Nov 17 2009
Semiconductor veteran and serial entrepreneur Ellery Buchanan today announced the launch of FibeRio Technology Corporation, a company formed to integrate proprietary ForcespinningTMtechnology into equipment and manufacturing processes for the fabrication of polymeric, metallic, and ceramic nanofibers.
FibeRio has exclusively licensed ForcespinningTM technology, which utilizes centrifugal force and proprietary spinnerets to initiate the formation of nanofibers, from The University of Texas-Pan American. The revolutionary technology overcomes many of the drawbacks to the volatile electrospinning method, which requires a massive electrical charge and corrosive solvents to form and draw fibers onto a substrate. Having been chosen as an "Early Pick" to the World's Best Technology Showcase in March, ForcespinningTMis already receiving considerable attention.
"The range of nanofiber applications and the size of those respective markets are very impressive. However, the full potential of nanofibers is severely limited by the lack of a viable fabrication platform," said president and CEO Buchanan. "In delivering the highest quality equipment and manufacturing processes that utilize ForcespinningTMtechnology, FibeRio Technology Corporation will transform the materials market through the unlimited availability of nanofibers,"
Previous to his recent move into the field of nanofibers, Buchanan founded and operated as CEO of several semiconductor companies including NanoVance, Inc. and Integrated Solutions, Inc., a manufacturer of lithography equipment for the semiconductor industry. He also served in executive roles for the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium and Ultratech Stepper, Inc.
Edward Peno, co-founder and COO, noted the impressive production yields facilitated by Forcespinning'sTMhigh performance in melt-spinning. "The innovation behind ForcespinningTMtechnology is the drive for simplicity in fiber formation. In this respect, the inventors were very successful and the end result is equipment and processes with production yields that are unmatched in the field of nanofibers."
Peno has 35 years of global manufacturing experience and has served as executive director for TRW Automotive and director at Allied Signal Safety Restraints. He went on to say that, "FibeRio will quickly respond to the nanofiber market with product offerings that provide the research community with versatile production capabilities and the nonwovens industry with dramatically higher system level production capacities that will escalate the commercialization of nanofiber applications."
FibeRio will initially provide equipment for nanofiber research as it quickly scales up ForcespinningTMtechnology to industrial production. More information can be found at www.fiberiotech.com