Innovations, Passion, Creativity and Teamwork
In 2022 the cycloidal gear specialist Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH is celebrating its 30th anniversary. What started out as a small sales agency has developed to become a hotbed of innovation and a stable anchor. Much has happened in the past three decades: new company name, new location, new strategic alignment, new products, new ideas, etc. But the foundations on which the company were built persist: great passion for technology and people, untiring commitment to customer satisfaction, courage to go new ways, and uncompromising attention to quality.
Motion & Emotion
Behind every technology there is a human being
In addition to innovation, and future and customer orientation, Nabtesco fosters a strong team spirit. Like a gearbox in which all parts engage with each other, all the people involved in a project at Nabtesco work closely together and support each other.
The motto: Creativity is the result of conviction and enjoyment at work. And that is why the company’s employees identify so strongly with the company – they are the real DNA and an essential part of the success story.
1992-2022:
30 years of Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH in numbers
more from Nabtesco
“We have an unbelievable journey behind us. The past 30 years were shaped by constant growth and change – from a mere sales agency to a full-fledged enterprise, from a component supplier to a system provider, from a robotics specialist to a cross-industry gear expert. Such a development is possible only with the right team.
My thanks therefore go out to all the employees for their dedication, their excellent achievements and their willingness to put in effort beyond what was required. They have brought us to where we are today. I would also like to thank our customers and business partners for their loyalty and confidence throughout the years. Their projects have repeatedly challenged our engineering creativity and spurred us on to top achievements.
Incidentally: The journey is by no means over; on the contrary, it has just started. Turbulent and exciting times lie ahead of us. We have big plans.”
Marcus Löw, CEO of Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH
A changing enterprise
Whether the requirement is for gear units, highly integrable component sets, dynamic servo gearboxes or robust rotary indexers: As the world’s biggest manufacturer of cycloidal gears Nabtesco implements innovative gear and drive systems with maximum precision, safety and reliability. The Düsseldorf office serves Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and is an important pillar within the Nabtesco Group.
3 decades of Nabtesco Düsseldorf – 3x evolution:
- From sales agency to hotbed of innovation
- From robotics focus to wide-ranging gear expert
- From component supplier to system provider
How it all began
In 1992 the Japanese drive specialist Teijin Seiki Co. Ltd. established a sales agency in Düsseldorf with the name “Teijin Seiki Europe GmbH”, in order to better serve the company’s European robotics customers. The choice of location was no coincidence. The metropolis on the Rhine is home to continental Europe’s biggest Japanese community, with an accordingly high density of companies from the land of the rising sun. Back then the facilities were in the town centre, at Klosterstraße No. 49, where a tiny cellar served as the storeroom – some parts even had to be stored externally.
On track for continued growth
The young enterprise – renamed Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH in 2003 due to the fusion of the Japanese parent group – grew quickly. Despite the expansion from one to two storeys, the office outgrew the capacities and the storeroom was bursting at the seams. It was time to move. In 2014 the company relocated to premises on Tiefenbroicher Weg 15 near the airport, where it still operates today. The new building brought new possibilities. Assembly, purchasing and logistics were reorganised, customising on a large scale was finally possible, and the focus shifted to adapting the portfolio to the European market.
The path to becoming a solution provider
Over the course of time Nabtesco gradually developed from a gear supplier to a provider of complete electromechanical drive solutions. Custom, ready-to-install drive systems that are optimally tailored to the particular application became the company’s trademark. Whether for mechanical engineering, electric cars, medical technology, robotics or handling applications: Local engineering in Germany meets the individual requirements of diverse industries, with fast delivery of specific solutions for the customer. The strategic realignment also includes products such as the mecanum wheel drive unit or the RSX-40K 2-axis positioner for welding applications.
A new era begins
In 2020 the Neco® series was launched – a real game changer for automation in mechanical engineering and a quantum leap for Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH. Because the Neco® series is the first gear series made in Düsseldorf – from the idea to engineering and production. With this step Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH enters new territory and reinforces its position as an innovative player in the European market.
Nabtesco today
Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH is part of the Nabtesco Group, which comprises about 60 companies and 8,000 employees worldwide. The global player’s activities are all about motion. The unique motion control technology of the Nabtesco Corporation makes motor vehicles, processes and systems more efficient, safer and more convenient. Support from this high-performance corporation makes it possible to product more than a million cycloidal gears per year.
Nabtesco Worldwide
Look behind the scenes
Unforgettable and personal experiences, joint successes
The power of solidarity
Daniel Obladen
Head of Sales General Industries
At Nabtesco since November 2007
A small team with big plans: Meeting challenges and celebrating successes together
(Almost) unique among the Japanese
Angelika Kwee
Head of Administration
At Nabtesco since October 1996
Times change: Why the demand has shifted from all-rounders to specialists
Everyone starts out small
Marco Pawliszak
Head of Engineering & Production
At Nabtesco since May 2011
About improvisations, innovations, above-average commitment and a strong team spirit
Insourcing instead of outsourcing
Michael Weber
Supply Chain Manager
At Nabtesco since June 2014
How establishing a company warehouse spurred everyone on and shaped the company’s success
1992 - 2022
30 Years Nabtesco
1992
Founding of Teijin Seiki Europe GmbH as a sales agency for European robotics customers
2003
Renamed Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH
from 2010 on
Development of the General Industries business unit
2012
Establishment of a development department
2012
Go-ahead for creation of a local supplier network
2013
Implementation of the first made-to-order project, together with continued expansion of the development department
2014
Relocation from Düsseldorf’s centre to the current location near the airport
2014
Commissioning of assembly shop, with improved capacities for custom modifications
2019
Introduction of the mecanum wheel drive unit
2020
Launch of the Neco® series: First gear series completely designed in Düsseldorf; production exclusively in Germany
2020
Start of cooperation with KEBA, “World’s most precise robot” project
2021
World innovation: Steer-by-wire system for autonomous commercial vehicles
What our distributors say
"Happy 30 years anniversary. Thank you for the professional support, the fantastic service and the great product."
Moshe Gross
Mechanical Sells Engineer - Delta Elkon
"The precision gearboxes from Nabtesco are among our most successful products. They are very reliable and the company enjoys a high reputation in the market. Many thanks for the trustful cooperation."
Ales Zapletal & Radek Kanovsky
Sales Managers - RAVEO s.r.o.
"Nabtesco is a great company with top products and capabilities. The gearboxes are the most precise on the market. Thanks to the whole team for the great product and support."
Xavier Sospedra
CEO - Tecnopower
"When it comes to reliability, precision or high reduction ratios in a compact design, there is no alternative. Nabtesco is and remains the reference for mechanical gearboxes."
Emmanuel Guichard
CEO - GAMMATIC s.a.r.l.
"We appreciate the competent sales and technical support, the relaxed communication and the open-mindedness when working on new and existing projects"
Henrik Søholm
CEO - ServoTech A/S
"Cycloidal gearboxes are becoming more and more important because they perfectly meet the increasing performance requirements. We thank you for the four years of cooperation and look forward to the next 100 years!"
Fredrik Lantz
Business Area Manager - OEM Motor AB
"We have included the Nabtesco gearboxes in our portfolio because they are the best on the market. Thank you for the constructive cooperation and excellent technical support!"
Radu Scortar
CEO - Automation Center S.R.L.
"Becoming a business partner of Nabtesco was by far the most challenging, but also the most rewarding event in Chiaperotti's history. Nabtesco, we love you! Thank you for helping us grow and expand our professional horizons since 1987."
Alberto Zavaroni
CEO - Chiaperotti s.r.l.
"On behalf of Wobit, we would like to congratulate Nabtesco for 30 successful years. All the best and much success, perseverance and passion for the upcoming projects."
Karol Puk
Automation Specialist - P.P.H. Wobit E.K.J. Ober S.C.
The journey continues
The transition to a solution provider and strategic partner for the customer continues and will be further developed in the future. Nabtesco is on course for new challenges. The focus is on IIot applications and digital services. This will be achieved by intensifying cooperation with the affiliated companies within the Nabtesco Group and bundling technical expertise. Here’s to the next 30 years!
