Date: Oct 01, 2012 Author: Don Seiffert Source: Mass High Tech (
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Despite the ending of the war in Iraq, and the winding down of one in Afghanistan, Westwood provider of electrical power supply products for military uses Acumentrics Holding Corp. is not only confident of the future market for its product, it just launched a new product and is looking for a new space to expand manufacturing.
Steve Graves, vice president of for the 90-employee company, told Mass High Tech that the company has been making uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for 18 years now. The technology consists of a solid fuel cell and a proprietary device which "cleans up" the power from generators so it can be used for computer and high-tech communications devices, Graves said.
"When you're in the middle of the desert, you have this diesel generator that's notorious for horrific power," he said. The device is small and light enough to be carried by a soldier, making it ideal for mountainous terrain, he said. This summer, the company launched the Rugged Blade UPS, an upgraded version of the device which can provide 1000 watts of AC or DC power, and weighs 28 pounds with the optional Lithium-ion battery pack.
The company has grown steadily in the past five years, thanks in part to $2 million in angel investment the company received last year. Today, graves said, the company is seeking a larger manufacturing space in order to double the production of its UPS systems.
Although cuts to military spending by the U.S. government are likely in coming years, Graves said the company expects that demand for its products will increase. For one, it's not only used by soldiers, but by unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. For another, he said, the military will still need communications devices regardless of whether there are active wars.
"Even if the military gets smaller, they typically cut tanks and ships," said Graves. "But your soldiers are always going to need communications capabilities."
