In the first three quarters of this year, the accelerated integration of artificial intelligence and manufacturing in China has moved beyond isolated applications to deeply penetrate the entire chain of research and development, production, management and services.
According to data in September, China now has over 35,000 basic-level smart factories, more than 7,000 advanced-level ones, and over 230 excellence-level factories, covering all 31 provinces and more than 90 percent of major manufacturing sectors.
Weichai Power Co., Ltd in Shandong Province adopted an AI-powered intelligent imaging inspection system, which can perform 100 percent automated inspection of key processes, accurately identifying product defects in just 0.5 seconds.
"Our self-developed 'AI Super Engineer' now contributes to 40 percent of decision-making during the R and D process. By using digital simulation to build engine and vehicle models, we've reduced physical testing by 70 percent," said Wang Xinwei, director of AI institute at Weichai Power Co., Ltd.
The "AI+ manufacturing" synergy is also transforming traditional industries such as building materials. A refractory materials packaging workshop in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, adopted AI models to optimize temperature curves and material ratios for their steel furnace. With the help of smart models, the furnace's replacement cycle has been extended from one year to three, cutting downtime losses by 80 percent.
"AI +' is not just about combination of technology and industries. It's a profound reconstruction of production logic, management models, and value chains. This transformation has evolved from isolated pilot enterprises to large-scale, cross-industry adoption, becoming a core force in upgrading traditional manufacturing," said Yin Xunfei, researcher at the China Center for Information Industry Development.
China's accelerated "AI+ Manufacturing" integration drives efficiency across industrial chain
China's accelerated "AI+ Manufacturing" integration drives efficiency across industrial chain
