Yamazaki Mazak Corp is celebrating the “far-reaching impact machine tools have on everyday life” with the opening of the Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Machine Tools in Minokamo, Japan.

The museum takes visitors from the tools of the 18th century right through to the modern age of connectivity and automation, including an automatic production line that uses IoT technology in the “manufacture of machine parts for use in production processes”.

The exhibits highlight the status of machine tools as ‘mother machines’ that produce the parts required to keep vital equipment operational in the aerospace, medical and automotive sectors.

They also include several ‘traditional machine tools’ in working condition and items that they played a key role in producing, including cars, aircraft and a steam train (pictured).

These machines and items have been painstakingly restored in co-operation with manufacturers from all over the world, offering insight into the heritage of a wide array of industries.

The museum also features an educational corner, where children can enjoy hands-on learning and discover more about the technology.

Richard Smith, European Group managing director at Yamazaki Mazak Europe (www.mazakeu.co.uk), said: “Machine tools provide absolutely vital support to manufacturing world-wide, so they are also vital to the workings of everyday life.

"The Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Machine Tools is a fitting tribute to the massive contribution of these ‘mother machines’ to technological advancement, and it shows their impact on society as a whole.

"Through this unique museum, we hope to demonstrate the importance of machine tools to the next generation — and how Mazak has been integral to the continued development of the technology behind them.”