Linamar signs manufacturing agreement for robotic gearbox company IMSystems

Advanced manufacturing company Linamar Corp. will manufacture a drive transmission system for industrial robotics developed by Netherlands-based Innovative Mechatronic Systems (IMSystems).

In an Aug. 11 news release, officials with Guelph, Ont.-based Linamar described the Archimedes Drive transmission system as “a promising technology that offers a major innovation in the industrial robotics and automation sector”. The Archimedes Drive system is comprised of an assembly module that uses frictional contact instead of gear teeth to transmit torque, resulting in a more efficient and precise gearbox – and one that promises to be more scalable.

Linamar will bring the Archimedes system to market once the design has been proven and production is at the point where it requires scale-up.

In a related development, Linamar also announced a minority equity investment in IMSystems, as part of a Series A consortium which raised three million euros. The terms of Linamar’s investment were not disclosed.

“I am very pleased to announce this manufacturing agreement and investment with IMSystems,” said Linda Hasenfratz, Linamar’s CEO. “This strategic partnership is another great step for us into the opportunistic industrial robotics market, given the growing global trend of industrial automation and the ongoing demand for better, more accurate robotic systems. IMSystems is truly a leader in this area, disrupting a technology that has not seen significant innovation or improvement in decades.”

IMSystems’ existing shareholders included ABB Technology Ventures and InnovationQuarter (IQ), a regional economic development agency for the greater Rotterdam/The Hague area in the Netherlands. This latest Series A Investment brings Linamar and Finindus, a Belgium-based early stage and growth investment company, into the consortium.