Gear logo goes as Unimatic revamps

Unimatic Engineers has announced organisational changes and scrapped its traditional gear logo in favour of a more modern abstract design.

The company will now run two separate divisions - Unimatic Linear and Unimatic Solutions. The former will concentrate on component stockholding and distribution, while the latter will offer project consulting services.

The company, which was started as a family business in 1962 and is now run by the founder`s son, Martin Stevens, employs 30 people and has an annual turnover in UK and Ireland of £3.5m.

About three months ago, Unimatic took over from Micromech as Rockwell`s motion control "distributor of excellence" for the UK eastern district.

One factor driving the changes at Unimatic has been its relationship with THK whose products it introduced to the UK in 1969 and sold until 1988 when THK set up on its own and appointed bearing supplier Abec as its UK distributor. Abec was subsequently acquired by BSL.

"Unimatic found its market position compromised by THK competing with its own distributor and frequently undercutting Unimatic on price, sometimes offering low-volume OEMs prices which were lower than those given to its own stocking distributor," says Stevens.

Unimatic now distributes linear motion products from SBC in Korea, which Stevens claims are about 30% cheaper than rival ranges, because of advantageous Korean exchange rates.