Sepro and Yaskawa join forces to supply robots for larger injection moulding machines

Sepro Group has announced a new partnership with Japanese company, Yaskawa, for the supply of robots for larger tonnage injection moulding machines.

Sepro will sell large, 6-axis articulated-arm robots manufactured by Yaskawa as part of its full line of robots used in plastics injection moulding, in a deal agreed by Xavier Lucas, Président of Yaskawa France, and Manfred Stern, General Director and President of Yaskawa Europe, along with Sepro CEO, Jean-Michel Reneaudau, in early March.

The robots will be sold under the Sepro-Yaskawa brand name as part of the Sepro 6X Visual product line, which also includes 6-axis robots manufactured in cooperation with Stäubli. That relationship will continue, with Sepro selling Stäubli robots for applications on moulding machines with up to 800 tonnes of clamping capacity and four bigger Yaskawa units for machines up to 5000 tonnes.

“For Yaskawa to partner with a leading global supplier of Cartesian robots is very exciting. We share with Sepro a vision of quality of products and quality of service. The geographical proximity of our two companies, combined with global support that Yaskawa can bring through its 78 subsidiaries, has also facilitated collaboration. In the coming years, we hope to strengthen that partnership and extend it to other activities,” commented Lucas.

The Sepro-Yaskawa agreement grew out of the two companies’ membership in PROXINNOV, an innovation forum serving companies in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. Its mission is to raise awareness of industrial robotics as a means to improve efficiency of manufacturing, and to encourage collaboration between its members Jean-Michel Renaudeau is the current President of PROXINNOV.

“Our involvement in PROXINNOV, which has resulted in this new partnership with Yaskawa, is typical. By being open to collaboration, Sepro has been able to make big things happen in a short period of time,” Renaudeau commented.

Image Pictured after signing the partnership agreement are (from right): Manfred Stern, General Director and President of Yaskawa Europe, who is shaking hands with Jean-Michel Renaudeau, CEO of Sepro Group, Xavier Lucas President of Yaskawa France, and Jocelyn Lucas, Director of PROXINNOV.