Yaskawa is a world-leading manufacturer of inverter drives, servo drives, machine controllers and industrial robots.

Centa Gears

Renold Chain

ABB Drives and Motors


World News Archive

2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

  2007
  February 2007
Servo newcomer ABB aims to take 10% of the market
Baldor completes Rockwell acquisition to take 25% of North American market
Rockwell buys ProsCon and offers process migration path
Belden buys Hirschmann for $260m to expand into signalling
Parker adds SSD India to its fold
Large machine sales grow by 11%
In Brief
January 2007
Moeller sheds high-tech lines to focus on controlgear
Vacon signs deal to build drives for Converteam
$79bn process automation market attracts discrete suppliers
Windpower fans planetary gear sales
Siemens buys Ballard's EV drives business
Special report: SPS Show keeps on growing
In Brief

  2006

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  November 2006
Baldor doubles by buying Rockwell's power division for $1.8bn
Motion market slowed down in 2005
Tests show that "some Eff1 motors are really Eff2"
Global PLC sales head for $1bn
Proprietary technologies could hinder wireless market
ISO votes to replace EN 954-1 safety standard
Nidec buys Valeo's motors business for €165m
In Brief
  October 2006
Did takeover bid spur Schneider's $6bn UPS deal?
"Hidden" motion industry creates a global trade body
Obsolete Soviet-era motors could create a $1.7bn market
Control Techniques "dominates smart drives market"
Bearings sales spinning towards $42bn
Industrial RFID market "will quadruple"
In Brief
  September 2006
Global motion control market heads for $7bn
Cut-price Chinese Maglev plan sparks controversy
Dual-core processors will help to drive IPC market
Festo's wireless link will "accelerate roadmap"
Market shifts to ready-built linear motors
China will spend $60bn to axe accidents
In Brief
  July / August 2006
Siemens and Emerson agree to support each other's bus systems
UK funds global motor efficiency initiative
Schneider buys Elin to target high-power drives sector
"Job is done", so Iaona disbands
Teledyne buys Rockwell Scientific for $167m
Most seals "do not need ATEX certificates"
Sales of combined HMI-PLCs are rising
In Brief
  June 2006
Rockwell's sale of Reliance and Dodge could raise $2bn
Europe bounces back as global drives sales strengthen
Rexnord is sold again, for $1.8bn
Ametek buys PennEngineering Motion for $64m
US automotive giants opt for EtherNet/IP
Wireless market "will grow by 28%"
Omron sets up global controls hub in China
In Brief
  May 2006
Rockwell buys German software firm, GEPA
Europe's drives-makers 'face threat from the East'
Rockwell faces $97m damages bill after blast
  April 2006
Goodbye Alstom Power Conversion, hello Converteam
Chinese drives market soars by 18.8%
Siemens to invest $7.2m in former Robicon site
SKF buys French bearings-maker, SNFA
Novel motor propels Japan's 150km/h electric motorbike
PTC buys Mathsoft for $63m
Omron buys STI to triple its safety business
Indian wind turbine giant buys Hansen Transmissions
Analysis: Can Brook Crompton bounce back?
In Brief
  March 2006
Huco and Bibby get a new US owner
HMI market moves to open and Web-based systems
Interroll buys BDL to take lead in belt drives for the food industry
Rising energy prices propel sales of MV drives
Austria's ATB takes control at Brook Crompton
In Brief
  February 2006
Laurence Scott bounces back with plans for a US plant
Roulunds belts business joins ContiTech
Packaging offers rich pickings for automation
"More than 100" exhibitors desert Hannover for Automatica
WEG hits the 100 million motor mark
In Brief
January 2006
Rockwell aims for 9% growth in Europe
Globalisation drives automation market towards $40bn
Schneider raises its bid for Citect, and sells Num
Danfoss buys Chinese drives-maker
European gears market set to grow despite competition
TI sells sensors business for $1bn
In Brief

  2005

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  December 2005
Rockwell buys Datasweep to bolster enterprise links
Siemens creates motors JV in China
Users vote Beijer to be Europe's top HMI supplier
German automation show may turn away exhibitors
Alstom Power Conversion sale goes ahead
Globalisation drives PLC sales growth
In Brief
  November 2005
Emerson buys Saftronics to join Control Techniques
Bosch buys Nyquist to target precision markets
Rockwell plans to set up a Singapore hub
Schneider buys Crydom for $71m to lead SSR market
US motor-maker says Toyota Prius hybrid infringes its patent
In Brief
  October 2005
Schneider signs deal to acquire Citect
An MBO for Alstom's drives and motors business?
Johnson wins the battle for Saia-Burgess
Moeller expands under new owner
Emerson adds Numatics to its portfolio
Tecnotion goes straight to China
Intermec and Symbol settle RFID dispute
In Brief
  September 2005
Austria's ATB launches takeover of Brook Crompton's parent
Bid battle rages over Saia-Burgess
Mayr's motion activities move to Pilz
Robots go to China in ABB revamp
Low-power AC drives sales surge past $5bn
Phoenix becomes Siemens' sole source of terminal blocks
In Brief
  July / August 2005
Parker Hannifin buys SSD/Eurotherm Drives
Schneider claims lead in industrial Ethernet
GE Fanuc maps out its future
Schaffner to pull out of test systems
TDK buys Lambda from Invensys for £134m
In Brief
  July 2005
Schneider buys US sensor and encoder maker, BEI, for $562m
British firm takes control of Moeller
EU clears Siemens' takeover of Flender
Fluke's takeover of LEM Instruments gets the go-ahead
Siemens gets the green light to acquire Robicon
  June 2005
Emerson signs deal to build advanced motors
$8.5m SCADA project aims to thwart cyber-terrorists
Schneider buys Invensys building controls for £84m
Weidmüller takes over Heyfra, giving CCSI and German subsidiary
Anorad heads straight for China to double output
In Brief
  May 2005
Schneider gets Elau in a package deal
Siemens steps in to rescue Robicon from bankruptcy
Danaher buys G&L from ThyssenKrupp
Users pick Bosch Rexroth as Europe's top drives supplier
Court rules that Rockwell did not infringe Solaia patent
€100,000 technology prize goes to ifm
Cognex expands its vision by buying DVT for $115m
In Brief
  April 2005
Siemens buys Flender for €1.2bn to broaden its portfolio
"First" DeviceNet Safety controller spearheads new safety business
Rexnord buys Falk for $295m to create $1bn business
Hannover reverses slide with 20% spurt in visitors
RFID patent dispute spills over into barcodes and WiFi
In Brief
March 2005
Eastern boom fuels Siemens' record results
Energy costs drive Europe's higher VSD take-up
GE Fanuc signs deal with PLC patent enforcer
Lifetime warranty marks PLC milestone
ISA aims to create wireless standards
ODVA publishes the CIP Safety spec
In Brief
  February 2005
Parker buys Bayside Controls "to expand product breadth"
WEG takes over Chinese motor factory
Drives start to roll from Lenze's new French plant
EC launches probe into Siemens' bid for VA Tech
Rockwell teams up with E+H
In Brief
January 2005
Parker goes straight for Trilogy
Kuka picks a place in controls
Danaher adds LEM Instruments to its collection
Rexroth expands in hydraulics and quits robotics
Gates buys Mectrol's belts business
Schneider acquisition puts it near the front of the relay race
In Brief

  2004

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  November2004
Four German car-making giants opt for Profinet
Rockwell CEO predicts a sustained recovery
Siemens' new bid for VA Tech gets the OK
In Brief
  October2004
BEI buys UK encoder-maker, Newall
Services are the fastest-growing part of automation
Premium brand takes on low-cost bearings
Rockwell chips in with Intel
Schneider adds Dinel to its portfolio
  September 2004
Schneider, Toshiba and Elin form big drives venture
Japanese manufacturers move into China
HMI market growth outpaces automation
China set to lead PLC market
In Brief
August 2004
Motors market weathers the storm
Entivity joins the Phoenix family
Olympian effort helps to raise stadium roof
'Vibrant' motion market rebounds and heads for $1bn
In Brief
July 2004
Allied buys Premotec for €3.75m
Settlement ends servo patent battle
Schneider and Fuji form LV JV
Norgren adds FAS to the fold
US jury blames Parker for plane crash
Ignorance filters out sales
Saia-Burgess buys Stegmann motors to boost European presence
In Brief
  June 2004
US drives-makers suffer as OEMs move abroad
Invensys sells Hansen Transmissions for €132m
Hannover abandons plan to alternate process and production shows
India challenges booming Chinese drives market
Vacon wins 'company of the year' award
In Brief
  May 2004
WEG hits 1m motors a month - and invests £500m
Danaher buys Motion Engineering and Neff
Sales of decentralised drives set to surge
Efficient motor systems 'could save Europe €10bn'
Mini pneumatic market steams ahead
Profibus passes the 10m-node milestone
Schneider gives Modbus protocol to Modbus-IDA
In Brief
April 2004
Recovery gathers pace in motion controls
Schneider buys Kavlico and takes a stake in Elau
Lawn-mower giant targets European motors market
Chinese drives market 'growing faster than 10%'
ASI Robicon 'not affected by Chapter 11 filing'
In Brief
March 2004
Siemens buys Moeller's busbar trunking business
Hirschmann's managers lead €115m buyout
US engineers do it for love, not money
Patent ruling ends 'legalised extortion'
Mitsubishi erects a European umbrella
Mechanical CAD migrates to 'functional design'
In Brief
January / February 2004
Motors start to roll from €20m plant in Spain
Booming Chinese drives market draws competition
$10m sensor project aims to cut US energy bills by $1bn
400 drives line up for the Athens Olympics
Wireless alliance focuses on users' needs
In Brief

  2003

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  December 2003
Venture capitalists step in to help Moeller
Parker Hannifin buys Denison for $240m
Nosbusch takes the helm at Rockwell
Festo drives into the electrical arena
Opto 22 settles patent dispute with Schneider
In brief
  November 2003
ABB's slimmer automation businesses will be in old hands
New business will listen for product problems
SCADA systems 'are vulnerable to terrorist attacks'
Modbus and IDA join forces
Discrete automation market heads for $30bn
Europe and North America diverge on networking
In brief
  October 2003
General Motors standardises on Ethernet/IP
Lenze invests €2.5m in French inverter factory
Alstom sells T&D but keeps drives & PLCs
Strauss waltz accompanies Sumitomo rebranding
Moog pays $158m for Poly-Scientific
In brief
  September 2003
Schneider Toshiba signs deal to sell badged Vacon drives
  August 2003
Matsushita shifts motor production to China and forms JV
Will Alstom drives be nuclear powered?
120 jobs go as new owners try to revive SIEI
Global market is bearing up well
In brief
  July 2003
Recovery in the European motors market will be slow
GM opts for FL-net in Ethernet-linked factory
Comms groups join forces on Ethernet for motion
Energy savings will push global drives sales
Kahlig takeover ends Gefeg uncertainty
In brief
  June 2003
High-speed motors enter volume production
Machine builders appeal for standardised motion software
GE Fanuc expansion strategy hits new heights
NN buys SKF's Dutch plant and takes over ball-making JV
ABB puts Industrial IT to work in Polish transformer factory
In brief
May 2003
Interkama to merge with the Hannover Fair from 2004
SEW Eurodrive is voted Europe's top drives vendor
Siemens buys Danfoss; flow division to push its process growth
Parker buys MTS' custom motors business
Siemens chief foresees the arrival of the "virtual factory"
Hannover's robots head for Munich
In brief
April 2003
Mitsubishi and Toshiba to merge their systems businesses
Teco plans a shopping spree and aims for top slot
BEI takes a stake in winding-less motor developer
Integrated motor sales "set to double"
Rockwell does a deal with Weidmüller
In brief
March 2003
Omron and Yaskawa form European motion JV
Siemens unveils a new generation of drives
Will you rise to the EC's Motor Challenge?
Vacon and VEM sign sales accord
ATB buys Möller's explosion-proof motors business
Will GE sell its $1.2bn motors business to Johnson?
ICS Triplex acquires Candian software firm, AlterSys
ABB forms manufacturing alliance with Microsoft and Intel
In Brief
January / February 2003
Europe's motor users 'are not satisfied'
Flexible drive line can deliver 10,000 variants
Pittman buys MAE, adding steppers to its range
Patent dispute rumbles on after verdict
Citect buys UK's Automation Products
SKF goes ballscrew shopping in the US

  2002

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  December 2002
French scheme defines levels of service
Bosch Rexroth reveals next generation of drives
Schneider joins forces with WEG
Japanese chain plant is 'largest and most efficient'
430km/h maglev train lifts off in China
In Brief
  November 2002
$415m Fasco sale completes Invensys' disposals
Vacon to build drives for Rockwell
European gears market 'has scope for growth'
Dover joins Damaher's motion portfolio
Pricing drives the $160m HVAC market
GE Fanuc snaps up Intellution from Emerson
Hathaway becomes Allied Motion
Shell-shocked ABB regroups
In Brief
  October 2002
'Turbulent' PLC market worries suppliers
Timken buys Torrington from IR for $840m
  September 2002
Europe's motor buyers adopt Eff2 but spurn Eff1
Sick adds Stegmann to its portfolio
'Canadians snap up pioneering UK hydraulic technology
US controls sales start to rebound
American drives market is bouncing back
Danaher buys Thomson Industries for $165m
In Brief
  August 2002
US motion controls market shrinks by 17.5%
Adept takes control at MetaControls
Newport to axe up to 275 jobs
Fluke recalls 40,000 multimeters
Bosch Rexroth signs deal with Japanese pneumatics giant
In Brief
  July 2002
Rockwell gears up for mechanical extensions
Hathaway buys Motor Products for $11.8m
£10m motor plant will be Europe's 'first for five years'
European drives-makers will see material benefits
FAG buys French high-tech bearings firm, SNFA
In Brief
  June 2002
WEG buys its first European motor plant
Invensys sells CompAir for £1
Rexroth forms servo JV with Panasonic
Siemens axes 7,000 jobs from I&S group
Fieldbus costs still deter users
May 2002
WEG strives to become world number one
Rockwell targets emerging 'integrated motion' market
ABB's Drewery retires, Karvinen leaves
Vacon's new drive targets the volume market
Rockwell buys Samsung's controls business
Lower costs will boost demand for built-in PLCs
Customer buys MDSI's soft motion business
  April 2002
ABB hopes tiny drives will win big slice of global market
Parker bids for servo dominance through Animatics alliance
It's goodbye to Bosch, Indramat, Mecman and Star
Ford signs global deal with GE Fanuc
Danaher wins auction for IDC assets
Dutch-Israeli deal has minuscule benefits
  March 2002
North American drives sales slump by more than 10%
Siemens shuts its £30m Vertacross portal
Fuji invests $4m to develop LonWorks
ABB accelerates its Industrial IT programme
  February 2002
Emerson Electric to shut 50 plants
D-Tech gives Bayside the missing piece of the jigsaw
SKF buys its way into second actuator slot
Franklin splashes out on Italy's Coverco
Rockwell goes on a German shopping spree
January 2002
Sauer-Danfoss buys Thrige's LV motors business
Nyquist and Maxon combine PC and servo technologies
Festo expands despite a shrinking market
First licencing deal gives Chorus motor a lift
PC-based control sales 'growing at 24% a year'
Circuit breaker flaw could cause injuries or fires
Parker buys Italian hose-maker for $68m

  2001

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January 2001
E-commerce survey is bad news for distributors
Emerson removes "Electric" tag after more than a century
GE Fanuc forms partnership with Phoenix Contact
Elec adds a virtual exhibition to give an extra shop window
Sales of PC-based controls set to soar above $400m
Japanese indstrial PC giant, Digital, buys Xycom
February 2001
Electronics helps to boost hydraulics sales
Schneider absorbs Legrand to become LV leader
UK's Drewery spearheads ABB's global realignment
Rockwell, SKF and INA link in Internet ventures
Schneider merges its control software firms
Yaskawa pays $28m for MagneTek's drives operation
March 2001
EC gives Bosch-Rexroth deal the go-ahead
Parker Hannifin buys Italian servo-maker, SBC
Sales slip in ABB's global automation operation
Valve range allows users to build their own islands
Sales of linear motors 'will double in four years'
April 2001
Car motors market hits the accelerator pedal
CT shares servo technology with PC specialist Nyquist
Schneider accuses Opto 22 of infringing its patents
Lenze joins the 'customer-focused' trend
Danaher reveals plans to merge and sell direct
May 2001
Patent donations aim to speed uptake of FF bus
PLC market continues to grow despite hardships
EU probes Schneider-Legrand takeover proposal
ABB buys controls-maker Entrelec for €130m
Bosch Rexroth is 'ready to assume world leadership'
Energy crisis could boost US drives market
Siemens and VEM do a deal on large motors
June 2001
Goodrich buys Glacier to triple bearings business
500 jobs go at Rockwell as US recession bites
SKF buys Italian spindle-maker, Gamfior
Schneider revives Berger Lahr name for MC push
Siemens and NI join forces on technology
Motion market's 'lack of quality' attracts Danaher'
July/August 2001
Web is central to Schneider's global reorganisation
Motion control market is on the rebound
European drives market grows despite hardships
Weiss joins Siemens; Vectron joins Bonfiglioli
ABB axes 12,000 and Yurko quits as recession bites
Hitachi does deals with Sanyo Denki and Mitsubishi
September 2001
Sales of AC drives 'are growing by 5% a year'
Place your bids on line for drives and PLCs
Cooper spurns Danaher's $7bn merger offer
Waukesha adds RPB to its bearings business
Japanese trio pools HV motor production
  October 2001
CNC market experiences shift from East to West
Brazilian motor-maker WEG sees sales soar by 33%
Canadian hydraulics r&d buy targets $500m market
FAG fights INA's €670m takeover attempt
Sales of non-industrial drives take the lead
  November/December 2001
Ingersoll-Rand takes full control at Nadella
Parker buys Dayco's fluid management business
£68m French linear guide plant will be THK's largest
FAG board accepts INA's increased offer
Briggs & Stratton enters the electric motors business

  2000

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January 2000
Eaton sells its mobile hydraulic cylinders business
Kollmorgen buys Czech servo specialist
Metso merger creates a leading gear player
February 2000
Rockwell's $30m drives take on the world
Siemens buys Moore Products for $170m
Eaton sells Vickers machine tool controls to Siemens
Parker takes over Intertech in $5bn mega-merger
Siemens leads motion market - by a whisker
Ingersoll sells pumps business for $775m
Parker Hannifin buys Gresen Hydraulics from Dana
MV drives deal targets $1bn oilwell pumps market
March 2000
Sauer-Danfoss merger creates 'largest mobile hydraulics business'
Danaher pays $250m to add API To PacSci and Atlas Copco
Automation is likely to become ABB's top earner
Will Invensys make £7m bid for Schneider Electric?
Renold pays $55m to link Jeffrey to its chain
April 2000
Rockwell buys machine monitoring specialist Entek
Toshiba and GE form drives joint venture
Denison buys Valmet hydraulic motors for £10.5m
Dana sells bulk of Warner Electric to Colfax
Omron and Rockwell join forces in automation
Key controls suppliers 'preparing to back Lonworks'
Moeller turns to Siemens for all of its automation software
May 2000
Bosch and Rexroth head for a merger
Siemens invests £30m-plus in 'impartial' Web site
Web war looms over £6bn online automation market
Metso plan to sell Valmet Motors to Denison collapses
Danaher adds Kollmorgen and Warner to its team
June 2000
On-line automation sales 'will leap 200 times'
Power transmission site sells $1m in two weeks
Bayside and managers buy Alstom Automation
Ball-makers pool their manufacturing plants
Global AC drives sales 'turn the corner'
July/August 2000
Japanese motor-makers join forces in HV venture
IndustrialVortex folds after financing bid fails
Honeywell takes ABB to court over patent
Toshiba-Schneider JV will be 'world drives leader'
Rockwell reorganises to 'sharpen its focus'
Italian motor devourer becomes motor producer
TRW sells Schaevitz Sensors to US group for $17.7m
September 2000
Work start on $17m Danfoss building project in the US
Siemens-Yaskawa drives JV expands into LV controls
Europe's motors and drives market heads for $9bn
Vacon forms drives joint venture with Cutler-Hammer
EC has 'serious reservations' about Bosch-Rexroth merger
Ametek buys Prestolite and Rochester Instruments
October 2000
Eaton sells Vickers and buys IMC's cylinders business
Vacon is doubling its manufacturing area in Finland
KSB's motors will double output of Franklin plant
Parker pays $38m for Invensys' pneumatics
Schneider buys Crouzet and Positec to target OEMs
Motion market 'can support small and large players'
Siemens axes 1,200 jobs from its large drives division
Omron and Rockwell plan to develop PLCs together
Automation men promoted as ABB CEO steps down
November/December 2000
Bosch reveals plans for integrating Rexroth
Eaton reshapes Cutler-Hammer along market lines
NEMA plans efficient motor classification scheme
Infranor buys US servo motor specialist, Automotion
GE's $45bn Honeywell deal may hit antitrust snags
Moog buys Bosch pumps, clearing way for Rexroth deal

  1999

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  August 1999
'World's largest' hydraulic pump plant sheds 86 jobs
Rossi and Brevini merge to form £100M business
Daewoo sells its motors business to Emerson
GE Fanuc buys servo specialist Whedco
Siemens merges linear motors business with Krauss-Maffei
  September 1999
Siemens and Yaskawa form automation JV in Japan
Atlas Copco sells motion control business to Danaher
Oilgear Towler and Moog form fluid power alliance
GE guarantees 24-hour delivery for Internet ordering service
Brussels takes a closer look at Honeywell takeover
Danfoss and Sauer plan a $860m hydraulics merger
Rockwell invests $40m to prepare for new drives family
Hitachi and Fuji set up power semiconductor JV
  October 1999
Siemens sells electromechanical division for DM2bn
Motor makers agree efficiency deal with EC
  November/December 1999
Rockwell merges Electro-Craft with Allen-Bradley
Pentair encloses five European brands in one group
Rexroth Indramat buys the German drives-maker, REFU
Eplan joins the Rittal fold
Ansaldo sale gives Hill Graham a US owner

 
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