1960～

1960

Mechatronics Age

The birth of an innovative concept

01
Trademark registration of Mechatronics

Legendary engineer Tetsuro Mori applied in 1969 to register as a trademark “Mechatronics,” a phrase coined by the combination of mechanism and electronics, and it was registered in 1972. Once registered, the company valued its market expansion and returned the trademark to make it a universal word. In addition, the mechatronics concept of precisely controlling mechanical devices such as electric motors and machines with electric power has become a technical domain that runs through the three core technologies of the Yaskawa Group.
02
Unmanned Factory Concept

In 1960-70, we envisioned the unmanned factory as an ideal motor factory, aiming to realize an automated factory that would support machines with humans. “The true purpose and significance of automation is to free humans from painful tasks and regain their humanity so that they can pursue their values and happiness. ” This is a very 50-year-old depiction of a factory that evokes the idea of a modern smart factory.
- Mort arm (left), Mort finger (right)
- Delivered to Mann Jidosha Kogyo, order No. 1, Mortman- L10
03
Attempt to Develop Electric Actuator

In the 1960s, when control technology made significant progress with the rise of electronics, Yaskawa believed that a new market could be created by striking with actuators. With the concept of “extending beyond the motor shaft”, “that is, finger control, “we developed a revolutionary range of electric products to take on hydraulic actuators. The company commercialized and sold a series of products for automobiles, including a “MOTO Finger” that grips and releases objects, a “MOTO Arm” that moves back and forth, a “MOTO Hand” that combines these movements, and an “Autoloader” that has a moving mechanism for the motor hand itself. In 1969, the automation machinery plant was completed and the robotics business was seeded.
- Japan’s first all-electric industrial robot MOTOMAN-L10 No. 1
- Delivered to Mann Jidosha Kogyo, order No. 1, Mortman- L10
04
The Birth of Japan’s First All-Electric Industrial Robot, MOTOMAN-L10

In the 1970s, the Company established the Automation Devices Division to focus on various types of automated equipment. In pursuit of more precise performance, from 1974, we began developing arc welding robots, and even in the difficult business conditions of the oil crisis, worked hard on R & D. In 1977, we managed to unveil the first all-electric industrial robot in Japan, the MOTOMAN-L 10 (Motoman), and delivered 4 units for arc welding work to the automotive parts manufacturer Yorozu Automobile Industries (now Yorozu Oita Corporation). This was a stepping stone to a full-scale entry into the automobile market.
- VS-616T
- Vector control drive VS-626TV (1979)
05
World’s First Vector Control Achievement

Since the late 1960s, we have researched inverter drives and succeeded in commercializing a high-frequency inverter suitable for small-capacity high-speed motors. And in 1974, a small general-purpose transistor inverter, the VS-616T, was finally completed and used to drive rolling mills for steelmaking as well as synthetic fiber machines. This gave us a solid advantage in developing the U.S. market once we received high customer satisfaction. In the early 1970s, we began research into the element technology of “vector control” and realized high-precision torque calculations. The VS -626 TV, the world’s first to use vector control, introduced full-AC continuous casting equipment in steel mills, renewing the operation of conventional DC motors. Consequently, the maintenance of the motor has become easier and the reliability of the whole facility has been improved, and the main shaft drive has been switched to AC.
- AC Servo Drives
06
AC servo commercialization

Since the late 1970s, DC motors have driven most of the NC machine tools, building up its position as a leading manufacturer of DC servos. However, AC motors was about to become the major force in the market, and Yaskawa has made a radical policy change to capitalize on its accumulated knowledge and embark on the commercialization of AC servos. And in the AC servo market, we have constructed a highly reliable mechatro system and established a solid position. In 1992, we began selling the Sigma series, and it continued to be our current flagship product.
- Blast Furnace Electrical Room Memory Controller-2000
- Motion Pack 33
07
Creation of Motion Control Domain

Based on the Minersha motor invention, we advanced the development of a positioning controller that can freely assemble each axis of motion and launched into fine motion fields. In 1982, we marketed a general-purpose motion controller (motion pack). On the other hand, the Memocon, developed since the 1960s as a specialized machine designed for each specific machine, became a powerful product for selling servo motors to the U.S. market. And it became the epoch-making product. By understanding the customer’s machines and developing dedicated software for them, the sales of servos progressed at a stroke. Our company thus created its unique product range, the now generalized motion controller.
- YASNAC3000
- YASNAC3000 built-in base
- CNC “YASNAC”
08
Developing CNC “YASNAC”

In the 1970s, we developed a CNC equipped with a microcomputer and released it as “YASNAC” in 1976. Our company’s NC, mounted on machine tools that jumped to the top of the industry in terms of technology and looked for a way to boost exports, greatly improved and revitalized the company during the period of financial difficulties due to the oil crisis. Development continued until the 1990s, but due to the financial stagnation of development, it unfortunately disappeared from the limelight after the decision to give up investment in new development and downsize the PLC and NC businesses.