Within the workshop, it only takes three minutes to arrange the production plan for the next month; in the factory building, the "dark factory" operates continuously around the clock; in the intelligent control room, large screens display real-time production indicators and cargo flow... At present, China has built 421 national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories and 40% of the world's "lighthouse factories," promoting cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement in the manufacturing industry.

Journalists learned from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology that various measures will further strengthen the comprehensive creation of an "upgraded version" of intelligent manufacturing. Deputy Director of the Equipment Industry Division I of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Wang Hong, recently said in an exclusive interview with reporters that they are conducting research on the medium and long-term development strategy of intelligent manufacturing. They aim to improve the top-level design of intelligent manufacturing by targeting the goal of "basically achieving new-type industrialization by 2035," promote the construction, upgrading, and expansion of smart factories in a scenario-based manner, and enhance the supply capacity of key technologies and solutions. At the same time, they are planning to start a gradient cultivation action for smart factories in conjunction with relevant departments, supporting enterprises to build a batch of smart factories in a tiered manner.

Advertisement

The construction of demonstration factories has entered the stage of intelligentization.

In Deyang City, the base of Sichuan's equipment manufacturing industry, Dongfang Electric Corporation Dongfang Turbine Co., Ltd.'s blade processing digital workshop is busy with production: "intelligent carts" automatically drive to deliver materials, mechanical arms rotate and wave, and the blade processing accuracy reaches 0.03 millimeters...

"By introducing an intelligent management system, it only takes 3 to 5 minutes to arrange the production plan for the next month, which used to take more than ten employees a whole day," said Wang Kun, an engineer in the Digital and Intelligent Manufacturing Department of Dongfang Turbine Co., Ltd. Intelligent manufacturing has improved the production and operation efficiency for the enterprise, among which the per capita efficiency of the blade processing dark light production line has increased by 650%.

From digital design simulation shortening the development cycle of new energy vehicles, to robots "running around" in home appliance production workshops to accurately transport materials, and to the "digital brain" in coal workshops monitoring the entire production process... Recently, journalists from the Economic Reference News saw in interviews in various places that more and more manufacturing enterprises are seeking benefits and momentum from intelligent manufacturing.

It is reported that since the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with multiple departments, implemented the intelligent manufacturing pilot demonstration action, 421 national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories and 40% of the world's "lighthouse factories" have been promoted.

"These enterprises have reached a world-class advanced manufacturing level, setting an example for the digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of China's manufacturing industry," said the person in charge of the Equipment Industry Division I of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Advanced computing, new networks, digital twins, and other new technologies have been applied to more than 90% of demonstration factories, and artificial intelligence has been widely explored and applied in scenarios such as quality control and equipment management. New models and new formats continue to emerge, promoting the construction of demonstration factories into the stage of intelligentization.

Through cooperation between the central and local governments, the construction experience of demonstration factories has been replicated and promoted in various industries, driving the construction of more than ten thousand provincial digital workshops and smart factories, and promoting systematic optimization and overall improvement in aspects such as enterprise research and development design, production manufacturing, and resource organization.

Industry insiders believe that promoting the digital and intelligent transformation of the manufacturing industry with intelligent manufacturing as the main direction is the key to building a new quality of productivity, giving birth to new industries, new models, and new momentum. Against the background of intensifying global industrial competition, rapid development of new generation artificial intelligence technology, and continuous deepening of the new industrialization process, it is necessary to accelerate the expansion of intelligent manufacturing to a larger range, deeper penetration, and higher level evolution, and explore a path of digital, networked, and intelligent transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry with Chinese characteristics.Comprehensively Create an "Upgraded Version" of Intelligent Manufacturing

However, it must also be recognized that compared to the major manufacturing powers, the development of intelligent manufacturing in China is still insufficient and unbalanced, facing some bottleneck issues in application promotion, supply support, and standard guarantees.

The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization," reviewed and adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, proposes to improve the mechanisms for promoting high-quality economic development and clearly states "to improve the system that promotes the deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy" and "to promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of the manufacturing industry." In addition, the "Action Plan for the Digital Transformation of the Manufacturing Industry" proposes to strive to complete a round of digital transformation for large-scale industrial enterprises by 2030.

The huge scale of manufacturing, leading digital capabilities, and abundant talent potential are favorable conditions for China to promote the development of intelligent manufacturing. According to reports, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will comprehensively create an "upgraded version" of intelligent manufacturing through measures such as implementing the digital transformation action of the manufacturing industry and intelligent manufacturing projects, and improving the promotion mechanism of intelligent manufacturing.

Specifically, the first step is to improve the top-level design of intelligent manufacturing. Conduct research on the medium and long-term development strategy of intelligent manufacturing, aim at the goal of "basically achieving new industrialization by 2035," judge the technological development path, analyze the trend of industrial transformation, and look forward to the direction of enterprise form evolution, proposing a systematic and in-depth approach to promoting the development of intelligent manufacturing and creating an "upgraded version" of intelligent manufacturing.

The second step is to promote the construction, upgrade, and expansion of smart factories in a scenario-based manner. Coordinate the use of support policies such as large-scale equipment updates, promote the large-scale replication and promotion of mature scenarios, support the digital transformation of traditional industries and small and medium-sized enterprises. Build a number of globally leading smart factories, expand the breadth and depth of artificial intelligence applications in the manufacturing industry, and create a number of application benchmarks.

The third step is to focus on enhancing the supply capacity of key technologies and solutions. Accelerate the planning and layout of major scientific and technological innovation projects in the field of intelligent manufacturing, increase the research and development support for key technical products such as industrial robots, high-end controllers, and knowledge fusion models, and explore a new technical system for intelligent manufacturing system integration. Implement a special action to empower artificial intelligence for new industrialization, and improve the application level of artificial intelligence technology in key areas of the manufacturing industry.

The fourth step is to continue to strengthen the leading role of intelligent manufacturing standards. Update the construction guide for the national intelligent manufacturing standard system, and use national standards to lead the construction of a new generation of smart factories. Carry out pilot applications of intelligent manufacturing standards, support leading enterprises to integrate national, industry, and enterprise standards, build an "standard cluster" for intelligent manufacturing for specific industries, and promote the "chain-like" promotion of standards.

The fifth step is to optimize and strengthen the public service system of intelligent manufacturing. Continuously improve the public service platform for intelligent manufacturing data resources, and conduct in-depth assessments and effectiveness evaluations of intelligent manufacturing capability maturity.

Support enterprises to build a batch of smart factories at different levels.It is noteworthy that the construction of smart factories is a core part of creating an "upgraded version" of intelligent manufacturing. Reporters have learned that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is currently working with relevant departments to plan and initiate a gradient cultivation action for smart factories, supporting enterprises to build a batch of smart factories at different levels.

"Smart factories, as an important carrier for achieving intelligent manufacturing, are a concentrated embodiment of advanced manufacturing capabilities, and their development level is directly related to the quality level of the country's manufacturing industry," said Wang Hong. On the one hand, for traditional industries and key regions, their enthusiasm for carrying out digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry is mobilized. Enterprises with a good foundation in intelligent manufacturing capability maturity are supported to build a batch of basic and advanced smart factories, widely deploy intelligent manufacturing equipment, industrial software, and systems, and consolidate the digital and networked foundation of China's manufacturing industry to better support the industry's intelligent upgrading.

On the other hand, the leading role of leading enterprises and chain owners in exploring intelligent models is played, creating a batch of outstanding and leading smart factories, promoting the deep integration of new generation artificial intelligence and other digital intelligence technologies with the entire manufacturing process, achieving breakthroughs in the research and application of equipment, processes, software, and systems, and promoting innovation in research paradigms, production methods, service systems, and organizational structures, exploring future manufacturing models.

"In addition, we will also upgrade the intelligent manufacturing capability maturity self-assessment work system, and build it into a basic tool that can guide enterprises to carry out smart factory construction, help enterprises to clarify the current situation, identify problems, and clarify the focus of construction, more effectively promote the advanced experience and models of smart factory construction, and popularize advanced and applicable equipment and system solutions," said Wang Hong.