Engineering selection and product sourcing
HIWIN
HIWIN Technologies Corp. is a Taiwanese maker of ballscrews, linear guideways and motion systems, founded in 1989 with its global headquarters in Taichung. In Europe it trades as HIWIN GmbH, Brücklesbünd 1, 77654 Offenburg, Germany (+49 781 93278-0, info@hiwin.de).
UK engineering team · Product sourcing · Supply support
Source HIWIN parts or compare a suitable alternative
Need HIWIN parts, a replacement or another suitable option? Send your part number or describe what the machine needs to do. We connect your requirement with experienced UK engineering and procurement support to help you get the right products, pricing and supply options. Your matched provider can take the enquiry through quotation and ordering to delivery and after-sales support.
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| Legal name | HIWIN Technologies Corp. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Cho Yung-Tsai |
| Owner / parent | HIWIN Technologies Corp. |
| Headquarters | Taichung, Taiwan |
| Employees | 6,268 worldwide (March 2025) |
| Website | hiwin.tw |
Manufacturer information and published contact details
HIWIN contact details
European headquarters (HIWIN GmbH)
Brücklesbünd 177654 Offenburg
Germany
Telephone +49 781 93278 0
Email info@hiwin.de
US office (HIWIN Corporation)
12455 Jim Dhamer DriveHuntley, IL 60142
United States
Telephone +1 877 804 4946
Email info@hiwin.com
Contact details as published by HIWIN Technologies Corp., checked 2026-10-30. Specify Motion is not affiliated with HIWIN Technologies Corp..
HIWIN product lines
| Ballscrews and linear guideways | Ground and rolled ballscrews, profile rail guideways and ball splines |
|---|---|
| Single-axis robots (KK, SK, KA, KS) | Ballscrew or belt-driven linear stages built on HIWIN guideways |
| Linear motors and stages (LMSSA, LMX, LMFA) | Iron-core and ironless linear motors and linear motor stages |
| AC servo motors and drives (E series) | 50 W to 2 kW servo motors and E1/E2 drives for rotary, linear and torque motors |
| Torque motors and rotary tables (TM-2, IM-2) | Frameless water-cooled torque motors and direct-drive rotary tables |
| DATORKER | Strain-wave (harmonic) reducers |
| Robots | Articulated, SCARA, delta and wafer-handling robots and electric grippers |
Who HIWIN is
HIWIN Technologies Corp. is a Taiwanese manufacturer of linear motion components and motion systems, with its global operations headquarters in Taichung. Engineers most often meet HIWIN through its ballscrews and profile rail guideways. The company also builds those parts into complete single-axis stages and makes the linear motors, servo motors, drives and torque motors that drive them. HIWIN’s company profile gives 6,268 employees worldwide as of March 2025. Its product lines also include crossed roller bearings, DATORKER strain-wave reducers, multi-axis and wafer-handling robots, end effectors, semiconductor subsystems and medical equipment. The profile names HIWIN Mikrosystem as a related company; its brochures carry the motors, drives and linear motor products.
History and ownership
HIWIN was founded in October 1989 by Cho Yung-Tsai, and the company is now chaired by Cho Wen-Heng. Its history page records a US subsidiary in 1992 and a 1996 merger with Yuan Yin Precision Industry. A Japanese subsidiary followed in 1999, and the shares were listed in 2009.
Europe has been part of the business since 1993, when HIWIN acquired HOLZER and formed its German subsidiary. That subsidiary later invested in companies in Switzerland (2000) and the Czech Republic (2001). It completed a second plant in Offenburg in 2016. A plant in Kobe, Japan, opened in 2022. The history page also tracks product awards: a precision linear module in 2003, the HM single-axis robot module in 2016, and the KK series Cartesian robot in 2025.
Product portfolio
Single-axis stages
The KK series is HIWIN’s best-known linear axis. A U-shaped rail acts as both the guideway and the structural body, with a ballscrew driving the carriage. Sizes run from KK30 to KK130. The 2019 catalogue gives a series maximum of 1,511 mm stroke, up to 1,480 mm/s with a 20 mm lead, and ±0.003 mm repeatability in precision grade. HIWIN also offers the quieter SK version, the KA aluminium-base stage (ballscrew or belt) and the dust-protected KS stage.
Two catalogue details matter when sizing a KK stage. First, the maximum speed falls on long rails because of ballscrew critical speed: the KK100 drops from 1,120 mm/s to 530 mm/s on its 1,380 mm rail. Second, HIWIN does not publish a payload. It gives dynamic and static load ratings and allowable moments, so payload has to be calculated from the catalogue’s life and moment formulas for the actual mounting.
Linear motors and stages
The LMSSA linear motor stage packages an ironcore or ironless linear motor with guides and an encoder in five widths. It reaches up to 2,048 N peak force, 5 m/s and 2,700 mm stroke, with optical encoders down to 0.1 µm. Encoder choice limits speed: HIWIN caps the stage at 1.5 m/s with the 0.1 µm digital optical encoder and recommends staying at or below 2 m/s on vertical axes. For machine builders integrating their own axis, the LMFA iron-core linear motor is water-cooled. It reaches 20,827 N peak and 7,917 N continuous force on the largest model.
Servo motors and drives
HIWIN’s E series AC servo motors run from 50 W to 2 kW, with 17-bit or 23-bit encoders and up to 30 Nm peak torque. The E1 servo drive is designed to run rotary servo motors, linear motors and torque motors from one platform. It offers pulse, EtherCAT, mega-ulink or MECHATROLINK-III command, a 3.2 kHz speed loop and built-in STO. The newer E2 drive adds PROFINET and EtherNet/IP options.
Torque motors and gearing
The TM-2 frameless torque motors are water-cooled, with stator diameters from 160 to 565 mm. They reach up to 3,375 Nm continuous and 6,000 Nm peak torque. The IM-2 version uses field weakening to reach 5,450 rpm. DATORKER strain-wave reducers come in standard, heavy-load and lightweight types.
Technologies and standards
HIWIN’s strength is vertical integration across the axis. Because the guideway, screw, motor and drive come from one group, a KK stage or linear motor stage can be ordered as a matched system. For a new design, decide early between a ballscrew and a linear motor. Our servo vs stepper guide and frameless motor sizing guide cover the related motor choices, and our linear actuator sizing guide covers load and duty.
Industries served
HIWIN’s products are used in machine tools, semiconductor and electronics production, automation and handling, medical equipment and robotics. Its history highlights wafer transfer systems with SEMI S2 certification and submersible high-speed rotary tables for machine tools.
Global and UK presence
HIWIN GmbH in Offenburg is the European headquarters and publishes +49 781 93278-0 and info@hiwin.de. HIWIN’s own contact page does not list a UK office. The hiwin.co.uk website is operated by CRD Devices, a UK specialist distributor that calls HIWIN a long-standing partner. In the USA, HIWIN Corporation is based in Huntley, Illinois.
Specify Motion and HIWIN
Specify Motion is independent of HIWIN and is not affiliated with it. We can help source HIWIN stages, motors and drives, or propose equivalents from our supply network that meet the same published figures, confirmed by an engineer. Use find a replacement with your current part number, or browse our linear actuators hub.
HIWIN history: key dates
- 1989HIWIN founded in Taiwan
- 1992US subsidiary established
- 1993Acquires HOLZER and forms the German subsidiary
- 1999Japan subsidiary established
- 2009Shares listed
- 2016Second plant in Offenburg completed
- 2022Kobe plant in Japan opens
HIWIN linear actuators
KK
HIWIN's compact single-axis stage combining a U-rail linear guideway and ballscrew, from KK30 to KK130; series maximum 1,511 mm stroke, 1,480 mm/s and +/-0.003 mm repeatability (precision grade).
LMSSA
Single-axis linear motor stage with ironcore or ironless forcer in five widths; series maximum 2,048 N peak and 725 N continuous force, 5 m/s and 2,700 mm stroke, with optical or magnetic encoders to 0.1 um.
HIWIN linear motors
HIWIN servo motors
HIWIN servo drives
HIWIN direct-drive and torque motors
Engineer support
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