Mechanical Components > Yaskawa
Yaskawa Electric is a global leader and pioneer in drive technology, industrial automation, and robotics. The company’s core business is organized into four main segments:
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Motion Control
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Industrial Robotics
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AC Drives and Inverters
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Semiconductor Solutions for Wafer Automation
Yaskawa America, Inc. plays a key role in these sectors, manufacturing AC inverter drives, motion control systems, and robotics automation solutions.
Robotics & Innovation
Yaskawa independently develops and optimizes servo motors—critical components in its MOTOMAN industrial robots. By integrating advanced control software and application-specific technologies, Yaskawa delivers highly specialized robotic systems for applications such as welding, painting, and material handling.
Since introducing Japan’s first all-electric industrial robot in 1977, Yaskawa has shipped nearly 500,000 MOTOMAN units globally. Today, over 2.7 million Yaskawa industrial robots are in operation worldwide, driving production in industries such as automotive, electronics, home appliances, and more.
Yaskawa America, Inc. – Drives & Motion Division
Headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois and operating since 1967, Yaskawa America’s Drives & Motion Division manufactures and supports a wide range of industrial automation products, including:
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AC Drives (Industrial, Commercial HVAC, and Spindle)
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Servo Systems and Motion Controllers
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Motors and Drives for Specialized Applications
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Medium and Low Voltage Control Products
Yaskawa’s solutions are trusted across applications such as conveyors, compressors, pumps, fans, grinders, extruders, injection molding machines, and rotary indexing systems. The company serves diverse industries including automotive, HVAC, food and beverage, packaging, material handling, chemical/petrochemical, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and textiles.
Commitment to Quality
Yaskawa America upholds a strong commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. For over four decades, Yaskawa has manufactured high-quality products in North America and continues to set industry benchmarks for reliability and performance.
Building Brand Recognition in North America
Despite nearly a century in business, Yaskawa’s brand recognition in North America was initially limited due to its 1967 market strategy—partnering with companies like MagneTek, Saftronics, Omron IDM Controls, and EMS to sell Yaskawa products under their own brands.
This changed starting in 2001, when Yaskawa acquired the Drives Group of MagneTek, bringing branding in-house. The transition was completed by:
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Ending the Saftronics partnership in April 2001
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Acquiring Omron IDM’s HVAC and industrial business in August 2004
Since then, all drive products in the Americas have been marketed solely under the Yaskawa brand. Today, there are over one million Yaskawa drives in operation across North America, with tens of millions installed globally.
