AM Staff

Motoman Inc. and Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. are combining their organizations to form Yaskawa America Inc. Chairman and CEO Gen Kudo said the new organization would be able to exploit Yaskawa's position as the world's largest manufacturer of AC drives, motion control products and industrial robots. "The global economy is recovering and we believe this is the perfect time to combine the brand name strength of Yaskawa and Motoman.

Motoman is the second-largest robotics company in the Americas with approximately 30,000 units installed for arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal and spot welding operations. The Motoman will form Yaskawa America Inc.’s Motoman Robotics division.

Yaskawa is the world's largest manufacturer of AC drives and a motion control product, including adjustable frequency drives, servo amplifiers, servomotors, machine controllers and motion controllers. Yaskawa Electric America supplies industrial control and automation products to markets in the Americas. Its two assembly plants produce inverters, servo motors and custom industrial panels.

The Yaskawa Electric America operations in Waukegan, Ill., will form the new organization’s Drives & Motion division. Both divisions will operate independently, retaining their management structures.

Using the name Yaskawa on a global basis will strengthen the group’s corporate identity and emphasize the strong global connection between drives, motion control products and robotics.

"Our customers will enjoy the synergies of closer collaboration with our sister division," according to Jody Kurzhalts, president and COO of the Drives & Motion Division.

Steve Barhorst, president and COO of the Motoman Robotics division, said: "Our combined capabilities will lead to more innovative products. We are particularly excited about the prospects for developing advanced controls technology utilizing the expertise and experience of both divisions."