Yaskawa and Motoman merge

Robotics supplier Motoman Inc. and Yaskawa Electric America Inc., a manufacturer of AC drives and motion control products, have announced that they will merge to form Yaskawa America Inc.

Motoman operations, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, will form the Motoman robotics division of Yaskawa America, while the Yaskawa Electric America Inc. operations, headquartered in Waukegan, Ill., will form the drives and motion division.

The drives and motion division and the Motoman robotics division will continue to operate as independent divisions, retaining the same management structures and operating in the same geographical regions currently in place, according to Yaskawa.

“Using the name Yaskawa on a global basis will strengthen our corporate identity and emphasize the strong global connection between drives, motion control products and robotics,” said Gen Kudo, chairman and CEO of Yaskawa.

“We are particularly excited about the prospects for developing advanced controls technology utilizing the expertise and experience of both divisions,” added Steve Barhorst, president and COO of the Motoman robotics division.