13 Escapement Manufacturers in 2024
This section provides an overview for escapements as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 13 escapement manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked escapement companies as of November, 2024: 1.Fortville Feeders, Inc., 2.PHD Inc., 3.Visumatic Industrial Products.
Table of Contents
What Is an Escapement?
An escapement is a mechanism or device designed to regulate the movement or flow of products or components, particularly in automated systems. Its primary function is to separate or divert items moving in a stream, commonly on a conveyor, in industrial production lines according to specific criteria.
Outside of industrial contexts, the term ‘escapement’ is also used in various fields, each with unique mechanisms suited to their specific applications. For example, in the music industry, it refers to the mechanism in electronic pianos that mimics the feel of an acoustic piano's action. In mechanical watches, 'escapement' denotes the component regulating the timekeeping system.
Uses of Escapements
In automated production lines, escapements are essential for sorting and routing products or parts based on pre-set configurations. They can also be employed for quality control by signaling and removing defective products from the production flow. These mechanisms are vital in maintaining the efficiency and accuracy of automated processes.
How to Select an Escapement
Choosing the right escapement depends on various factors, and the selection process generally involves:
- Confirmation of Usage Conditions: Determine if the escapement will handle objects moving horizontally or vertically. Key parameters include operating pressure, mass and number of workpieces, stroke, conveyor speed, friction coefficient (for horizontal movement), drop distance, and gravitational acceleration (for vertical movement).
- Confirmation of Impact Force: Using a graph that plots conveyor speed against workpiece mass (with stroke as a parameter), ensure that the planned environment falls within the escapement's operational range for both horizontal and vertical applications.
- Confirmation of Allowable Lateral Load: Refer to a graph that plots stroke against lateral load (with operating pressure as a parameter). It's essential to pre-calculate the lateral load, which can be derived from the friction coefficient, total mass, and gravitational acceleration for horizontal applications, and solely from total mass and gravitational acceleration for vertical applications.
List of 13 Escapement Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
- Default
- Company Size: largest first
- Year Founded: oldest first
- Year Founded: earliest first
Sort by Area
- United States of America
- Japan
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R & I Manufacturing Co.
Escapements Devices
Manufacturer Overview
R&I Manufacturing Co., founded in 1968 and based in Terryville, Connecticut, is a manufacturer of precision part placement devices for automatic assembly. It stocks automation components such as angular grippers, linear slides, and escapement devices and owns the DURA line of products, including Dura-Grip, Dura-Scape, and Dura-Trans. To support its customer’s application needs, the company provides all its 2D and 3D CAD files and lists all the product specs on its website. It also allows custom designs and makes a majority of its products with fewer moving parts and in one-piece bodies.
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PHD Inc.
Pneumatic Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
PHD Inc. was founded in 1957 and is a manufacturer of automation solutions based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. The company manufactures various automation system products such as tri-axis tooling, rotary actuators, linear slides, blow molding, and tie rod cylinders. The products have been applied in various industries such as material handling equipment, stretch blow molding, aluminum, glass, and medical. The company has obtained the certificate of ISO 9001:2015 and complied to REACH and RoHS standards.
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Fortville Feeders, Inc.
Escapements and Mechanisms
Manufacturer Overview
Fortville Feeders, Inc., established in 1979, is a manufacturer of custom vibratory feeder systems and parts handling equipment based in Fortville, Indiana, the United States. The company specializes in designing and producing custom vibratory feeder systems and parts handling equipment. Catering to a wide range of industries, including automotive, pharmaceutical, and electronics, it is famous for its precision-engineered solutions that enhance manufacturing processes. With decades of industry experience, it has built solid partnerships with major manufacturers worldwide. As a dependable provider of feeding and automation solutions, it continues to excel in delivering cutting-edge technology and outstanding customer support.
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Visumatic Industrial Products
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
Visumatic Industrial Products, established in 1966, is a manufacturer of automated fastener feeding and driving equipment for industrial organizations undertaking assembly work, such as clips, bolts, pins, nuts, and specialty fasteners used in machine builders, general manufacturing, medical, and defense industries. The Lexington, Kentucky-based company provides standard and pistol-grip handheld solutions for ergonomic, quality, and speed improvements. The company offers various fully automated fixed systems and robotics, such as Viper 4-axis SCARA robotic screw driving system, dual x-y robot, rotary indexing, customer re-programmable robotic software, and multi-spindle systems.
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Vibromatic Co., Inc.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
Vibromatic Co., Inc., established in 1956, is a manufacturer and supplier of part-handling systems, automatic feeder bowl components, and vibratory feeders. The company offers various products, including bulk supply hoppers & conveyors, sound & dust enclosures, drives, controllers, and internal engine components such as clips, bolts, bearings, springs, and valves used in fasteners, automotive, packaging, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. The company based in Noblesville, IN, also offers services, such as preventative maintenance, installation & integration, repair, and on-site training.
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MCI/ Screwdriver Systems, Inc.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
MCI Systems, Inc., since 1996, is a manufacturer of automatic screwdrivers and small parts processing and assembly. The company offers hand-held automatic screwdrivers, electric with torque control, or pneumatic automatic screwdrivers. Screw feeders, feeder bowls, automatic vibratory Polycast parts, nut runners, escapements, and blow mechanisms are also available. The Noblesville, Indiana company sells automatic screwdrivers with one or more receivers that are fixtured. The business offers services to the machinery, electronics, automotive, aerospace, and telecommunications sectors. It is also capable of lean manufacturing.
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Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc. was originally founded in 1946 in Rockford Illinois. Dixon Automatic Tool is an automated assembly products and services supplier. Dixon Automatic Tool offerings include automatic screwdrivers, automatic nut-runners, automatic part placers, automatic setting systems, robotic end effectors, assembly work cells, hand-held drivers, feeder bowls and feed systems, and features Stöger products for customers’s automation needs. Dixon Automatic Tool also offers two escapement types that can be tooled to escape and transfer piece parts, as well as electric hand-held screwdrivers.
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California Vibratory Feeders, Inc.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
California Vibratory Feeders, Inc. was established in 1972 and headquartered in Anaheim, California. The company is a builder of parts handling equipment, offering custom design and engineering to meet each customer’s unique requirements. Customers are generally in the medical, automotive, aerospace, hardware, and industrial manufacturing industries. The company’s products include vibratory and centrifugal feeders, gravity tracks, and pre-feeders, while services include CAD design software Solid Works, consultation, and cooperative development of feeders.
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Automation Development Inc.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
Automation Development Inc., established in 1996, began as an engineering services company and is now a manufacturer of custom automation machines, tooling, and subsystems. Their facility in Burlington, Connecticut, designs and produces precision equipment for a diverse range of industries, including automotive, medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic manufacturers, and general manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. Their products include packaging machinery, custom tooling, loading systems, vision inspection, and measurement systems. The company’s facility is equipped with advanced capabilities, like 3D CAD workstations.
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SMC Corporation.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
SMC corporation was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. SMC Corporation manufactures and sells automatic control equipment and filtration equipment. SMC has production facilities in 30 countries, technical development centers in Japan, the United States, Europe, and China, and sales offices, globally. SMC product lines divided by them include filter replacements, condensation prevention, heat resistance, thermos-chilling, and others. SMC provides a video library as well as product selection guide to assist customers in finding solutions and optimizing product efficiency.
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Omni Metalcraft Corp.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
Omni Metalcraft Corp. was founded in 1976 and is a manufacturer of material handling equipments and components based in Alpena, Michigan, United States. The company's product portofolio includes belt driven live roller conveyor, plastic belt conveyor, conveyor rollers, chain driven live roller conveyor, and gravity conveyor. Various application examples of the company's products are including bag palletizing cell, case handling conveyor, coil steel handling, end of line packaging cell, and industrial machining cell. The company also provides various case studies and solutions for different scenarios possibly faced by customers.
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Emerson Electric Co.
Numatics™ Series FE Feed Escapement
Manufacturer Overview
Founded in 1890 in Missouri, Emerson Electric Co., is a technology and engineering company that provides various solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets globally. Business segments include automation solutions, AspenTech, and commercial & residential solutions segments. The Automation Solutions segment offers measurement and analytical instrumentation, industrial valves and equipment, and process control software and systems. The AspenTech segment provides asset optimization software for enhancing performance through a combination of modeling, simulation, and optimization capabilities. The Commercial & Residential Solutions segment offers residential and commercial HVAC products, system protector and flow control devices, and IoT thermostats.
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Air Way Automation, Inc.
Escapements
Manufacturer Overview
Air Way Automation, Inc. is a global manufacturer of parts feeding systems and assembly equipment, mostly serving the automotive industry. The company was established in 1975, with its main facility located in Grayling, Michigan. Air Way Automations, Inc. also offers engineering services, including but not limited to, 2D Auto Computer-Aided Design, mechanical designing, electrical designing, technical documentation, and 3D solid modeling with Autodesk Inventor data that can be exported directly for fabrication.
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Escapement Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fortville Feeders, Inc. |
17.4%
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| 2 | PHD Inc. |
13.0%
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| 3 | Visumatic Industrial Products |
13.0%
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| 4 | R & I Manufacturing Co. |
8.7%
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| 5 | Omni Metalcraft Corp. |
8.7%
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| 6 | Air Way Automation, Inc. |
8.7%
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| 7 | Vibromatic Co., Inc. |
4.3%
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| 8 | California Vibratory Feeders, Inc. |
4.3%
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| 9 | Automation Development Inc. |
4.3%
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| 10 | Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc. |
4.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the escapement page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
- Air Way Automation, Inc.: 85
Newly Established Company
- Fortville Feeders, Inc.: 1979 (45 years ago)
- California Vibratory Feeders, Inc.: 1972 (52 years ago)
- SMC Corporation.: 1959 (65 years ago)
Company with a History
- Vibromatic Co., Inc.: 1956 (68 years ago)
- SMC Corporation.: 1959 (65 years ago)
- California Vibratory Feeders, Inc.: 1972 (52 years ago)
Escapement Manufacturers in United States
*Including some distributors, etc.
- R & I Manufacturing Co.
- PHD Inc.
- Fortville Feeders, Inc.
- Visumatic Industrial Products
- Vibromatic Co., Inc.
- MCI/ Screwdriver Systems, Inc.
- Dixon Automatic Tool, Inc.
- California Vibratory Feeders, Inc.
- Automation Development Inc.
Global Distribution of Escapement Manufacturers by Country
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
United States of America
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9 | 90.0% |
Japan
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1 | 10.0% |
