山下工業所 Company Profile

Stamping sheet metal Three-dimensional curved surface forming 60 years of creating the face of the Shinkansen

This is a company that was established the year before the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to manufacture the front body structure (the "face" part) of Shinkansen trains. As a certified cooperative factory of the Hitachi Group's vehicle production base, Hitachi Works Kasado (in Shimonoseki City), it has been engaged in sheet metal processing of railway vehicle parts, including the front body structure, internal components of the driver's cab, and control panels for half a century, with a manufacturing record of over 400 vehicles across 24 models from the 0 series to the latest E7 series of Shinkansen. The craftsmanship that creates various single items and small quantities of metal products, which can be considered art composed of three-dimensional curved surfaces, using general-purpose machines and simple tools without dedicated molds, is highly regarded. The company also produces new products in different fields by applying its technology, such as prototype jigs for next-generation supersonic aircraft development for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. They are also challenging the production of design and art pieces and monuments utilizing their skills in stamping and aluminum welding. Notable achievements include the production of a 0 series object, a Kasado flounder object, and a sheet metal Choru-ru (a local mascot from Yamaguchi Prefecture). Currently, modeling using 3D CAD and simulations with 3D printers have become possible, allowing for orders to be placed using 3D data.