Yaskawa to acquire Vipa GmbH

Yaskawa Electric Corp. has reached an agreement with Vipa GmbH, a German PLC manufacturer, to acquire the majority shares in Vipa through Yaskawa Europe GmbH, headquartered in Frankfurt. A contract of the acquisition was signed November 19, reports industry analyst ARC Advisory Group.

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bayern, Vipa develops, manufactures, and sells a variety of PLCs, ranging from compact, modular, high-speed types to PC-capable with I/O systems, HMI, and other products. The company has an extensive customer base in the automobile, packaging, food and beverage sectors, and among suppliers of conveyor systems.

The acquisition will allow Yaskawa Europe to reinforce its ability to provide total system solutions for factory automation systems extending to robots, by combining its motion control products, such as ac drives and servomotors/drives, with the PLC and I/O products of Vipa. Traditionally, Yaskawa had been dependent upon others to supply PLCs. Yaskawa Europe will now be able to meet a broad range of customer needs, according to analysts.

By fully utilizing the technological expertise and extensive sale channels of Vipa, Yaskawa Europe plans to accelerate its business growth in Germany and the rest of Europe, the largest and most important market for the motion control business.

For more information, visit ARC Advisory Group.