On December 6, the 2023 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference opened in Nanjing. The conference focused on the theme of “smart change to network, digital integration and innovation”, and more than 390 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions around the world participated in the exhibition, including more than 40 of the world’s top 500 and industry representative enterprises, displaying the latest achievements, cutting-edge technologies and high-end products in the field of intelligent manufacturing.

“The industry of the future” has quietly become a trend

In Nanjing International Expo Center, the exhibition area of 60,000 square meters, a total of industrial robots, intelligent manufacturing demonstration applications and solutions, intelligent manufacturing equipment, intelligent control system and supporting industries four exhibition areas.

In the industrial robot exhibition area, a number of robot companies brought more than 300 robots, live performance dancing, painting, playing table tennis and other “talent”, which is eye-opening.

The picture shows a robot on display at the World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference 2023. Xinhua (Photo by Zhang Meng)

In 2023, the State Grid Nanjing Power Supply Company launched a panoramic monitoring system for power grid regulation and operation. In the intelligent manufacturing demonstration application and solution exhibition area, the reporter saw that this system uses artificial intelligence technology to achieve efficient research and judgment of power grid comprehensive events, and can carry out intelligent processing of fault defects, and the state perception ability of power grid operation and fault disposal efficiency are comprehensively improved.

From traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing, the “future industry” has quietly become a trend. In the exhibition area of intelligent manufacturing equipment, intelligent control systems and supporting industries, the reporter saw many new products and applications such as high-end CNC machine tools, intelligent logistics equipment, industrial control software, and industrial Internet platforms.

Jiangsu Jianghangzhi Aircraft Engine Components Research Institute Co., Ltd. is a state-level specialized special new “little giant” enterprise. “Our products have the advantage of high precision.” Yan Xiaolin, chairman of the company, said that the company has 5 production lines such as precision electrochemistry, precision EDM, precision machining, precision wire cutting and regenerative manufacturing, and the products are widely used in aerospace, medical equipment, rail transit and other fields.

Exhibitors and experts believe that under the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, 5G, cloud computing, digital twins, artificial intelligence and other technologies are reshaping production and manufacturing methods, and will have a profound impact on the development of manufacturing.

“The product life cycle, the plant life cycle, manufacturing systems engineering, etc., will achieve leaps in speed, efficiency, flexibility and quality.” Siemens global executive vice president Xiao Song said.

Intelligent manufacturing has achieved remarkable results

In recent years, China has taken the initiative to adapt to and lead the trend of industrial change, and promoted intelligent manufacturing to achieve a series of major practical results. Xin Guobin, vice minister of Industry and Information Technology, said that first of all, a number of smart factories with distinctive characteristics and leading development should be built. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has supported the selection of 421 state-level demonstration factories, promoted the construction of more than 10,000 digital workshops and smart factories across the country, and established more than 5,500 typical scenarios of intelligent manufacturing that can be replicated and promoted.

The picture shows the opening site of the 2023 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference. Xinhua (Photo by Zhang Meng)

Second, we need to foster an open, inclusive, collaborative and efficient industrial ecosystem. “China has become the world’s largest market for smart manufacturing applications.” Xin Guobin said that in 2022, the total scale of supporting industries such as intelligent manufacturing equipment, industrial software and system solutions will exceed 4 trillion yuan, and 5G will be explored and applied in nearly 2,000 factories.

In addition, the establishment of inclusive, convenient, professional and applicable service system. Xin Guobin said that the national intelligent manufacturing data resource public service platform has carried out evaluation services for more than 80,000 enterprises, organized industry experts to provide “face-to-face” counseling for more than 4,000 enterprises, issued 394 national standards, and guided more than 140 leading enterprises to explore the construction of “standard groups.”

Nanjing Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. is a typical case of the successful application of intelligent manufacturing. “Workers can control blast furnace production remotely from the operation room, and managers can sense the factory situation in real time through digital factory screens or mobile phones.” Sun Maojie, assistant to the president of the company, said that the intelligence of the production process makes the organization run more efficiently.

We will accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces

The picture shows the exhibition area of 2023 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference. Xinhua (Photo by Zhang Meng)

“Intelligent manufacturing is the deep integration of a new generation of information technology, digital technology and manufacturing, and is the main direction of high-quality development of manufacturing.” Said Shan Zhongde, Party secretary of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering.

“The big model makes our manufacturing truly a smart manufacturing industry.” Xu Wenwei, director of the Huawei Scientist Advisory Committee, believes that intelligent manufacturing is a whole process system, from product research and development to product manufacturing, and ultimately form product revenue.

At present, intelligent manufacturing has increasingly become a key force to promote the optimization of the industrial system and the transformation of the manufacturing model.

Xin Guobin said that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will adhere to intelligent manufacturing as the main direction of attack, promote the deep integration of digital technology and manufacturing, promote artificial intelligence to enable new industrialization, and accelerate the formation of new quality productivity.