Amada’s HG1003ATC an Austech Expo Crowd-Magnet

At Austech 2017 (amidst a steady stream of eager onlookers, oogling at the impressive Amada machinery), we were able to get a moment to speak with Andrew Ryan, Sales Engineer for Amada Oceania, about the latest developments from the group. We also discussed the focus the Oceania division has in continuing to set a high standard of customer support and service.

This year, the Amada team showcased their latest Fibre Laser cutting system, Press Brake with automatic tool changing system and VPSS3i Programming Solution. Boasting enhanced user-friendly software and continuous improvements in fibre laser cutting technology were two key areas of focus for Amada at the expo. 

Their latest Pressbrake and automatic tool changing system (the HG1003ATC), exemplified the dynamic, high speed and high accuracy systems Amada is known for.  This machine is designed to ensure minimise set up time for complex parts, utilises offline programming and is best used in the high mix, low volume environments.

“The ATC performs tool changes quickly and precisely — eliminating costly delays associated with manual tool changes. As a result, you can quadruple your number of bending setups per day. The ATC is equipped with 18 magazines for dies (V4 to V40) and 15 for punches (plus punch reversal unit) — This gives us the ability to store over 26m of tooling providing the flexibility to accommodate a variety rush jobs seamlessly.”

With Amada’s machinery already having a great reputation for their performance and reliability, the Oceania team have proceeded to set their sights on setting the highest standard of service and support for businesses.

“In my opinion there’s fantastic machinery in Australia, but its how it’s supported and how we help customers to take it to the next level and really utilise their machinery that makes the difference” Mr Ryan said.

“One of the fundamental principles of Amada is to work closely with our customers.  We can only be successful when our customers grow with Amada and come out on top in their markets” He Continued.

Investing in machinery is something no one should take lightly, and is a decision that can make or break a business. As mentioned in our interview with Mr Ryan, where Amada has set to differentiate itself from other companies is through ensuring there is no room for error during that, often lengthy, decision-making process.

“Basically it’s about getting it right, supporting [the business] and making it work from the start. That’s what I’m proud of with my time at Amada, once I’ve sold the machine, that’s when the work really starts.”

“Once the sale has happened, we’ll provide ongoing training and support, to get them up to a level where they can really utilise the machine. It really is about tapering off and allowing them to use their machine self-sufficiently” He said.

Another strong advantage Amada might have during the buying process is through their Sydney Solution Centre. The showroom allows customers to come in and test products for their specific requirements and allows the Amada team to run shows or test conditions. The site is also used for training before installation or if on-site training isn’t an option.

With all that in mind, it’s clear why the Amada exhibition was one of the more popular stands at this year’s expo. When asked on his thoughts about Austech this year, Mr Ryan mentioned this year’s expo was definitely the most energetic and saw the most visitors compared to that in the past.

“We had a fantastic show this year. There’s a lot of energy in the Market right now and that was proven to me at Austech this year. I was definitely happy to see that. We had a lot of interest on the stand and it will be a very busy few months following up.“