Amada holds major innovation fair showcasing new laser and IoT solutions

Amada Innovation Fair 2018 focuses on “evolution” of technology and services

Amada Holdings (HD) hosted its largest event of the year, the Amada Innovation Fair (AIF) 2018, at its Solution Center in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. During the fair, the company introduced its new fiber laser cutting machine with increased output and officially launched the IoT-based factory support service “V-Factory.”

V-Factory enters full-scale practical application

On May 11, 2018, during the press preview of AIF2018, Tsutomu Isobe, President of Amada HD, commented, “Customers can now purchase V-Factory as a real product. It has finally reached the practical stage.”

The event was held over 13 days, every Friday and Saturday from May 12 to June 23. Themed “EVOLUTION,” AIF2018 featured three main highlights:

1. Launch of IoT service “V-Factory”

2. New 6 kW fiber laser cutting machine from the “ENSIS Series”

3. Strategic release of the diamond band saw “DBSAW-500” to enter new markets

V-Factory, which had been under conceptual development since 2015, officially began service on May 1, 2018. Visitors to the fair were able to observe and confirm the usability of the system on site.

Real-time visibility and support to boost factory efficiency

V-Factory consists of two main components: “My V Factory,” a web-based application for visualizing equipment operational status in real time, and “Internet of Things Supports,” an optional maintenance service. The solution aims to identify issues in manufacturing and propose improvements for production efficiency.

Amada Group reported strong results in FY2017, with sales increasing 7.8% year-on-year to ¥300.6 billion and operating income up 14.9% to ¥37.9 billion. The company noted steady incoming orders and high motivation for capital investment among users, making the timing ideal for the launch of V-Factory.