AI drives smart upgrade of China's manufacturing industry

TIANJIN -- Artificial intelligence has accelerated the transformation of traditional manufacturing in China, helping the country shift from a manufacturing giant to an innovation powerhouse, said industry leaders at the ongoing Summer Davos Forum in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Li Dongsheng, co-chair of this year’s Davos and chairman of Chinese electronics giant TCL, said technologies, such as AI and robots will lead a new round of industrial transformation and transform economic growth models.

TCL is investing heavily in key technologies, including edge intelligence, AI, and digital twins to strengthen digital manufacturing capabilities, according to the company.

For instance, its China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) has applied an AI-based detection system in the production of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) to monitor processes in real time. With smarter equipment operations, the company has enhanced product yield and increased efficiency by 70 percent.

Another Chinese company Tianjin Huabei Group has also undergone a major digital shift. "Based on historical production data and AI algorithms, we have developed an intelligent mapping model that enables post-order product customization," said Ling Yulan, CEO of the company. "The system can automatically match the optimal production parameters to meet personalized demands while improving delivery efficiency."

She emphasized that achieving intelligent manufacturing requires both technological upgrades and shifts in development mindset. "Through the forum, we hope to explore cutting-edge solutions, deepen industrial chain cooperation and promote the development of new quality productive forces of enterprises."

Similar transformations have also taken place in Chinese liquor producer Luzhou Laojiao. It has shifted from "experience-based decision-making" to "data-driven operations" through digital twin technologies.

Liu Miao, chairman of the company said that the company has digitally replicated its facilities at a 1:1 scale and utilized digital twin simulations to streamline material flows before construction.

"This system has increased equipment utilization by 45 percent, improved emergency response efficiency by 40 percent, and reduced operation and maintenance costs by 25 percent," Liu said.

The photo shows the intelligent manufacturing production line of Tianjin Huabei Group in north China's Tianjin Municipality. [Photo provided by Huabei Group]

China is now home to more than 30,000 basic-level smart factories, 1,200 advanced-level and over 230 excellence-level smart factories.

The 230 excellence-level factories cover over 80 percent of manufacturing sectors. This achievement highlights the significant progress that has been made in reshaping the country's manufacturing landscape.

On average, they have shortened research and development cycles by 28.4 percent, boosted productivity by 22.3 percent, reduced defect rates by 50.2 percent, and cut carbon emissions by 20.4 percent.

The rise of smart manufacturing is also reflected in economic data.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that in May of this year, the value-added output of digital product manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.1 percent, while output of intelligent equipment and electronic components and equipment manufacturing industries rose by 17.5 percent and 11 percent respectively.

Driven by large AI models, the output of servers has increased by 2.2 times, and the output of intelligent products such as 3D printing equipment, industrial robots, and service robots has increased by 40.0 percent, 35.5 percent, and 13.8 percent respectively.

Themed "Entrepreneurship for a New Era," this year's Summer Davos has seen record attendance for recent years, with over 1,700 participants traveling from around the world.

Cutting-edge AI products displayed at the forum such as humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and fully autonomous drone inspection systems are drawing large crowds of attendees. These innovations vividly showcase Chinese enterprises' technological breakthroughs and pioneering applications of AI.