KITAKYUSHU, JAPANYaskawa Electric Corp., the parent company of Motoman Inc. (West Carrollton, OH), is building a new 100,000-square-foot facility to expand production capabilities for the company's robot line. The $40 million plant will manufacture medium- to large-size robots for spot welding, material handling and painting. The facility is expected to go into production in November.
In 2004, Yaskawa installed its 120,000th robot, 6 months ahead of when it originally expected to achieve this milestone. Company officials say the recent growth in sales has been the result of strong demand in the automotive, flat panel display, semiconductor, and food and beverage industries. In 2004, the company's Motoman line accounted for an estimated 25 percent of industrial robot sales worldwide, up 20 percent from 2003.