Maxon Group
maxon Group is a Swiss manufacturer and supplier of high-precision drive systems. The group, including its subsidiaries, offers electric DC motors, AC motors, encoders (sensors), gears, and electric motor controllers. History. On December 5, 1961, Interelectric AG was founded. After the factory building in Sachseln had been completed in 1963, Interelectric began producing shearing foils for electric razors of Braun GmbH. At the time, there were 17 employees. The technological basis of the company was a technical process called galvanoplasty or electroforming. Soon afterwards, a separate development department for electromechanical devices was created. In 1967, Braun GmbH  was sold to Gillette. Following up on the groundbreaking work on DC motors that had been carried out in the company's own R&D department, the engineers were able to develop an entire range of models of DC motors. At the same time, the engineers in Sachseln patented the manufacturing process for the ironless rotor with the diamond-shaped winding. In 1970, the DC motors were registered under the trademark 'maxon'. In 1999 the company restructured and rebranded as "maxon motor AG". In 2012, the company started offering DC motor drive configuration tooling through its website. In 2017 zub motion  control AG, based in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland, was acquired by the company. Parvalux Electric Motors Ltd based in Bournemouth, UK, was acquired by maxon motor AG in 2018. Together with customers, the company increasingly develops complete mechatronic solutions, consisting of a motor, gearhead, sensors, controller, batteries, and software. These solutions are available in standard or unique build. In July 2019, the company re-branded as 'maxon'. The new brand identity epitomizes this strategy. Products. The company developed and patented its own ironless winding system. Its motors are available as either brushless, or brushed with graphite brushes or precious  metal brushes. A section of its brushless DC motor program is available as flat (pancake) build for use in restricted space envelopes. The types of gearheads available are spur gearheads and planetary gearheads made of plastic, ceramic (zirconium dioxide and aluminium oxide) or stainless steel. The company mainly supplies combination drive units to suit high-precision applications. The maxon brand is known for reliability and build quality and therefore its products are widely used in medical applications using sterilisable products. For other sectors, such as Aerospace, the company offers units which can withstand extreme environmental conditions, too. Accompanying the core  business of electric motors, the group also offers a range of position encoders and two programs of motor control electronics. With the acquisition of Parvalux, AC motors are now offered by the group via this subsidiary. Application areas. The company specializes in customer specific drive solutions. It produces more than 5 million drive units per year in approx. 12'000 variations. Its main market areas are medical technology, industrial automation, security technology, measuring and testing technology, communication technology, automotive and aerospace technology. maxon became known to a broader public when its products were chosen by the NASA for the Mars rover  projects Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and Perseverance. Locations. maxon has its headquarters, along with a production plant, in Sachseln, in the Swiss Canton of Obwalden. The company gives its name to the railway station, Ewil Maxon, which adjoins the plant and has frequent connections to the city of Lucerne and beyond. Besides its Sachseln plant, maxon has production facilities at Sexau in Germany, Veszprém in Hungary, Cheonan in South Korea and Taunton, MA, United States of America. Sales operations exist in Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, Spain, Italy, Benelux, India, Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan and South Korea , and sales agents in numerous other countries.