Maxon Motor
Swiss manufacturer of precision electric motor and drive systems.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Maxon Motor, now commonly presented under the Maxon brand, is a Swiss manufacturer of precision electric motors and complete drive systems. The business is headquartered in Sachseln in the canton of Obwalden and forms the core of Maxon Group. Its portfolio combines compact brushed and brushless DC motors with gearheads, encoders, motor-control electronics, and sensors, allowing customers to specify integrated drive units rather than source every component separately. The company originated on 5 December 1961 as Interelectric AG. Its first production activity was not motor manufacturing: after the Sachseln factory was completed in 1963, the company produced electroformed shearing foils for Braun electric shavers. This work established expertise in galvanoplasty and electroforming, while a separate engineering function began developing electromechanical devices. Braun's sale to Gillette in 1967 helped redirect the company's technical focus. Engineers expanded earlier work on DC motors and developed an ironless rotor with a diamond-shaped winding, a design that became an important technical foundation for the business. The DC motor range was registered under the Maxon trademark in 1970, and the company adopted the corporate name Maxon Motor AG after a restructuring and rebranding in 1999. In July 2019, the outward-facing brand was simplified to Maxon. Maxon's products are used where low weight, compact dimensions, efficiency, controllability, and precise movement are important. Its motor families include brushed motors using graphite or precious-metal brushes and brushless motors, including flat or pancake configurations for installations with limited axial space. Gear solutions include spur and planetary gearheads using materials such as plastic, ceramic, and stainless steel. Encoders and two principal ranges of control electronics complement the motor portfolio. The company also provides configuration and engineering support for customer-specific combinations, reflecting a business model centered on application-specific drive systems rather than standardized consumer appliances. Applications span aerospace, automotive systems, communication equipment, industrial automation, measurement and testing, medical technology, and security technology. Maxon's reputation in aerospace was strengthened by the selection of its motors for NASA's Mars rover missions, including Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Perseverance. These deployments associated the brand with demanding environments and highly reliable motion systems, although the company also serves less visible industrial and medical applications. The group has expanded its capabilities through acquisitions. It acquired Lucerne-based Zub motion control AG in 2017 and Parvalux Electric Motors Ltd of Poole, United Kingdom, in 2018. Parvalux added broader AC motor capabilities to the group alongside Maxon's established precision DC drive expertise. Manufacturing sites include Sachseln in Switzerland, Sexau in Germany, Veszprém in Hungary, Cheonan in South Korea, and Taunton, Massachusetts, in the United States. Sales organizations operate across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, and other international markets. The Sachseln plant is adjacent to the Ewil Maxon railway station, which takes its name from the company. Maxon remains an active specialist supplier of engineered electric drive systems.
History
Maxon Group traces its origins to Interelectric AG, established in Switzerland on 5 December 1961. The company initially built its manufacturing base around electroforming, a galvanoplasty process used to make shearing foils for Braun electric shavers. Construction of the Sachseln factory was completed in 1963, and the operation began with 17 employees. Although the initial business served the electric-shaver industry, the company established a technical development department for electromechanical products, creating the foundation for its later specialization in drive systems. Braun was sold to Gillette in 1967. Around the same period, Interelectric's engineers continued developing DC motor technology. Their work led to a family of DC motors and to a patented ironless rotor using a diamond-shaped winding. This winding approach became a defining element of the company's precision motor technology because it supported compact, responsive, and efficient drive designs. The motors were registered under the Maxon trademark in 1970, marking the beginning of the brand identity associated with the company's core business. Over time, the company moved beyond individual motors and developed complete drive solutions. These included brushed and brushless DC motors, compact flat motors, gearheads, encoders, controllers, and sensors. Spur and planetary gearheads were offered in different materials and configurations, enabling drive units to be adapted to requirements involving torque, space, speed, and durability. The company increasingly focused on customer-specific combinations for applications in industrial automation, medical devices, aerospace, automotive systems, communications, security, and measurement equipment. A corporate restructuring in 1999 resulted in the name Maxon Motor AG. The group later broadened its digital customer-service tools, launching online DC motor drive configuration capabilities in 2012. It expanded through acquisitions in motion control and motor manufacturing: Zub motion control AG, based in Lucerne, Switzerland, was acquired in 2017, followed by the acquisition of Parvalux Electric Motors Ltd in Poole, United Kingdom, in 2018. Parvalux brought AC motor products into the wider group, complementing Maxon's established precision DC portfolio. In July 2019, the organization simplified its public branding to Maxon. The group operates manufacturing sites in Sachseln, Sexau in Germany, Veszprém in Hungary, Cheonan in South Korea, and Taunton, Massachusetts, in the United States. Sales operations cover Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Spain, Italy, Benelux, India, Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea, with additional markets served by agents. Maxon's public profile has also been shaped by aerospace applications. Its motors were selected for NASA's Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Perseverance Mars rover projects. These missions reinforced the company's reputation for reliable motion technology in severe operating conditions. The business continues to combine component manufacturing with engineering and configuration of complete electric drive systems. Its headquarters and principal production site remain in Sachseln, next to the Ewil Maxon railway station.
- 2019
Brand simplified to Maxon
[1]The company adopts Maxon as its simplified public-facing brand name.
- 2018
Parvalux is acquired
[1]Maxon acquires Parvalux Electric Motors Ltd in the United Kingdom, expanding into AC motors.
- 2017
Zub motion control joins the group
[1]Maxon acquires Lucerne-based Zub motion control AG.
- 2012
Online drive configuration introduced
[1]Maxon begins providing web-based tools for configuring DC motor drives.
- 1999
Corporate reorganization as Maxon Motor AG
[1]The company restructures and adopts the Maxon Motor AG name.
- 1970
Maxon motor trademark is registered
[1]The company's DC motors are registered under the Maxon trademark.
- 1963
Sachseln factory begins production
[1]After completion of its factory building, the company starts producing electroformed shearing foils for Braun electric shavers.
- 1961
Interelectric AG is established
[1]The company that would become Maxon begins operations in Switzerland on 5 December 1961.
Products and positioning
A precision-engineering specialist for compact, reliable, and application-specific electric drive systems used in demanding industrial, medical, automotive, aerospace, and automation applications.
DC motors
Brushed DC motors
Maxon's brushed DC motors are compact electromechanical drives designed for controlled motion in equipment where size, efficiency, and predictable performance matter. Versions use either graphite or precious-metal brushes, allowing the motor to be matched to different duty cycles, electrical requirements, and lifetime expectations. They can be combined with gearheads, encoders, and controllers to form application-specific drive units.
DC motors
Brushless DC motors
Brushless DC motors provide electronically commutated motion without mechanical brushes. Maxon offers cylindrical and flat or pancake configurations, with the latter intended for installations where axial space is restricted. These motors are used as components in high-performance automation, medical, aerospace, automotive, and instrumentation systems and are commonly paired with feedback devices and control electronics.
Mechanical transmission
Gearheads
The gearhead range includes spur and planetary designs used to adapt motor speed and torque to the needs of a mechanism. Configurations may use plastic, ceramic materials such as zirconia or alumina, or stainless steel. The range supports the company's emphasis on complete drive assemblies, in which motor, transmission, feedback, and control are selected together for a specific operating envelope.
Motion-control components
Encoders and control electronics
Maxon complements its motor portfolio with position encoders and motor-control electronics. Encoders provide motion feedback for positioning and speed regulation, while controllers manage the electrical operation of the motor. Together these products allow customers to build closed-loop drive systems suited to robotics, automation, measurement, medical equipment, and other precision applications.
AC motors · 2018
AC motors
AC motor capability is available within the broader Maxon Group through Parvalux Electric Motors, acquired in 2018. This expanded the group's offering beyond its traditional precision DC motor base and added products for industrial applications requiring AC drive technology.
Brand decisions
2019
Simplification of the corporate brandStrategyBackground
The company had operated publicly as Maxon Motor while the business increasingly covered a broader group of drive technologies.
Action taken
In July 2019, the public-facing name was simplified to Maxon.
Aftermath
The simplified identity became the group's principal external brand presentation.
2018
Acquisition of Parvalux Electric MotorsM&ABackground
The acquisition broadened Maxon Group's motor portfolio beyond precision DC drives.
Action taken
Maxon Motor AG acquired Parvalux Electric Motors Ltd of Poole, United Kingdom.
Aftermath
The group added AC motors and associated industrial manufacturing capabilities through the Parvalux business.
2017
Acquisition of Zub motion control AGM&ABackground
Maxon sought to strengthen its capabilities in motion control and related engineered drive applications.
Action taken
The group acquired Zub motion control AG, based in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Aftermath
Zub became part of the broader Maxon organization, adding motion-control expertise.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/maxon-motor · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled