In a joint announcement, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and MOVENSYS Inc., said they have entered a partnership to strengthen collaboration in their respective AC servo and motion control businesses. As part of the agreement, Mitsubishi Electric is proceeding to take an equity stake in Movensys.

In recent years, the use of industrial computers for motion control applications in AC servo businesses has grown rapidly, especially for semiconductor and electronic-component manufacturing equipment. The ongoing evolution of industrial-computer CPUs is leading to more advanced motion control capabilities. Specifically, these include high-speed synchronous control of multiple motors, for which demand is expected to continue growing.

Mitsubishi Electric sells high-speed, high-precision AC-servo systems used primarily in Japan but also worldwide to improve productivity. Meanwhile, Movensys sells motion control software for AC servomotors installed in personal computers sold mainly in Asia. The company’s proprietary technologies enable stable, real-time control via high-speed synchronous communication without requiring a dedicated hardware.

Through the new partnership, Mitsubishi Electric aims to expand its AC servo business by incorporating Movensys’ technologies and product-proposal capabilities. Specifically, it targets semiconductor manufacturing equipment and other applications. Movensys expects to utilize Mitsubishi Electric’s global sales network to expand its sales of motion control software, which enables multiple-motor synchronous controls without requiring dedicated hardware. Together, they intend to maximize synergies by leveraging each other’s business resources and technological strengths. Ultimately, they aim to advance the evolution of smart factories and contribute to increased productivity worldwide.

Toshie Takeuchi, Group President of Mitsubishi Electric’s Factory Automation Systems Group, said, “Software-based motion control, a field in which Movensys possesses advanced proprietary technologies, offers promising potential to enhance performance thanks to the ongoing evolution of computers. Moreover, this type of solution is attracting attention among manufacturers because it can realize multi-axis motion positioning control without requiring dedicated hardware. Combining our products with the motion control technologies of Movensys, we expect to help customers reduce their TCO* by utilizing diverse equipment and systems, improve their productivity, and contribute to circular digital-engineering business for factory automation.”

Boo-Ho Yang, Founder and Chairperson of the Board of MOVENSYS Inc., said, “Since its foundation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S., Movensys has always developed technology that is ahead of its time.”

“The feature of our latest software-based motion controller products is “soft motion” technology that enables high-speed, high-precision motion control by CPUs on PC without dedicated hardware, and the technology is already being used by many semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers. By connectability to CC-Link IE TSN proposed by Mitsubishi Electric as well as EtherCAT, we have achieved a true fusion of IT and OT. We will continue to provide products that contribute to cost reduction, performance improvement and smartening of our customers’ manufacturing equipment through constant technological innovation,” Yang continued.

* TCO: Total costs of equipment and systems, from installation to disposal