Bosch Rexroth has formed a joint venture with Matsushita`s Panasonic Motors division to work together on servo motor technology. Under the deal, the partners will research, develop and manufacture sub-1kW servos that use open communications technologies.

The partnership, which has taken four years to prepare, combines Panasonic`s product know-how – it produces more than 250,000 servo drives a year – with Rexroth`s systems expertise. "The co-operation is an advance for the open control and drive world, since the user will be able to select products from an ever-increasing number of supplers," says Pekka Paasivaara, manager of Bosch Rexroth`s electric drives and controls division.