History
History of the Staffa Motor

In the late 1950's Brown & Sharpe Ltd, an American manufacturing company, bought the land and built the factory at Ernesettle for the manufacture of machine tools.
 
In 1979 Brown & Sharpe acquired Chamberlain Industries, a company manufacturing the Staffa motor in Leyton, London. The Staffa motor was developed by Chamberlain in 1955 to serve the domestic mining industry, but quickly expanded into construction, conveying, vehicle drive and marine markets.

During the 1960s the Staffa motor became a well-known name within industry which was synonymous with high torque low speed drive requirements and throughout the 1970s the industry flourished and Staffa enjoyed a significant market share.
 
In 1982 Brown & Sharpe transferred production of the Staffa motor to Ernesettle where a new modern manufacturing facility had been built.
 
In 1985, Vickers Systems Lts, another American manufacturing company, acquired the site and the Staffa motor from Brown & Sharpe and manufacture of the Staffa motor continued until in January 1994, the site and the Staffa motor was acquired by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, and a standalone company – Kawasaki Precision Machinery (UK) Limited – was formed.
 
For many years, under a licensing agreement, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd had manufactured the Staffa motor at their Kobe works in Japan and therefore both companies were well-known to each other before the acquisition.
 
In recent years, the Staffa motor operation has expansed to serve a diverse global market. It has developed a high quality product of its own design and has looked to harness electrohydraulic technology to gain further penetration into the fluid power markets.
 
Although the Staffa motor is still the major product being manufactured at Plymouth, the production of other products have been transferred to Plymouth from Japan, these are the M2X motor, the K3V axial piston pump and industrial valves.
 
History of the Staffa Motor - continued
 
The Staffa high torque low speed hydraulic motor was developed by the company Chamberlain Industries. This company, established in 1944, marketed a range of hydraulic equipment for the construction industry.
 
The Staffa motor was developed by Chamberlain in 1955 to serve the domestic mining industry, but quickly expanded into construction, conveyor, vehicle drive and marine markets. During the 1960’s the Staffa motor became a household name within industry which was synonymous with high torque low speed drive requirements.
 
Throughout the 1970’s the industry flourished and Staffa enjoyed a significant market share, with output peaking in 1979 when 12,000 motors were produced.
 
In 1979 Browne & Sharpe Ltd acquired the Staffa motor and in 1982 production was transferred from the original Chamberlain site in Leyton, London to the Browne & Sharpe site at Plymouth, where a new modern manufacturing facility had been built.
 
In 1985, Vickers acquired the fluid power division of Browne & Sharpe which included the Staffa motor.
 
In 1994, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd acquired the Staffa motor business from Vickers and Kawasaki Precision Machinery (UK) Ltd launched.
 
In recent years the Staffa motors operation had expanded to serve a diverse global market. It has developed a high quality product of its own design and has looked to harness electro hydraulic technology to gain further penetration into the fluid power markets.
 In 1995 10,000 motors were produced and sold, 75% of these motors went overseas.

News from Japan
KPMJ have changed their name to Precision Machinery Company. Will be known as Kawasaki Heavy Industries PMC Japan  - www.khi.co.jp/kpm
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