The History of Yaskawa

Origins

Our story begins here, more than 100 years ago. It begins with a strong-willed founder full of passion and ideas. A restless search for innovation and a mission to change the world. That's the core of Yaskawa that has remained unchanged for more than a century. That's just who we are.

Yaskawa Electric was founded by Daigorou Yasukawa in cooperation with his elder brothers in Kurosaki, Kitakyushu City 

1915

Our first order product: the “three-phase induction motor 20HP”, at the time often used by coal mining companies

1917

Super synchronous motor with 4,000HP and 250rpm 

1927

Conveyor system, adapted for small electronics and switches and ready for industrial production

1937

Revolutionary and user-friendly VS motor which has variable speed and remote control. The first one was used in a double-turn printing press.

1950

Our new Minertia motor, which boosted the speed of response by a hundred times. It is the prototypic figure of todays servomotors.

1958

The years go by...

And with them come innovative ideas, game-changing technologies and our ever-increasing solutions for the world of automation.

"Mechatronics" are born - the term was invented by our engineer Tetsuro Mori

1969

Our legendary robot MOTOMAN-L10 - the basis of current industrial robots - was released

1977

Our compact but powerful AC servo drive "Sigma" series released. It became the cornerstone of the current motion control business.

1992

We created MECHATROLINK - suitable for motion control and founded MECHATROLINK Members Club 

2003

Our first 13-axis dual-arm and 7-axis actuator-driven robots

2005

Recently

That's where we stand and this is from where we will take the leap in our future. Watch us go!

VIPA and profichip become part of Yaskawa Europe GmbH

2012

We acquired The Switch, Finland, which would become our new Environmental Energy Division

2014

100 years of Yaskawa - a year to celebrate!

2015

Grand opening of the new offices in Sweden

2018

Grand opening of the European Robot Factory in Slovenia | Acquisition of the Factory automation business unit of ZF Italia s.r.l. | Grand opening of the new offices in France

2019

We sold our 30 millionth AC Drive

2020

20 Million Servodrives produced

2020

Groundbreaking for our new European headquarters in Hattersheim near Frankfurt

2021