Indramat was founded in Germany in 1958.  Its German name was “Gesellschaft zur INDustrialisierung-RAtionalisierung und AutoMATisierung“ (Association for Industrialization, Rationalization, and Automation). The emphasized parts of the words for “industrialization,” “rationalization,” and “automation” spell out “INDRAMAT.”

Indramat made industrial motion control systems for industries like printing, package making, and other verticals that needed both power and precision.

In 1965, Indramat was acquired by Rexroth, another German company. Rexroth made hydraulic and pneumatic motion control devices. They wanted to expand into electric motion control, and bringing Indramat in was the best way to do that. They kept using the Indramat name. In 1968, Mannesmann, another German company, joined forces with the company. Indramat continued as the electric drive division and the company built the first hydraulic servo valves in 1972.

In 1979, Indramat revolutionized electric servo motors with their brushless AC motor. Other Indramat innovations included personality modules, which let users of Indramat modules plug in the programming for their devices quickly. That and their modular design meant that companies could replace a faulty module, plug in the programming, and have their machines up and running again in minutes.

In 2001, the merger of Mannesmann Rexroth AG and Bosch Automation Technology led to the formation of Bosch Rexroth AG. The Indramat name is dropped, but the company continues building electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic motion control.

The company has continued to drive innovation in motion control. Indramat products are no longer made, but many are still in service.