieve this
certification under the ISO quality standards system. Certification encompasses the
manufacturing of Newport products offered worldwide, including vibration control,
precision motion and motion control, laser optics, photonic alignment systems, optical
accessories, electronic instruments and laboratory equipment.
In Irvine, the company develops new products, designs and assembles prototypes, coats and
produces optics and vibration control systems, and machines and assembles precision
devices. CAD/CAM prototyping is used to make semi-custom and custom products quickly and
economically in small lots. In order to build precision into each product, the company
must sometimes develop advanced tools. To measure motion along multiple axes
simultaneously and with nanometer precision for example, it developed its own high-speed
interferometric test system. It has also developed a new, widely-used quantitative
performance standard for optical tables.
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