Print version

Business News

Ventura firm to use ThinGap technology

Interest, orders growing for tiny electric motors

4/15/03

The agreement calls for ThinGap to use BEI optical encoder motor feedback products and drive electronics for appropriate motor control and servo applications. BEI will facilitate contract manufacturing of motors and motor components, supplementing ThinGap's manufacturing capacity with high volume, automated motor production.

This comes on the heels of ThinGap raising $2.3 million in financing in the fourth quarter. The 14-employee company has a manufacturing plant in Ventura.

Its wireless and slotless electromotive coil technology bring the magnetic forces of a motor together in a unique way providing better efficiency for lower power costs and more power in a smaller package. These brush and brushless motors are used for robots, medical instruments and devices, power tools and more.

The company has received a major contract from the Defense Advanced Research Planning Agency to develop motors for unmanned aerial vehicles, said Doug Crawford, chief marketing officer. He said ThinGap also is in negotiations to build its products inside other company's motors.

"We have received our first 1,000-motor order," Mr. Crawford said, "and we are now doubling our manufacturing capacity."

-- Mark van de Kamp