IAI Corporation

Name

IAI Corporation

Legal name

IAI America, Inc.

Website

https://intelligentactuator.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IAI Corporation designs and manufactures electric linear actuators, ELECYLINDER and ROBO Cylinder systems, SCARA robots, and Cartesian robots for industrial automation. The Japanese parent and its US subsidiary IAI America serve medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and general manufacturing customers across North America via direct sales and distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Motion Control Equipment

NAICS

Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Actuators & Motion Devices (Linear, Rotary, Electric Actuators for Motion Control) (IMAHAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Linear Motion & Actuation (Linear Motors, Electric Cylinders, Actuators) (IMAGACAG), Motion Control Components (Servos, Drives, Motors, Encoders) (IMAHAHAG), Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG), Motion Control Electronics & Controls (Controllers, Drivers, Feedback Interfaces) (IMAHAGAJ)

Keywords

• Electric linear actuators
• Industrial motion control
• Factory automation systems
• Cartesian robot systems
• SCARA industrial robots

Headquarters

HQ city

Torrance

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electric Actuator Hardware Sales: Sale of electric linear actuators, cylinders, ROBO Cylinders, SCARA robots, Cartesian robots, grippers, and related mechanical components. Products sold as complete units with integrated controllers or as separate actuators.
2. Controller and Software Products: Sale of programmable controllers (XSEL2, PCON, MCON, RCON, etc.) with integrated PLC functionality, OPC UA servers, and field network compatibility. Software tools including 3D simulator and SEL Program Generator.
3. Technical Support and Services: Application engineering support, sizing and selection assistance, maintenance services, and technical documentation access through member registration.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IAI Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of electric motion control products, including ELECYLINDER single-axis actuators, ROBO Cylinder (RCP6 series) actuators, IX Series SCARA robots, IK Series multi-axis Cartesian systems, TTA table-top robots, grippers, rotary and stopper actuators, ROBO Pump all-electric vacuum pumps, and the XSEL2 programmable controller. Products are sold as complete integrated units with built-in controllers/encoders and are positioned as energy-efficient all-electric replacements for pneumatic actuators in factory automation and medical device applications.

Product overview

IAI Corporation (Intelligent Actuator Incorporated) is a manufacturer of electric linear actuators, cylinders, and industrial robots founded in Shimizu, Japan in 1976. The product portfolio is organized around three main actuator families: ELECYLINDER (single-axis plug-and-play electric actuators with built-in controller/servo motor/encoder), ROBO Cylinder (single-axis actuators including next-generation RCP6 series with battery-less absolute encoders), and Cartesian/Multi-Axis systems. Supporting products include IX Series SCARA robots, TTA Table Top robots, grippers (including thin RCP6-GRT7), rotary actuators, stopper cylinders, cleanroom robots (ISO Class 2.5-3), dust/splash-proof actuators, ROBO Pump (all-electric vacuum), and Linear Servos. The controller lineup centers on the XSEL2 Program Controller featuring CODESYS PLC software, OPC UA, and EtherNet/IP, alongside PCON, MCON, and other controller families. The e-Wiring System provides on-site power supply with pressure-welded connectors. Products serve medical/pharmaceutical, packaging, conveyor/warehouse, automotive, aerospace, food, and electronics industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ROBO Cylinder: Line of electric actuators/robotic cylinders for industrial automation applications.
• ELECYLINDER
• ROBO Pump
• XSEL2

Products and services

• ELECYLINDER Single-Axis Electric Actuators Single-axis electric actuators that serve as a plug-and-play replacement for pneumatic air cylinders, with built-in controller, servo motor, and encoder in a compact body. Available in rod type, slider type, table type, rotary, gripper, stopper, and clean/dust-resistant configurations, targeting industrial OEMs and factory automation end-users.
• ROBO Cylinder RCP6 Series Next-generation single-axis electric actuators with battery-less absolute encoder as standard, positioning repeatability of ±10 µm (improved from ±20 µm), and compatibility with PowerCON high-output driver controllers. Available in rod, slider, table, radial cylinder, and wide body variants for factory automation and medical device applications.
• IK Series Multi-Axis Cartesian Robot System Affordable, compact multi-axis Cartesian robot configurations using ROBO Cylinder RCP6 series actuators, equipped with battery-less absolute encoders and offering 516 configuration options for factory automation integrators and OEM machine builders.
• IX Series SCARA Robots Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm (SCARA) industrial robots for pick-and-place and assembly, with ISO Class 3 cleanroom-compliant IXA models for medical device and electronics customers.
• TTA Series Table Top Robots Compact table-top robot systems designed for desktop or benchtop automation applications.
• XSEL2 Program Controller Standalone programmable controller for IAI actuators equipped with eight functions including CODESYS PLC software (IEC 61131-3), OPC UA server, EtherNet/IP scanner, predictive maintenance, 3D simulator, and SEL Program Generator. Sold as a unit for integration with ELECYLINDER and ROBO Cylinder systems in industrial automation installations.
• ROBO Pump All-Electric Vacuum Pump All-electric vacuum pump product line for workpiece adsorption and pallet transfer in automated handling systems, offered as a standalone replacement for pneumatic vacuum pumps.
• EC MicroCylinder Smallest electric cylinder in the industry at 1 cm wide with built-in encoder, ±0.02 mm repeatability, Ø2.5 rolled ball screw, and in-line controller with built-in cable for full electrification of micro-equipment.
• EC Ultra Large Slider Cleanroom Specification Heavy-payload large-format electric slider with ISO Class 2.5 cleanliness, up to 2,800 mm stroke, 400 kg max horizontal payload, and 65 kg max vertical payload for cleanroom industrial and medical device automation.
• ELECYLINDER Wire Cylinder Wire-driven electric actuator system in which a motorized wire controller is separated from the actuator body, enabling miniaturization of tiny ELECYLINDER actuators for micro-equipment applications with multiple axes installable at the robot tip. Models include EC-WER1 rod type and EC-WEGR2 gripper type.
• LSA-W21HS Linear Servo Actuator Linear servo actuator offering long-stroke capability up to 4,155 mm with 2-axis synchronous control and no speed reduction at long strokes for large-format industrial automation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80% energy cost reduction compared to pneumatic systems
• +8 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CODESYS GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationXSEL2 controller is equipped with CODESYS PLC software, compliant with IEC 61131-3 international standard for PLC programming languages. This partnership enables IAI customers to use industry-standard programming approaches.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Festo: Global leader in pneumatic and electric automation, including linear actuators, servo-pneumatic systems, and motion controllers. Festo is the most direct head-to-head competitor to IAI in ELECYLINDER-style electric cylinder replacements for pneumatic applications across factory automation.
• SMC Corporation: World's largest pneumatics manufacturer with a growing electric actuator portfolio. Competes with IAI on actuator form factor, payload, and stroke, and increasingly on integrated controller offerings for factory automation customers.
• Oriental Motor: Specialized manufacturer of motors, motion control, and electric actuators including linear and rotary actuators. Closely comparable product mix to IAI in stepper/servo-based actuators and motion controllers.

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin: Diversified motion and control giant with electric actuators, servo drives, and electromechanical cylinders. Competes broadly with IAI in industrial automation and offers integrated motion + pneumatics + hydraulics portfolios that IAI cannot match.
• Bosch Rexroth: Major motion control and factory automation supplier with linear axes, Cartesian systems, and motion controllers. Competes with IAI's multi-axis Cartesian and SCARA offerings, particularly in automotive and general manufacturing.
• Emerson (Aventics): Pneumatic and electric motion control provider (formerly Aventics). Competes with IAI on electric cylinders and pneumatic-to-electric migration projects in industrial automation.
• Yaskawa America (Motoman): Industrial robot and motion control supplier offering SCARA, Cartesian, and servo systems. Competes with IAI in SCARA robots, multi-axis systems, and motion controller categories.
• Kollmorgen (Regal Rexnord): Provider of servo motors, drives, and motion control solutions. Overlaps with IAI in servo-based linear actuators, motion controllers, and integration into industrial automation lines.
• FANUC America: Dominant industrial robot and CNC supplier with SCARA, Cartesian, and motion controller offerings. Competes with IAI in factory automation, particularly where customers standardize on a single automation vendor.

Emerging players

• Misumi: Component-focused e-commerce automation supplier including electric actuators and linear motion parts. Competes with IAI's ELECYLINDER line in the mid-market and engineer-self-serve segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IAIAmerica
• Facebookfacebook.com/IAI.America
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4205614
• Instagraminstagram.com/iaiamerica
• Xx.com/iaiamerica

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IAI Corporation