At the end of 2020, the 6-million-set-per-year intelligent manufacturing project for high-end new-energy commercial vehicle universal joint assemblies of Wanxiang Qianchao Co., Ltd. and the smart factory project for high-end wheel hub bearing units for new-energy vehicles based on an industrial internet platform of Zhejiang Wanxiang Jinggong Co., Ltd. were included in the 2021 provincial-level list of demonstration projects for the transformation of production and manufacturing methods. In 2021, after a year of dedicated efforts, both projects successfully completed their annual implementation plans.

To implement the provincial party committee and provincial government’s decisions and arrangements for promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing sector and facilitating the transformation of enterprise production and manufacturing methods as well as the upgrading and development of industrial chains, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology and the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Finance have launched a demonstration project plan for the transformation of production and manufacturing methods. The plan focuses on ten landmark industrial chains and emphasizes the concept of green development. Through a competitive selection process based on a “region + project list” approach, it will selectively support a group of demonstration projects in intelligent, green, and service-oriented manufacturing, guiding enterprises to accelerate the transformation of their production and manufacturing models. The Wanxiang Qianchao and Wanxiang Jinggong projects have been successfully selected and are being implemented smoothly, demonstrating the strength of technological innovation.

The Wanxiang Qianchao annual production project for 6 million sets of high-end new-energy commercial vehicle universal joint assemblies features intelligent manufacturing. Combining the unique production characteristics of the universal joint manufacturing industry, and focusing on achieving intelligent, efficient, and streamlined management, the project will make appropriate renovations and redesigns to existing facilities—including the forging workshop, cross-axis universal joint workshop, three-pin bracket workshop, final assembly workshop, and heat treatment workshop—centered around the product’s technological development strategy of “lightweighting, maintenance-free operation, long service life, electrification, and intelligence.” The project will adopt intelligent manufacturing technologies and processes characterized by “automation, intelligence, minimal manpower, and single-flow production,” and introduce advanced international-level quenching machines, machining centers, fully automated assembly lines, as well as domestically leading industrial robots and double-end-face grinders—highly automated equipment. Through the substitution of human labor with machinery, the project will implement transformations, select proprietary intelligent systems, enhance the intelligence and automation levels of equipment, expand production capacity, reduce staffing, and ultimately achieve effortless manufacturing.

Following intelligent upgrades, the universal joint assembly project has achieved digitalization, intelligent manufacturing, and information-based management of product production. For example, in the cross-shaft universal joint workshop, the capacity for cross-shaft turning operations has increased by 15.8%, the capacity for grinding operations on steering cross shafts has risen by 23.5%, and the capacity for grinding operations on fork shafts has improved by 34%. In the three-pin bracket workshop, the introduction of advanced automatic feeding equipment has doubled the daily production output. With significant improvements in labor productivity and substantial reductions in machining cycle times and product lead times, it is expected that the project will add an annual production capacity of 6 million sets of high-end universal joint assemblies for new-energy commercial vehicles, with projected annual additional sales reaching 200 million yuan.

The Wanxiang Jinggong Smart Factory Project for High-end Wheel Hub Bearing Units for New Energy Vehicles, based on an industrial internet platform, involves procuring and implementing key intelligent manufacturing technologies and equipment from its own brands—such as CNC external cylindrical grinders, CNC internal cylindrical grinders, CNC ultra-precision external cylindrical grinders, and CNC ultra-precision internal cylindrical grinders—as well as core supporting software (including QDS, PLM, and MES), information security systems, system solutions, and the construction and renovation of an industrial internet network within the factory, all aimed at building a smart factory.

By transforming the process layout of the digital workshop and implementing digital simulation of processes, the project establishes a digital simulation model for the workshop’s overall design, production process flow design, operation and machining procedures of various production equipment, as well as workshop operations and management. This enables fully digitalized management across the entire lifecycle of automotive bearing workshop planning, production, and operations.

In the area of digital design for high-end automotive wheel hub bearing products, the company leverages digital 3D design and process technologies to optimize product and process design as well as simulation, thereby enhancing product quality. By implementing a PLM system, the company achieves full lifecycle management of its products, shortening product development cycles and boosting production efficiency. In terms of building digital workshops and deploying intelligent equipment, the company focuses on establishing a digitized workshop for the production of automotive wheel hub bearings. It constructs wheel hub bearing production lines by integrating intelligent manufacturing equipment and automated logistics systems. The company has deployed more than ten types of core, safe, and controllable smart manufacturing equipment in areas such as machining, assembly, logistics, and online inspection, overcoming critical bottlenecks in negative clearance equipment. Regarding the implementation of intelligent logistics equipment, the company has planned an integrated workshop logistics solution, enabling automated logistics distribution—from the workshop buffer storage to the assembly line—of components including steel balls, retainers, washers, and sensors. Furthermore, the company has introduced gantry robots for the manufacturing of high-end automotive wheel hub bearings. The company has independently developed a world-class pilot production line and carried out automation upgrades on assembly lines and grinding/ultra-precision lines. Additionally, it has upgraded negative clearance detection technologies and equipment, as well as vibration detection technologies and equipment.

After the intelligent transformation, the project’s production line has fully adopted a new smart manufacturing model, enabling quantitative optimization throughout the product processing stages. Through fine-tuning and matching, the product takt time has improved by 48%, significantly boosting the production line’s output. By optimizing product workflows, the R&D cycle has been shortened by 30%, and labor efficiency has increased by 66.6%. Moreover, digital design and structural optimization have reduced friction torque, leading to energy savings and lower consumption. By building an intelligent production line that delivers high quality, high efficiency, and short lead times, the line is equipped with capabilities such as fully automated online inspection, automatic error prevention, digital product traceability, and rigorous quality control. As a result, the workshop has reached an internationally advanced and domestically leading level of intelligence and digitalization, playing a pioneering and exemplary role in the national bearing industry.

Going forward, Wanxiang Qianchao and Wanxiang Jinggong will continue to advance digital and intelligent technology upgrades, achieving product enhancements, technological iterations, and process optimizations. This will constantly bolster their competitiveness, promote high-quality enterprise development, deliver better products to customers, and make greater contributions to the industry’s growth.