From its base near Munich, Sumitomo (SHI) Cyclo Drive Germany GmbH provides customer services for the EMEA region and India either directly or via subsidiaries in Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Sweden. The Bavarian site was also chosen as a manufacturing base for its high-precision gear units used in robotics and automation so as to establish a closer direct source for customers and optimize delivery reliability. In addition, Sumitomo produces high-performance industrial gear units for a wide range of sectors at the Hansen Industrial Transmissions site in Edegem, Belgium.

At this year's HANNOVER MESSE, Sumitomo trained the spotlight on its reliable and precise drives designed to meet automation requirements. The company showcased an extensive portfolio of precision drives and gearmotors, providing a range of impressive solutions for material flow applications in state-of-the-art smart factories. Its high-precision Fine Cyclo drives for directing the point or path-controlled movements of robot axles and belt drives in robotics applications were a key exhibit, along with the finely graded series of zero- and low-backlash precision gear units - the perfect solutions for all sorts of applications and loads. "Conveyor systems and robotics are already very important markets for us, and we are out to focus more heavily on these customers. Our discussions at HANNOVER MESSE have certainly helped move us in this direction," says Peter Benzenhöfer, Head of Sales for Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Eastern Europe at Sumitomo.