Mechanical & Motion Systems

Bishop-Wisecarver Extends Motion Solutions and Automation Portfolio

Sept. 15, 2025

Bishop-Wisecarver's Pamela Kan and Brian Burke explains why expanding the linear and rotary motion solutions business to include mechatronic systems, subassemblies, controls and software engineering makes sense.

Rehana Begg

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Bishop-Wisecarver Corp.

An impromptu booth interview with Pamela Kan, president and owner of Bishop-Wisecarver Corp., and Brian Burke, a product manager with Bishop-Wisecarver Corp., brought Machine Design up to speed on the latest advancements at the company usually known as a provider of linear and rotary motion solutions.

Speaking from the tradeshow floor at Automate 2025, Kan said that her team was showcasing their new division, Wisecarver Automation, which specializes in motion control system integration.

“Wisecarver Automation is a new automation branch of our company, where we can combine software along with our hardware and do programming, electronic box bills and other services to complete automation and motion projects,” said Kan.

By combining electronics and control systems with robotics, Bishop-Wisecarver’s traditional linear systems become part of a larger overall motion system for complete applications, explained Burke.

The expansion is a reflection of shifting market behavior including market supply and demand and labor gaps.

“We’re finding there’s a lot of changing demographics in the workforce, especially post-COVID, and as certain skill sets are dropping out of the market, said Kan. “There’s a drive for efficiency on the manufacturing floor that just requires more automation solutions. By adding the control systems integration options to our mechanical offering, we can fill that need for our customers now completely in-house. We can do the whole turnkey solution.”

Launching the Vertical Robot Transfer Unit (RTU-V)

A recently launched product, the 8th axis Vertical Robot Transfer Unit (RTU-V), is intended to extend small robot and cobot capabilities.

At the show, Bishop-Wisecarver featured a Universal Robot on Wisecarver Automation’s LoPro RTU (robot transfer unit).

“With Wisecarver Automation, we’ve integrated with the URCap software to extend the safety features of the Universal Robot (cobot) to the actuator,” explained Burke. “You can also program the motion of the 7th axis actuator directly from the control pendant of the UR robot.”

The RTU-V was designed to optimize industrial processes across various sectors. “The RTU-V features a vertical travel length of up to 4 meters, enabling a single robot to cover large areas traditionally requiring multiple robots,” said Burke. “This innovation not only boosts productivity but also offers considerable cost savings, making it an ideal solution for industries such as logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, packaging and more.”

The floor demo featured the RTU-V LoPro linear belt drive actuator with 1 to 8 meters of travel. The cobot was set up with a control box solution below using Sanyo Denki servo drives. The application featured a UR cobot and vision camera, which was programmed to pick and inspect Bishop-Wisecarver DualVee guide wheels bearings before placing it on the opposite side of the table.

Burke pointed out that although the initial control panel built for the RTU system integrates with Universal Robots’ systems, Wisecarver Automation is also a Fanuc system integrator and uses other software—such as Ignition—to tie multiple technologies together, essentially communicating across the EtherCAT protocol.

Celebrating 75 Years of Innovation

The launch of Wisecarver Automation coincides with the parent company’s milestone anniversary this year.

“At Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation, we’re coming up on our 75th anniversary in September, said Kan. “Bishop-Wisecarver is the original inventor of guidewheel-based technology with a 90° V. My father originally invented that.”

She added that Bishop-Wisecarver decided after many years of “being really good at the mechanical side” to expand and “create a whole turnkey solution.”

The acquisition of Symation earlier this year expands the company’s motion control system integration business. Wisecarver Automation operates as a division of Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation.

About the Author

Rehana Begg | Editor-in-Chief, Machine Design

As Machine Design’s content lead, Rehana Begg is tasked with elevating the voice of the design and multi-disciplinary engineer in the face of digital transformation and engineering innovation. Begg has more than 24 years of editorial experience and has spent the past decade in the trenches of industrial manufacturing, focusing on new technologies, manufacturing innovation and business. Her B2B career has taken her from corporate boardrooms to plant floors and underground mining stopes, covering everything from automation & IIoT, robotics, mechanical design and additive manufacturing to plant operations, maintenance, reliability and continuous improvement. Begg holds an MBA, a Master of Journalism degree, and a BA (Hons.) in Political Science. She is committed to lifelong learning and feeds her passion for innovation in publishing, transparent science and clear communication by attending relevant conferences and seminars/workshops.

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