A firm in Yamanashi Prefecture has developed Japan's first land-mine disposal machine, which promises to destroy mines about 20 times faster than can be done manually.
Kiyoshi AmemiyaThe device was developed at the initiative of Kiyoshi Amemiya, 54, president of Yamanashi-based Yamanashi Hitachi Kenki Co. Amemiya's construction machinery marketing company is affiliated with Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., a maker of hydraulic shovels.
The device features 40 pieces of 20-cm, high-speed rotating superalloy cutters. The highly heat resistant cutters are attached to the arm of a hydraulic shovel car.