{"title":"Physik Instrumente vs SMC: Actuation compared","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/compare/physik-instrumente-vs-smc","comparison":"SMC ranks 15 on the Robotics 100 with a score of 90; Physik Instrumente ranks 20 with 87. Physik Instrumente is ahead on deployment and technology. SMC is ahead on commercials, progress and firepower. Level on production, positioning and leverage. Physik Instrumente is based in Karlsruhe, Germany, SMC in Tokyo, Japan. Physik Instrumente is named in 0 signals and SMC in 12.","companies":[{"name":"Physik Instrumente","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/physik-instrumente","city":"Karlsruhe","country":"Germany","stage":null,"founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Physik Instrumente (PI) SE & Co. KG of Karlsruhe is a 1970-founded specialist in nanopositioning stages, piezo actuators, hexapods and air-bearing systems; since 31 Mar 2026 it operates as HOERBIGER's independent Positioning Division while retaining its name, brand and 1,900-person global footprint across nine production sites. 2025 group sales were 321 million euros; it delivered 2,500 hybrid actuators worth 15.9 million euros to ESO's ELT (project close Oct 2025) and opened a 140,000 sq ft US factory in Shrewsbury, MA in Nov 2025. Distinguishing point is full vertical integration of own piezo ceramics (PI Ceramic), in-house sensors/controllers and space-qualified PICMA actuators with NASA Mars and LEO-satellite heritage.","assessed_in":{"domain":"Robotics","list":"Robotics 100","rank":20,"score":87,"tier":"member","scores":{"gate_ne":["firepower"],"leverage":8,"position":10,"progress":6,"firepower":6,"commercial":8,"deployment":10,"production":10,"technology":10},"why":"Physik Instrumente builds precision motion systems, piezo platforms, and custom hybrid actuators that provide controlled positioning and movement for robotic and automation applications.","segment":"Actuation","layer":"Components"},"signals_total":0,"facts_total":14},{"name":"SMC","url":"https://www.frontiertechintelligence.com/companies/smc","city":"Tokyo","country":"Japan","stage":null,"founded":null,"last_round":null,"positioning":"Japan-based SMC is a global-scale manufacturer of pneumatic and electric actuation, control and robotic end-of-arm components, with company-reported 36% global pneumatic-equipment share. On Mar-04-26 its U.S. subsidiary released an expanded ZGP/ZGS vacuum-gripper system for cobot palletizing, and on Mar-23-26 it opened the Japan Technical Center for approximately 1,300 engineers; its FY ended Mar-31-26 filing reported ¥842.541 billion group automatic-control-equipment sales and ¥150.254 billion capital expenditure. Its manufacturing depth and certified FANUC integration distinguish it, although robotics-specific revenue and deployed-unit counts are not disclosed.","assessed_in":{"domain":"Robotics","list":"Robotics 100","rank":15,"score":90,"tier":"member","scores":{"gate_ne":["firepower"],"leverage":8,"position":10,"progress":9,"firepower":10,"commercial":10,"deployment":8,"production":10,"technology":8},"why":"SMC supplies pneumatic and automatic-control components for industrial robots, including cylinders, valves, fieldbus equipment and magnetless rodless cylinders.","segment":"Actuation","layer":"Components"},"signals_total":12,"facts_total":15}],"note":"Assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence; facts and signals carry their sources."}