It was an honor and a privilege to visit Japan, the home of Amada, last
week. The trip truly provided a unique opportunity to see what makes the
company what it is. I knew going in that the company had great technology, a fine
line of products and excellent service and support. But seeing it for myself made it real.
The parts center, a significant portion of which is automated, stocks a million parts. When you think about that, it's enough to take your breath away.
Beyond that, our tour of the Innovation Fair (AIFG2013) provided a firsthand look at what a large range of products the company has. It suddenly became very clear how important ongoing innovation is at Amada. Seeing the LASBEND AJ in operation, for example, was a real treat.
The customer visits to Fukasawa and OKI provided excellent
examples of how Amada products are being used to their fullest potential. I was
surprised by the humble programming room at the Fukasawa plant, but it surely
provided excellent instructions for operating their equipment. The OKI installation
was amazing. Watching seven robot-fed press brakes - and knowing they were
being attended by just three operators - demonstrated how much OKI has jumped
into using Amada automation.
Of course, many things beyond the equipment left quite an impression as well.
All the people we met, in Amada and elsewhere, were simply
delightful.
Having been treated to the best of Japanese cuisine made it hard
to come back to the land of fast food.
The visit to the Tomioka Silk Mill was a lovely and unexpected
sampling of Japanese history and culture.
And of course, having been in the presence of Mt. Fuji, now I get
it.
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