ATI Industrial Automation Company Profile: History, Ownership and Products
Updated: 7 days ago
ATI Industrial Automation makes the tool changers and force/torque sensors that sit between a robot's wrist and its tool. It was founded in 1989 in North Carolina and has been owned by Novanta since 2021. This profile sets out its history, ownership and products.
ATI at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | ATI Industrial Automation |
Founded | 1989 |
Base | Raleigh area, North Carolina, USA |
Employees | More than 350 at the time of the acquisition |
Sales | Expected to exceed USD 70 million in 2021 |
Owner | Novanta, since 2021 |
Purchase price | USD 172 million in cash |
Patents | 60 at the time of the acquisition |
Ownership
Novanta, a listed American supplier of precision components for medical and industrial equipment, announced on July 19, 2021, that it would buy ATI for USD 172 million in cash, with a possible increase if ATI met financial targets for that year. The price was about 2.5 times ATI's expected sales. For Novanta the deal added end-of-arm tooling to its range, brought 60 patents and created a precision motion segment of nearly USD 250 million. Bob Little was ATI's chief executive at the time, and Matthijs Glastra led Novanta.
Products
Product | What it does |
Robotic tool changers | Let a robot swap tools automatically |
Force/torque sensors | Measure the forces at the robot's wrist, for assembly, finishing and testing |
Collision sensors | Protect the robot and tool in a crash |
Cobot tooling kits | Ready-made end-of-arm kits, for example for FANUC's CRX cobots, released in January 2021 |
The products are used in industrial, collaborative and medical robots. Novanta pointed to electric vehicle production, medical robotics and collaborative robotics as the growth areas behind the purchase.
ATI product reviews on All Things Cobots
Can You Invest in ATI?
Not directly. Its parent, Novanta, is listed on Nasdaq. This is general information, not investment advice.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
A leading name in tool changers and force/torque sensing.
Use across industrial, collaborative and surgical robots.
A parent with complementary motion and sensing technology.
Challenges
Robot makers that increasingly build force sensing into their own arms.
Dependence on robot installation volumes.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 14 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
ATI FAQ
Who owns ATI Industrial Automation?
Novanta, which bought it in 2021 for USD 172 million in cash.
When was ATI founded?
In 1989.
What does ATI make?
Robotic tool changers, force/torque sensors, collision sensors and end-of-arm tooling kits.
Where is ATI based?
In the Raleigh area of North Carolina.
How large was ATI when it was sold?
More than 350 employees and expected sales above USD 70 million in 2021.
Sources
The Robot Report: Novanta acquiring ATI Industrial Automation for USD 172 million
