Kinco

Buying Kinco products in the UK

Headquarters

Pudong District, Shanghai 201210
China

UK enquiries

Kinco products are available through our supply network. Our engineers handle UK enquiries for pricing, lead times, datasheets, CAD and help choosing the right model.

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Kinco product lines

Who Kinco is

Kinco is a Chinese industrial automation company that makes motion control and machine control products: AC and low-voltage DC servo systems, integrated servo motors, stepper systems, PLCs and motion controllers, HMIs and inverters. In recent years it has also become known for robot components, including frameless motors, joint modules and the iWMC integrated servo wheel for automated guided vehicles.

Kinco’s appeal to machine builders is breadth from one supplier: a machine can use Kinco drives, motors, a CODESYS-programmed controller and a Kinco HMI configured in the company’s own DTools software.

History and ownership

Kinco dates its origins to 1996, when its predecessor, Shenzhen Stepper Technology Ltd., was established. It built out the product range in stages, according to its own timeline:

• 2002: entered the HMI market through a joint venture.
• 2004: formed the JAT Precision joint venture to develop servo drives.
• 2007: took a controlling stake in Beijing KDN Automation Technology to develop PLCs.
• 2008: set up Kinco Automation (Shanghai), which it calls its new headquarters, and Kinco Motor (Changzhou); international expansion began.
• 2015: started research and development on robot mobile platforms.
• 2020: listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market under stock code 688160.
• 2022 and 2025: launched the iWMC servo wheel, later adding a 50 kg load version.

The company reports four R&D centres (Shanghai, Shenzhen, Changzhou and Chengdu), two manufacturing bases (Shenzhen and Changzhou), more than 200 R&D staff, and 143 patents and 99 software copyrights. Its pages do not give a total headcount. As a listed company, Kinco is owned by its shareholders; its site does not name a controlling holder.

Product portfolio

AC servo systems

The current AC line pairs SMK servo motors with the JD2 and FD5P PRO drives, with 23-bit multi-turn absolute encoders on the motors and STO SIL3 on every JD2. The established SMH and SMC motors run with the FD2S and CD2S drives. Other drives include the JD series, FD5, CD3 and the DD2S linear motor drive.

Low-voltage DC servo and mobile robotics

Kinco has a deep low-voltage range for battery-powered machines. Its SMC and SMK low-voltage servo motors and the 1.2 kW SMH110D pair with the FD1 drives, the palm-sized OD drives and the dual-axis FDS for differential-drive AGVs. The iWMC integrated servo wheel packages motor, drive, reducer, brake and tyre into one unit for mobile robots. Integrated motors with on-board drives include the iSMK, iSMD and MD series. See our AGV and AMR applications page for how these are specified.

Controllers, PLCs and HMIs

The AK EtherCAT motion controller runs up to 32 synchronised axes and is programmed in CODESYS. The K6S is a compact modular PLC, the MK combines a touchscreen and PLC, and RP20 is the remote I/O system; the GW01 gateway connects machines to the cloud. HMIs come in three tiers, MASS, GREEN and FUTURE, all configured in the free DTools software.

Technologies and standards

Kinco’s technical themes are fieldbus-native drives (CANopen, EtherCAT, PROFINET and Modbus across most of the range), functional safety (STO) on current AC drives, open programming through CODESYS on its controllers, and low-voltage servo technology for mobile platforms. For engineers moving from pulse-and-direction control to a network, Kinco’s controller and drive pairing gives a single-vendor route; our motion controllers hub explains the trade-offs.

What to send when specifying a Kinco system

For a servo axis, give the load inertia and torque profile (continuous, peak and speed), the supply (220 or 380-400 VAC, or the DC bus voltage on mobile machines), the feedback you need (incremental or multi-turn absolute), the control interface (pulse, CANopen, EtherCAT or PROFINET), any safety function such as STO, the IP rating and whether a brake or gearbox is needed. For an AGV drive, add the vehicle mass, wheel diameter, gradient, top speed and duty cycle, which together decide whether a separate motor and OD/FD1 drive or an iWMC wheel is the better fit.

A point worth knowing when reading Kinco’s literature: the company’s overview gives both 1996 (the founding of its Shenzhen predecessor) and 2008 (the founding of the Shanghai business) as establishment dates. Both are correct in their own terms.

Industries served

Kinco lists robotics, medical imaging, new energy, smart packaging, automotive, woodworking, glass, textiles and water supply and treatment, and also mentions intralogistics, food, environmental equipment and rail transit.

Global and UK presence

Kinco’s Chinese operations are in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Changzhou and Chengdu. Overseas it has a German branch for Europe (Kinco GmbH, Fellbach), a US branch for the Americas (Kinco, Inc., San Francisco) and a Japanese branch for Asia-Pacific, plus a Hong Kong company. It says it ships to more than 100 countries. There is no UK office; the European branch in Germany is the nearest.

In the UK, Kinco products are available through our supply network. Our engineers can help specify a matched motor, drive and controller, and provide pricing, lead times, datasheets and CAD models through the enquiry form on this page.

Kinco history: key dates

1. 1996Predecessor Shenzhen Stepper Technology Ltd. established
2. 2002Enters the HMI market through a joint venture
3. 2004Joint venture JAT Precision formed to develop servo drives
4. 2007Takes a controlling stake in Beijing KDN Automation Technology for its PLC business
5. 2008Kinco Automation (Shanghai) established as the new head office, with Kinco Motor (Changzhou)
6. 2020Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market (688160)
7. 2022iWMC integrated servo wheel module launched
8. 2025iWMC servo wheel for 50 kg loads released

Kinco controllers, plcs and hmis

Motion controller

AK (AK8 / AK840)

Slim 54 mm EtherCAT motion controller programmed in CODESYS, running up to 32 synchronised axes on a 1 ms cycle with RP20 I/O expansion.

PLC

K6S

Kinco compact modular PLC with tool-free slice I/O expansion for space-saving automation.

HMI / PLC

MK (MK070E / MK043E)

All-in-one 4.3" or 7" touchscreen with a built-in PLC: high-speed pulse outputs, RS485, Ethernet and KS expansion; HMI in DTools, PLC in CODESYS.

Remote I/O

RP20

Slim remote/expansion I/O system (24 mm coupler, 12 mm modules) with digital, analogue, RTD and thermocouple modules on a 100 Mbps LVDS backplane.

Remote I/O

GW01 gateway

IoT gateway with 800 MHz CPU, dual Ethernet, COM ports, Wi-Fi/4G options and over 300 industrial protocols, pushing data to the cloud via MQTT.

HMI

MASS (M2 series)

Kinco's lowest-cost HMI range in 4.3", 7" and 10.1", with one project portable across all three sizes.

HMI

GREEN (G2 / GL2 / GH / GT / GW)

Connected-manufacturing HMI family: G2 high-end quad-core panels to 15.6" and up to 2K, GL2 cost-effective with Wi-Fi/4G, plus GH and IoT GT/GW types.

HMI

FUTURE (F2 series)

Kinco's premium HMI line: quad-core 1.5/1.8 GHz, 1GB/8GB, dual Ethernet, metal housings and up to 15.6" Full HD, including a version with integrated buttons and E-stop.

Controllers, PLCs and HMIs

DTools / DToolsPro

Free Kinco HMI configuration software with tag-based ST-style logic, templates, multi-terminal and VNC/DTP View remote access, database links and drivers for major PLC brands.

Kinco servo motors

AC servo motor

SMK Series AC Servo Motors (SMK40S/60S/80S, SMK130G, SMK180G)

Kinco's current-generation AC servo motor line, matched to the JD2 and FD5P PRO drives. Small-inertia 40-80 mm frames run at 3000 rpm on 220 V; large-inertia 130 and 180 mm frames are 1500 rpm machines reaching 47.8 Nm rated and 7.5 kW, with 23-bit multi-turn absolute encoders as standard.

DC servo motor

SMK Series Low-Voltage DC Servo Motors

Low-voltage brushless DC servo motors for 48 or 96 VDC systems, with a 12-slot/10-pole design, matched to the Kinco FD1X5 drive and aimed at robotics, CNC and automated lines.

AC servo motor

SMH Series AC Servo Motors (SMH40S-SMH180D)

Kinco's established AC servo motor range from 40 to 180 mm frames, covering 50 W to 7.5 kW and up to 48 Nm rated torque. Standard feedback is a 2500-line incremental encoder with Hall commutation, with absolute options and a resolver on the 180 mm frame. Pairs with FD2S and CD2S drives.

AC servo motor

SMC Series AC Servo Motors (SMC40S/60S/80S/130D)

Compact Kinco AC servo motors from 50 W to 3 kW with absolute encoders (17-bit single-turn or 16-bit multi-turn), in 40-130 mm frames for use with FD2S and CD2S drives.

DC servo motor

SMC Series Low-Voltage DC Servo Motors

Low-voltage (24-48 VDC) brushless servo motors with a 12-slot/10-pole low-cogging design, IP65 and a choice of optical or magnetic, incremental or absolute encoders. Matched to Kinco FD1 and OD drives for battery-powered and mobile machines.

DC servo motor

SMH Series Low-Voltage DC Servo Motor (SMH110D)

A single 110 mm, 1.2 kW, 48 VDC servo motor giving 4 Nm at 3000 rpm for higher-power low-voltage systems, paired with Kinco FD1 and OD drives.

Integrated servo motor

iSMK Series Integrated DC Servo Motors (iSMK40/60/80)

Kinco's latest integrated low-voltage servo motor with the drive built in, offered in 40, 60 and 80 mm frames from 100 to 750 W. It carries CANopen, Modbus RTU or EtherCAT, IP65 as standard (IP67 optional) and an optional gear reducer.

Integrated servo motor

MD Series Integrated Servo Motors (MD60/MD80)

First-generation Kinco integrated servo motors for intelligent logistics: 200-750 W, 3000 rpm, with 16-bit absolute feedback and a choice of pulse, CANopen, EtherCAT or Profinet control.

Integrated servo motor

iSMD Integrated Servo Motors (iSMD60D/80D)

Kinco integrated servo motors at 400 W to 1 kW in 60 and 80 mm flanges with optional STO, optional brake, IP20 or IP65 housings and Modbus, CANopen, EtherCAT or Profinet interfaces.

Servo wheel drive

iWMC Integrated Servo Wheel

A complete AGV drive wheel combining servo motor, drive, reducer, brake and polyurethane tyre in one unit on 24-60 VDC with CANopen. Three published sizes (150, 165 and 180 mm wheels) give 3.6-40 Nm rated and up to 99 Nm peak at the wheel, for mobile robots carrying up to 1 tonne.

Kinco servo drives

AC servo drive

JD Series AC Servo Drives (JD430/620/630/640/650)

Kinco's high-performance AC servo drive covering 200 W to 7.5 kW on 220 or 400 V class supplies, with full closed loop, multi-axis synchronisation, vibration suppression and SIL3 STO on selected models.

AC servo drive

JD2 Series AC Servo Drives

The second-generation Kinco JD drive, paired with SMK motors from 50 W to 7.5 kW. It accepts a very wide range of encoder protocols plus a second encoder, runs CANopen or EtherCAT, and has STO SIL3 / PL e on every model.

AC servo drive

FD5P (PRO) Series AC Servo Drives

Kinco's new-platform AC servo drive for SMK motors, 400 W-7.5 kW on 220 or 380 V, with 17/23-bit absolute encoder support and RS485, EtherCAT or PROFINET variants.

AC servo drive

FD5 Series AC Servo Drives

The established FD5 AC drive at 200 W-3 kW on 220 or 380 VAC, offered in RS485, CANopen, EtherCAT and Profinet versions with BiSS-C or Nikon-A absolute feedback.

AC servo drive

FD2S Series AC Servo Drives

A higher-power Kinco AC drive for SMH, SMC and SMG motors on 220 or 380 VAC, with Modbus, CANopen and EtherCAT, absolute encoders to 24-bit, an independent 24 VDC control supply and direct brake output.

AC servo drive

CD2S Series AC Servo Drives (CD412S/422S/432S/612S/622S)

Kinco's analogue and step/direction AC servo drive for legacy integrations, 50 W-2 kW for SMH and SMC motors with incremental encoders, configured over RS232.

AC servo drive

CD3 Series AC Servo Drives (CD413/423/433/623)

Pulse and analogue controlled Kinco AC servo drives at 50 W-3 kW with single-turn or 16/20-bit multi-turn absolute feedback.

Linear motor drive

DD2S Series Linear Motor Drivers

Kinco drives for linear motors and direct-drive systems on 220 VAC, 3-11 Arms continuous, with pulse inputs up to 4 MHz or EtherCAT.

DC servo drive

OD Series Mini DC Servo Drives (OD114S/124S/134S)

Palm-sized Kinco 24-60 VDC drives at 5, 10 or 20 Arms for 50-750 W BLDC servo motors, with RS485, CANopen or EtherCAT, used heavily in AGVs.

DC servo drive

FD1 (FDxS) Series Low-Voltage DC Servo Drives (FD114S-FD164S)

Kinco's fifth-generation low-voltage servo drive platform on 24-60 VDC, offered in pulse, CANopen and EtherCAT versions, with incremental, magnetic and absolute encoder support and a Type-C debug port.

Multi-axis servo drive

FDS Two-in-One Low-Voltage DC Servo Drive (FDS-AB/CB/LB-D)

A dual-axis low-voltage Kinco drive for AGV differential-drive wheels, with RS + CANopen or RS + pulse variants and built-in brake output.