HAMAMATSU, JAPAN – Yamaha Robotics SMT Section invited its European distributors to its headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan for the 2025 Distributors Meeting, giving team-members the opportunity to visit the new facilities in the recently expanded factory and celebrate its 40th anniversary.
“With our anniversary and the recent significant new investment in R&D and manufacturing at Hamamatsu, we had two good reasons to invite our distribution network partners to Japan,” said Shuichi Imai, who joined Yamaha Robotics’ European team as SMT Section Sales General Manager in 2024. “The visit also showed the progress made in sustainability, such as our adoption of green steel in equipment manufacturing and new waste-reduction and recycling strategies.”
The delegates saw how the investment has approximately doubled the production capacity for surface mounters, while extensive electrification combined with greater adoption of solar panels will make the site Yamaha’s first carbon-neutral factory. They also previewed upcoming surface-mount equipment innovations, including new printer, dispenser, mounter, and inspection features as well as the latest software updates.
The meeting concluded with the traditional awards ceremony, recognising the top performers in the European network. Prime Option, distributor for Ireland, received the Best Service award. Renex, which covers Poland, Romania and Slovenia, was awarded Most Valuable Distributor, and ProSMT of Türkiye received the Special Achievement award.
Concluding the event, Mr Imai said, “We are delighted at the total commitment we see from all our distribution partners, which continues to drive the business forward in Europe. I hope the time spent together, in Japan this year, has added a new energy to continue our mission.”