Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.

Rockwell and Beckhoff reach agreement about linear motor technology

Rockwell Automation, Inc., Milwaukee, WI has granted Beckhoff Automation, Verl, Germany, a license to more than a dozen US and European linear motor patents, settling a patent infringement litigation amicably.

“We are pleased to resolve this matter and have our patent rights respected. This agreement allows our customers to integrate linear motor independent cart technology into a wide range of machines,” said Marco Wishart, VP and general manager of Rockwell Automation’s motion control business. Rockwell Automation’s linear motor business, including its recent Jacobs Automation acquisition, has developed a substantial portfolio of patents comprising over 100 issued patents on linear motor technology alone.

Hans Beckhoff, owner and managing director of Beckhoff Automation, stated: “We found a good solution for our customers outside the US, who may integrate the Beckhoff XTS linear motor system as one of the most advanced motion technologies into their machines.”

Beckhoff will market and sell the XTS System worldwide with the exception of the United States, where Beckhoff under the terms of the license agreement will delay market entry until June 30, 2019.

However, Beckhoff customers outside the United States who purchase and integrate an XTS into their machines are permitted to sell those integrated systems through their respective sales channels into the United States subject to the license terms.

Smart Filling Equipment Selection Guide
Discover the six critical factors that determine filling equipment success and avoid costly selection mistakes that drain profits.
Read More
Smart Filling Equipment Selection Guide
Conveying Innovations Report
Editors report on distinguishing characteristics that define each new product and collected video demonstrating the equipment or materials as displayed at the show. This topical report, winnowed from nearly 300 PACK EXPO collective booth visits, represents a categorized, organized account of individual items that were selected based on whether they were deemed to be both new, and truly innovative, based on decades of combined editorial experience in experiencing and evaluating PACK EXPO products.
Take me there
Conveying Innovations Report