Seeking to bolster its offerings and capabilities in the infrared (IR) camera space, Teledyne Technologies [TDY] on Friday said it has acquired a majority interest in Nova Sensors, which designs integrated circuits, integrated camera electronics, and manufactures mid-wave and short-wave IR camera systems.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Teledyne’s stake is just over 50 percent and the company plans to purchase the rest of Nova Sensors within three years.
In the mid-wave IR camera market, Teledyne currently offers a mercury cadmium telluride-based camera that is highly sensitive but also expensive. Nova Sensors makes an indium antimonide-based mid-wave cooled camera that is also highly sensitive but less expensive, allowing Teledyne to offer its customers more options. The cameras are used in the tactical military market.
Nova Sensors is also developing a short-wave IR camera that would also be a new offering for Teledyne, although it does offer short-wave IR focal plane arrays. The expected end market initially for these cameras are small unmanned aircraft systems.
California-based Nova Sensors primarily sells to original equipment manufactures mainly for the tactical military market.
“Our investment in Nova Sensors further increases Teledyne’s involvement in infrared imaging systems for both commercial and tactical military operations,” Robert Mehrabian, chairman, president and CEO of Teledyne, said in a statement. “Along with the recent acquisition of DALSA Corp., Teledyne can now offer a significantly expanded range of digital imaging components and complete camera systems spanning the X-ray, ultra violet, visible and infrared spectra.”