Yaskawa Electric Corporation (YEC) began manufacturing electric motors in Japan in 1915. The organization has since become the world's largest producer of servos, motors, and drives, and is the recognized global leader in factory automation control, producing a diverse product line that sets the standard in the control, motion and drive business. The research and engineering traditions of the company's worldwide centers have brought many original inventions, innovations, and new technologies to the industrial automation industry. Yaskawa Electric, via its global organization, daily supports local, national, multi-national and global clients with high quality products, technical support and innovation to insure maximum satisfaction. Backed by a global network of 10,000 employees and partners, Yaskawa continues to supply its customers with a world of automation solutions.

Established in 1967, Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. (YEA) is responsible for customer satisfaction throughout North and South America. The organization today consists of distributed R&D facilities, sales and service offices, training centers, and manufacturing operations that supply machine controllers, AC servos, AC inverters, CNC and motion controller systems, robotics, office automation products, and systems integration. YEA's extensive sales network in North and South America includes direct sales, brand name labelers, automation solution centers, distributors, and value-added resellers. The North American operations include facilities such as: a new 112,500 sq. ft., Y-shaped building located in Waukegan, Illinois which houses engineering offices, development labs, training rooms, industry/technology suites (product showrooms), and other corporate departments; a 129,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility for inverters, servos and NCs in Buffalo Grove, Illinois; a 182,000 sq. ft. headquarters, manufacturing and distribution facility for Motoman robot systems in West Carrollton, Ohio; and a 165,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility for Motoman robots in Troy, Ohio. Motoman, Inc. in West Carrollton, Ohio, a wholly owned subsidiary of YEA since 1994, is the fastest growing US-based robotics solution provider. Joined with Yaskawa Electric Corporation's robotics group, they offer the largest payload and application ranges of products for major industries.

The backbone of Yaskawa Electric is high quality. Yaskawa is a recipient of ISO 9000 certification and holds numerous quality excellence awards, including the prestigious Deming Application Prize, received for this type of high quality Yaskawa strives for. This prize was awarded to Yaskawa in 1984, and it remains the only company in the world, in its field, to maintain this distinction.

For more information on how to incorporate Yaskawa's high quality and excellence into your automated application, contact Yaskawa Electric America, Inc., 2121 Norman Drive South, Waukegan, Illinois 60085; telephone 1-800-YASKAWA, or fax 847/887-7310. Also visit the Yaskawa website at www.yaskawa.com.