In a recent trip Managing Director Frank Green with other Amada UK customers enjoyed a week in Japan visiting Amada’s extensive main machine manufacturing facilities in Fujinomiya Works. Which provided the prefect opportunity to learn about their impressive in-house production capabilities in new machine development and tooling technology. During the visit Amada showcased a variety of its latest automated technology which will eventually be offered to customer’s in the U.K. enabling lights-out unmanned production. The tour also visited the companies museum with space dedicated to highlighting the successes of the past from the early years of Amada’s history dating back to 1946. Then onto the advances of their innovative sheetmetal machinery over recent years. The tour was also able to visit several of Amada’s Japanese customers one in particular making key sheetmetal internal parts for the new PlayStation console being launched at Christmas. The group also enjoyed the cultural side of Japan visiting several locations in Tokyo including a trip up the Tokyo tower. The tour also experienced many elements of Japanese food from traditional sushi, to tempura vegetables to more unusual dishes like basashi (horse-meat). One evening was spent in the heart of Roppongi the main nightlife scene at a music venue called Abbey Road. The atmosphere was truly great where we were all entertained by a fantastic Beatles tribute band as we sang the night away.