Six Decades of Frictionless Innovation
The Free-Flex® Pivot was originally designed, patented, and manufactured by Bendix Corporation in 1961 as a revolutionary alternative to rolling element bearings for limited angular rotation applications.
Through a series of acquisitions — Lucas, TRW, Goodrich — the product never left its original home. In 2004, The Riverhawk Company purchased the entire product line, including all manufacturing equipment, documentation, and key personnel.
In fact, one of Riverhawk Company's founders' father was instrumental in the original development of the Free-Flex® Pivot product line. We are the original.
The Free-Flex® Timeline
Bendix Corporation
Free-Flex® Pivot originally designed, patented, and manufactured by Bendix Corporation as an alternative to rolling element bearings for limited angular rotation.
NASA Lunar Orbiter Program
Flexural pivots selected for the gimbal support system on all five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft — operating flawlessly across extreme temperatures with no lubrication required.
Lucas & TRW
Through a series of acquisitions, the product line passed to Lucas Industries and then TRW, always remaining at its original manufacturing home.
Goodrich Corporation
Goodrich (formerly BF Goodrich) acquired the product line as part of their aerospace division, continuing the legacy of precision engineering.
Riverhawk Company
Riverhawk purchased the entire Free-Flex® Pivot product line from Goodrich, including all manufacturing equipment, documentation, and key personnel.
NASA Lucy Mission Launch
Riverhawk brazed flex-pivots launched aboard NASA's Lucy spacecraft on a 12-year mission to the Trojan asteroids, powering the L'Ralph Scan Mirror Mechanism designed by NASA Goddard.
LaserCube / Fine Pointing Assembly
Free-Flex® pivots modeled in the Fine Pointing Assembly (FPA) fast-steering mirrors of inter-satellite laser communication terminals, enabling precision optical telemetry links for military and space operations.
ASME Research Publication
EPFL researchers published a peer-reviewed ASME paper citing Free-Flex® pivot technology, introducing a novel zero-parasitic-shift flexure pivot family (n-RRR Pivot) — validating the foundational design principles pioneered by Riverhawk.
60+ Years of Innovation
Riverhawk continues to advance flexural pivot technology, serving aerospace, defense, optics, semiconductor, and precision engineering markets worldwide.
Years of Heritage
Cycles Tested
Standard Diameters
Standard Part Numbers
Precision Made in America
Our facility in New Hartford, New York houses the complete manufacturing capability for Free-Flex® pivots. From raw material to finished, tested product, every step is controlled in-house.
Standard materials include AISI 410 or 420 corrosion-resistant steel for bodies and AISI 420 for flexures. Normal assembly uses brazing; electron beam welding is available for elevated temperature applications. Special materials include Inconel, beryllium copper, and titanium.
What Drives Us
Precision Excellence
Every pivot manufactured to aerospace-grade tolerances with rigorous quality control under ISO 9001:2015.
Engineering Heritage
Our team includes founders whose families were instrumental in the original development of Free-Flex® technology.
Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce
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U.S. Drone Soccer
R.P. Luce & Co., Inc.
Westech Associates
Potter-GMH Technologies
AZG Consulting GmbH
Lumberg Limited
Dr. Marino Mueller AG
Goliath-Hollinda B.V.
Novatec Precision Systems Ltd.
Daitron Co., LTD.
Vantong IndustriesGreater Utica Chamber of CommerceCNY DronesU.S. Drone SoccerR.P. Luce & Co., Inc.Westech AssociatesPotter-GMH TechnologiesAZG Consulting GmbHLumberg LimitedDr. Marino Mueller AGGoliath-Hollinda B.V.Novatec Precision Systems Ltd.Daitron Co., LTD.Vantong IndustriesGreater Utica Chamber of CommerceCNY DronesU.S. Drone SoccerR.P. Luce & Co., Inc.Westech AssociatesPotter-GMH TechnologiesAZG Consulting GmbHLumberg LimitedDr. Marino Mueller AGGoliath-Hollinda B.V.Novatec Precision Systems Ltd.Daitron Co., LTD.Vantong Industries