After accelerating the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing into intelligent manufacturing enterprises, the output value of intelligent workshops in Changzhou, Jiangsu has increased by about 70%
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his visit to the economic sector members attending the third session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and attending the joint group meeting that we should accelerate the promotion of strategic emerging industries such as digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, life and health, and new materials, and form more new growth points and poles. This year's Government Work Report pointed out that industrial Internet should be developed to promote intelligent manufacturing.
Intelligent manufacturing represents the main direction of high-quality development in the manufacturing industry, providing a foundation and possibility for industrial transformation, upgrading, and sustainable development. Nowadays, attempts to promote intelligent manufacturing are flourishing in many regions. The reporter visited and researched Changzhou, Chongqing, and Qingdao to deeply interpret the three distinctive regional intelligent manufacturing development paths and share their effective experiences in promoting the transformation and upgrading of the local manufacturing industry. Starting today, this edition will launch a series of reports on "Economic Focus · Decoding Intelligent Manufacturing". Please stay tuned.
——Editor's note:
Over the course of 4 years, more than 6000 enterprises have adopted cloud platforms, implemented intelligent transformation, and built 100 provincial-level intelligent workshops and 243 city level intelligent workshops.
This intelligent transformation speed comes from Changzhou, Jiangsu. What is the secret to Changzhou's high-speed intelligent transformation? Led by leading enterprises, we aim to achieve synchronous development of supply and application, and promote the intelligent transformation of industries, "said the person in charge of Changzhou Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology.
Sampling survey data shows that after the intelligent transformation of enterprises, the output value of intelligent workshops has increased by about 70%, the unit output cost has decreased by about 20%, and the unit output employment has decreased by about 50%. What are the characteristics of Changzhou's intelligent manufacturing development model? How can leading enterprises drive upstream and downstream enterprises to jointly embark on the path of intelligent development?
Fission promotion, full set of services drive development
Entering the warp knitting workshop of Xindongxu Textile Technology Co., Ltd. in Shuyang County, Suqian City, over 300 intelligent warp knitting machines are operating in an orderly manner under data instructions. A high-power rotating machine emits a regular roar. Recently, more than 100 tons of raw fabric are produced here every day and transported to downstream enterprises and around the world. Fortunately, we have undergone intelligent transformation. Compared to ordinary workshops, only about half of the operators are needed, and production during the epidemic prevention and control period has not been greatly affected, "said Chen Yun, the company's person in charge.
At the beginning of our factory construction, we only had 22 traditional warp knitting machines, but today we have 300 intelligent devices. Our rapid development is driven by the leading enterprise in Changzhou, Wuyang Textile Machinery Co., Ltd., "Chen Yun said.
新东旭与五洋纺机结缘于2012年。“当时，管理水平低，一个工人只能看管一台机器。”陈云回忆，五洋纺机进行升级改造，在普通纺机上加装了智能设备，产能和质量都大幅度提升，管理人员坐在办公室就能看到每台机器的运行情况，“我们也决心这么做。”
于是，新东旭组织技术人员来到五洋纺机学习，着手进行经编智能化生产项目改造。在对方工程师的指导下，他们从原料采购入手，到面料、服装加工生产经营，最终形成全面信息化管理。
五洋纺机在智能化改造方面的优势何在?记者看到，最新一代经编机上均有可视化屏幕，清晰显示着各种参数并可进行调整。工作人员介绍，软件的配置、操作系统的应用，属于数字化、“傻瓜”式的，便于学习和操作。这种“连机器带软件”的全套销售服务模式，已推广到国内2000多家企业、国外40多个国家和地区。
说到智能化升级后的企业发展，陈云很满意：“工人劳动强度大幅降低，还减少了原料库存率，企业效益显著提高!”
这种智能制造细胞裂变式推广模式还在持续。自2018年新东旭经编车间被宿迁市工信局批准为智能车间以来，通过经验交流、人员培训等手段，企业所学经验已与当地及周边的同行业厂家分享。在沭阳，以新东旭公司为龙头，集聚了20多家中小企业的针织产业园已初具规模。
合作研发，上下游协同转型
作为一家研制、生产、销售汽车车灯的专业厂家，常州星宇车灯股份有限公司与配套供应商共同合作、互补研发，助力供应商一起闯市场。“当前，我国车灯生产数字化、信息化管理系统相对落后，生产效率较低、质量不稳定，无法满足客户对产品性能和质量的要求。”谈到投身智能制造的原因，公司技术专家潘明清告诉记者。
转型意愿迫切，如何转型成为摆在企业面前的重要课题。星宇的选择是合作研发、协同转型。
伟通工业设备(江苏)有限公司是星宇的设备供应商，刚开始主要给星宇供应生产线传送链。“灯具涂装线技术是汽车车灯的核心工艺，但其主要的防雾涂装设备几乎被外国公司垄断，不仅价格昂贵，售后服务也难以及时跟进。”潘明清说。
凭借对车灯工艺技术的认识和理解，星宇与伟通公司开始共同研发灯具涂装线。经过5年共同努力，在接连攻克了涂装效果评估、系统集成技术研发等难题后，伟通公司掌握了涂装线的关键核心技术，开始给星宇等业内客户提供配套先进设备。
如今，走进伟通承建的自动化生产车间，几乎看不到操作工。11台各种型号的六轴机器人，挥舞着灵巧的机械手，在不同的工位上进行搬运、涂装、去毛边等工作，每一道工序环环相扣。
“伴随着星宇生产规模的不断扩大，我们也取得了快速发展。在原先半自动的涂装线基础上又进行技术改造，于2018年研发出全自动涂装线。”伟通公司副总经理徐志刚说，目前，每一道工序都能实现远程在线监控，每一个数据都有总服务器搜集分析，自己在办公室的大屏幕上可以实时了解最新情况。
信息联动，有效利用剩余产能
达讯电器是常州市一家从事塑料件加工的小型企业，有十几台设备，年销售额在300万—500万元。2017年以来，业务总量开始下降，而且订单越来越不稳定。“订单多时，需要工人倒班通宵干活;订单少时，工人在工厂没事干，运营不算顺畅。”总经理宋立说。
如何破解产能利用不充分难题?
一次偶然的机会，宋立看到隔壁厂的车间主任在使用一款名叫“工业矩阵”的手机应用。通过这款应用，不仅能看到自己厂内设备的运行情况，还能根据周边设备的产能高低，相互介绍订单。宋立非常感兴趣，联系了应用服务商天正工业发展股份有限公司，将厂内所有设备都连入了网络。
“我们引进了天正工业关于智能化改造和大数据采集的先进技术，采购了安装在机器上的数据采集设备，手机端就可以读取所有设备的信息，清楚了解运作状况。”宋立介绍。
设备联网之后，宋立突然发现很多原来模糊的信息一下子清晰起来：过去，厂里的十几台设备，每天有效工作时长也就4个小时左右;设备联网后，根据每台设备的实际数据，工序和排班得以调整，效率提高近20%。
这样的效率提升源自天正工业的“生产力征信”模型，该模型以设备运行数据为基础，从生产力的角度为企业画像。不仅能给中小微企业提供智能化改造建议，还能描述企业的信用状况，提供融资凭据。
“平台通过数据分析，能挖掘出企业在技术和服务上的需求，有效解决了产学研过程中研发机构和工业企业信息不对称的问题，帮助中小企业进行智能化改造。”天正工业董事长张翀昊说。
现在，宋立的工厂每天热火朝天。“最近又接了10多笔订单，有效利用了厂里剩余产能。从来没想到，我们这样的小企业也能走上智能化之路。”
