Bosch Rexroth acquires Elmo Motion Control

Just a few months after acquiring a majority stake in Kassow Robots, Bosch Rexroth is investing further in robotics. The acquisition of the Israeli motion control specialist shows at least two things: Kassow Robots was - as was to be expected - easy to integrate and does not tie up any capacity, and then that Bosch Rexroth remains serious about its business. This is true even in a more difficult economic environment, as is currently emerging. (Today's Handelsblatt nevertheless reports that the drop in orders in Germany comes only from German customers. The USA or other countries have enough gas) To the press release:

Acquisition strengthens Bosch Rexroth's activities in factory automation

Bosch Rexroth is investing in the expansion of its factory automation business and has agreed to acquire motion control specialist Elmo Motion Control Ltd. based in Petach-Tikva, Israel. Elmo develops and produces high-end electric servo drives and drive controls for industrial automation.

The company has around 330 employees. The powerful, extremely space-saving and precise drives complement the Bosch Rexroth product portfolio around the ctrlX AUTOMATION automation platform. Bosch and Elmo signed a corresponding agreement on September 4, 2022. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The transaction is subject to antitrust approvals.

High-end controllers and servo drives from Elmo complement Bosch Rexroth portfolio

Demand for intelligent automation and Industry 4.0 solutions that increase productivity in factories and conserve resources is growing steadily. "Factory automation is a clear focus area at Bosch Rexroth. We are strengthening our portfolio, both organically through the development of innovative products such as ctrlX AUTOMATION, and through suitable acquisitions such as Elmo," says Thomas Fechner, head of the Automation and Electrification Solutions product division at Bosch Rexroth.
The acquisition will combine Elmo's innovative strength and dynamism with Bosch Rexroth's expertise in factory automation. Bosch intends to expand Elmo's ability to develop and manufacture the most advanced drive and servo controls. Elmo is to continue as an Israeli company with local management and with its current workforce.
Only floors, ceilings and walls are fixed. Everything else is flexible - this is how Bosch Rexroth sees the factory of the future. The company is continuously presenting the market with solutions that perfectly fit this concept. Elmo's intelligent, extremely compact and robust drives ideally complement Bosch Rexroth's portfolio. "Elmo's technology makes it possible to integrate drives the size of a smartphone into robots or autonomous transport vehicles, for example," says Fechner. "Elmotechnologies thus open up new fields of application that involve special technical challenges, such as autonomous transport vehicles, service robotics or the decentralized arrangement of drives in machines. This is where Elmo's products come into their own, especially with their motion performance, compactness, energy efficiency and precision with high dynamics."

Haim Monhait, founder and owner of Elmo Motion Control, says: "I am very pleased that the Elmo team, our technology and our customers now have a clear and very promising path to the future. Elmo joins Bosch Rexroth not only because our products complement each other well - but also because the company has a customer-centric approach to factory automation with compelling growth ambitions. Elmo will continue to develop innovative, intelligent and leading motion control solutions to improve machine performance for the benefit of our customers."
Elmo Motion Control specializes in technologically advanced yet compact servo drives and drive controls. These electric servo drives and drive controls are built extremely intelligently and ensure fully certified functional safety. The products are particularly well suited for the semiconductor, electronics manufacturing, electrical, robotics, medical, automated guided vehicle (AGV), automated warehousing, and packaging and food industries. Elmo was founded in 1988 as a private company based in Petach Tikva, near Tel Aviv, Israel. In addition to its main location, the company also has a manufacturing site in Poland.

Investments in factory automation

Bosch Rexroth had already acquired a majority stake in Kassow Robots in spring 2022. The Danish company, which has around 25 associates, produces collaborative robots (cobots) that can be used in a variety of ways in industrial manufacturing. The cobots offer a high payload and reach and can work in confined spaces: Equipped with seven axes, a cobot from Kassow Robots can reach around corners like an arm, offering flexibility that is unique on the market.

Info to the photo above: Working together for a strong future for the factory automation business: Dr. Steffen Haack (Chairman of the Executive Board of Bosch Rexroth AG), Thomas Fechner (Head of Bosch Rexroth's Automation and Electrification Solutions Product Division), and Haim Monhait (Founder and Owner of Elmo Motion Control). Photo: Bosch Rexroth