Yaskawa Electric: Servo Motors, AC Drives, and Machine Controllers

For over a century, Yaskawa Electric has occupied a defining position in the development of industrial automation. Its servo motors, AC inverter drives, and machine controllers are found across manufacturing facilities worldwide, embedded in equipment that forms the operational backbone of industries from automotive assembly and semiconductor fabrication to food processing, packaging, and machine tool applications. When production lines built around Yaskawa components encounter a failed part, the search for a replacement becomes urgent. K2 Automation stocks an extensive range of Yaskawa components, including units that are no longer available through Yaskawa's own distribution channels, making us the resource that engineering and maintenance teams turn to when standard procurement routes have been exhausted.

What Is the History of Yaskawa Electric Corporation?

Yaskawa Electric Corporation was founded on 16 July 1915 by Daigorou Yasukawa in Kurosaki, Kitakyushu, Japan. The company's first commercial product, a three-phase induction motor, was delivered to coal mining operations in 1917. From that foundation in industrial electrification, Yaskawa spent the following decades expanding its engineering capability and product scope, developing synchronous motors for heavy rolling mills in the 1930s and establishing its first export agreements in the late 1940s.

The 1950s brought a pivotal innovation: the VS motor, a variable speed motor with remote control capability that found immediate application in printing and industrial machinery. The company took another significant technical step in 1958 with the introduction of the Minertia motor, a high-response DC servomotor that improved control speed by a factor of one hundred compared to conventional designs. That breakthrough is the direct ancestor of Yaskawa's servo motor lineage.

In 1969, Yaskawa engineer Tetsuro Mori coined the word 'mechatronics' to describe the integrated application of mechanical engineering and electronics in control systems. Yaskawa trademarked the term in 1972, and it has since become standard engineering vocabulary. The company's engineering identity has always been built around that convergence of disciplines.

The late 1970s produced the VS-626TV in 1979, recognised as the world's first vector control drive for AC motors. This technology allowed precise speed and torque regulation independent of motor load, delivering DC motor performance from AC equipment and fundamentally changing how variable speed drives were applied in industry. The 1977 MOTOMAN-L10 robot, Japan's first fully electric industrial robot, established Yaskawa's parallel identity as a robotics manufacturer.

The Sigma series of AC servo drives, launched in 1992, represented another industry milestone: a fully digital servo system that transformed accuracy, tuning capability, and miniaturisation. The Sigma-II, Sigma-5, and Sigma-7 series have since become some of the most widely deployed servo systems in global manufacturing, with the Sigma-7 representing the current premium tier of the product line.

What Yaskawa Products Does K2 Automation Supply?

K2 Automation's Yaskawa inventory covers the full range of motion control and automation products that made the company's engineering reputation. This includes Yaskawa servo motors from the Sigma series, encompassing both rotary and linear variants across power ratings from a few watts to tens of kilowatts. SERVOPACK amplifiers, which form the drive and control element of the Sigma servo systems, are stocked alongside compatible cables, encoders, and accessories.

The AC inverter drive range represents a substantial portion of the Yaskawa catalogue at K2 Automation. Yaskawa's inverter product line includes the J7, V7, and later V1000, J1000, and A1000 series drives, covering single and three-phase applications across industrial and commercial motor control. Machine controllers, including the MP series motion controllers that use MECHATROLINK communication networks, are also part of the available inventory.

Many of the Yaskawa components held by K2 Automation are units that Yaskawa itself no longer manufactures or supplies. Older Sigma series amplifiers, legacy J7 and V7 drive variants, and earlier MEMOCON controller systems are no longer available through the manufacturer's standard channels. When industrial equipment built on these platforms requires repair or replacement, K2 Automation's stock is frequently the only route to sourcing the part without undertaking an expensive and time-consuming machine retrofit.

Why Are Yaskawa Obsolete Parts So Critical for Engineering Teams?

Industrial machinery has a service life that typically extends well beyond the product support window of the control components embedded within it. A production line installed in the 2000s using Sigma-II or Sigma-III servo systems may represent a capital investment of hundreds of thousands of pounds, but the servo drives and motors that control its precision axes are no longer available from Yaskawa as new stock. When a drive fails, the choice is between sourcing a replacement from the secondary market or facing the cost of a full controls upgrade, which involves not just new hardware but engineering time, software reprogramming, and production downtime during commissioning.

For maintenance engineers, the secondary market is not a compromise position. Refurbished and tested Yaskawa components from a specialist supplier like K2 Automation can restore a machine to full function at a fraction of retrofit cost, and in time frames that a capital upgrade cannot match. Our stock is sourced through a controlled global network of specialists and is issued with full testing documentation. Every part supplied comes with a no-hassle returns policy and dedicated account management to ensure the correct component is identified before despatch.

What Industries Use Yaskawa Servo Motors and Drives?

The breadth of Yaskawa's industrial presence reflects the versatility of its core product range. Servo motors and drives are used wherever precise, repeatable motion control is required. In semiconductor manufacturing, Yaskawa systems handle the positioning accuracy demands of wafer handling equipment, where tolerances are measured in micrometres. In automotive production, they control the robotic welding and assembly cells that operate continuously across multi-shift production schedules.

Packaging machinery is another major application sector. High-speed form-fill-seal machines, label applicators, and palletising systems depend on servo drives to synchronise multiple axes of motion with the accuracy and repeatability that production throughput demands. Machine tools, including CNC machining centres and grinding machines, use Yaskawa servo systems in axis feed and spindle control. The textile, printing, wood processing, and plastics industries also deploy Yaskawa automation products extensively, which is why the search for legacy Yaskawa components extends across so many sectors.

How Does K2 Automation Source Obsolete Yaskawa Components?

K2 Automation operates a global network of specialist suppliers and procurement contacts built over years of experience in industrial automation parts. When a customer submits an enquiry for a Yaskawa component that has reached end-of-life status with the manufacturer, our team initiates sourcing through this network, identifying verified stock in the correct specification and condition. For machine breakdowns where production continuity is at stake, K2 Automation operates a same-day despatch service with courier delivery available Monday through Sunday, including weekend call-outs.

Where an outright replacement is not available in the required timeframe, K2 Automation can also arrange an exchange service, in which a refurbished unit is supplied in exchange for the customer's defective part, reducing both cost and lead time. Our account management team works directly with engineering customers to confirm the precise part number, variant, and technical specification required before any order is placed, which avoids the cost and delay of an incorrectly specified part arriving on site.

Frequently Asked Questions: Yaskawa Components at K2 Automation

Are Yaskawa servo motors still available as new parts?

Current Yaskawa servo motor series, including the Sigma-7 and more recent product lines, remain available through authorised Yaskawa distribution channels. However, older series such as the Sigma-II, Sigma-III, and their SERVOPACK amplifiers are no longer manufactured or supplied by Yaskawa. K2 Automation specialises in sourcing these discontinued and obsolete parts for customers whose equipment depends on them.

Can K2 Automation supply Yaskawa V7 and J7 series inverter drives?

Yes. The Yaskawa V7 and J7 inverter series are among the legacy drive products held in K2 Automation's inventory. These drives are no longer available from Yaskawa's standard distribution, but because they remain embedded in large amounts of operational industrial machinery, demand for them continues. K2 Automation sources both new-old-stock and refurbished units, and can advise on compatible specifications where a direct part number match is not available.

What is the turnaround time for Yaskawa part enquiries?

K2 Automation aims to respond to all enquiries with a detailed quote as quickly as possible. For machine breakdown situations, our team operates with immediate task priority, and same-day delivery can be arranged where stock is confirmed available. Delivery is available seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays, using our own courier network.

Does K2 Automation supply Yaskawa machine controllers as well as motors and drives?

Yes. K2 Automation's Yaskawa inventory extends to machine controllers, including the MP series motion controllers that use MECHATROLINK networking, as well as older MEMOCON series controllers. These are critical components in multi-axis motion systems and CNC applications, and their obsolescence can halt complex machinery if a failure occurs without available replacement stock.

What is included with a refurbished Yaskawa part from K2 Automation?

Refurbished units supplied by K2 Automation are tested and issued with documentation. All parts come with our no-hassle returns policy. A dedicated account manager is assigned to each enquiry to confirm the exact specification required and manage the supply process from first contact through to delivery. For customers who need a part tested against a known-good reference, or who want exchange servicing, our team can discuss those options.

How do I know if the Yaskawa part I need is obsolete?

If you search for a Yaskawa part number and it returns no result from authorised distributors, or if Yaskawa's own catalogue lists it as discontinued or end-of-life, it is obsolete. K2 Automation can also advise directly: submit the part number and model details through our enquiry form and our team will confirm availability and obsolescence status within our global sourcing network.

Can K2 Automation help identify the correct Yaskawa replacement if the original part number is damaged or unknown?

Yes. Our technical team can work from machine documentation, serial number data, and electrical specifications to identify the correct Yaskawa component, even where the original label is damaged or missing. This is a common requirement in older equipment where documentation may be incomplete, and our sourcing experience across Yaskawa's product history enables us to cross-reference specifications and confirm compatibility.

Does K2 Automation offer any warranty on Yaskawa components?

All parts supplied by K2 Automation come with our standard no-hassle returns policy. For specific warranty terms on individual components, including refurbished units, speak directly to your account manager at the time of enquiry. Our aim is to ensure that every part supplied meets the customer's technical requirement, and we will work to resolve any issues that arise after delivery.