On August 7, the front page of China Industry and Commerce Times featured an article titled ‘“Cracking the ‘Tough Nut’ of Lead Screws, Realizing the ‘Dream of Low-Altitude Flight,’ and Building a Solid ‘Firewall’ for Energy Storage: Wanxiang Group—Breaking Through with ‘Precision’ and Embarking on a New Path.”

While global manufacturing giants are all searching for the next ‘trillion-level’ opportunities, Wanxiang is undergoing a transformation form ‘traditional manufacturing’ to ‘cutting-edge technology’. In the laboratory, a robotic arm is performing micron-level “surgery” with a precision of 0.01 millimeters; in the factory, production lines that once manufactured bearings for automobiles are now forging “joints” for aircraft and humanoid robots…

Data shows that Wanxiang Qianchao Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Wanxiang Qianchao”), a subsidiary of Wanxiang Group, achieved operating revenue of 13.391 billion yuan in 2025, with net profit attributable to parent company shareholders historically surpassing the 1 billion yuan mark. This represents not only financial growth but also powerful evidence of the company’s operational self-sustainability and risk-resilience.

As the winds of the low-altitude economy sweep across Hangzhou Bay and humanoid robots transition from concept to mass production, Wanxiang has chosen not to stand idly by in its comfort zone. Instead, it has broken down and reorganized the “precision manufacturing DNA” accumulated over six decades, projecting it toward broader horizons and the future. From wheels on the ground to rotors in the air, and on to the joints of robots, Wanxiang is using a nearly uncompromising spirit of craftsmanship to build a “path to the heavens” leading to the future in this era of intelligence.

Overcoming “Millimeter-Level” Joints to “Build Bones” for Humanoid Robots

In the field of precision robotics transmission, reverse-type planetary roller screws are hailed as the “backbone of motion” due to their high load-bearing capacity and rigidity, but they are extremely difficult to manufacture. Wanxiang Qianchao’s R&D team addressed the pain points of traditional screws and charted their own path to breakthrough: “Traditional screws rely on sliding friction, which limits both their service life and precision. “We’ve enabled dozens of precision rollers to ‘race’ at high speeds along the track, achieving high-precision, high-efficiency production,” explained the deputy general manager of Wanxiang Qianchao’s Technology Center, pointing to components on the production line. This represents not only a product upgrade but also a strategic move to build momentum for the anticipated boom in embodied intelligence under the 15th Five-Year Plan.

For a long time, high-precision lead screws have been regarded as the “uncharted territory” of precision manufacturing. Wanxiang Qianchao formed a dedicated team led by General Manager Chen Liao, bringing together over 150 core technical personnel, and finally mastered the full-chain independent capabilities across the four key processes: materials, design, machining, and inspection. In particular, the company achieved a breakthrough in high-precision internal thread grinding technology, solving the challenge of machining long internal threads; technical breakthroughs in materials and heat treatment have significantly enhanced the products’ load-bearing capacity and fatigue resistance.

“Currently, our products are in the development and sample testing phases with several leading domestic customers, and we have an annual production capacity of 100,000 sets,” Chen Liao explained. This marks Wanxiang’s attainment of “mass production” capabilities in the field of core robotics components.

“The biggest challenge lies in how to efficiently transfer our decades of technical expertise in the precision transmission field to the entirely new arena of core robotics components,” admitted the Deputy General Manager of Wanxiang Qianchao’s Technology Center. “This isn’t starting from scratch, but rather a precise extension of our strengths. It tests our understanding of new application scenarios and our ability to adapt our processes accordingly.”

In the face of these challenges, Wanxiang Qianchao’s approach combines “targeted investment” with “system reuse.” Rather than treating the new business as a venture starting from scratch, the company has focused on leveraging the full-chain manufacturing capabilities accumulated in the automotive sector. From material processing to precision finished products, and from quality control to supply chain management, this mature system has been directly extended to the new sector. “Whether it’s automotive drivetrain systems or robotic joint modules, the core requirements revolve around high precision and high reliability. By transferring the precision manufacturing capabilities we’ve accumulated in the automotive sector to this new field, we’ve significantly shortened the cycle for transforming technological achievements into commercial products.”

According to its strategic plan, Wanxiang Qianchao has established its robotics business as its third major strategic pillar, following bearings and automotive chassis systems. By 2026, the company plans to establish a production capacity of 1.2 million sets of robot-specific bearings and actively advance its international production capacity layout. Moving forward, Wanxiang Qianchao will build upon its existing production capacity to continuously expand its product portfolio and deepen its focus on key components related to robot joint modules—including the R&D and market development of products such as gear reducers and precision structural parts—striving to become a pioneer in the field of embodied intelligence.

Forging “99.5%” Reliability: Building the “Heart” of the Low-Altitude Economy

Amid the boom in the low-altitude economy, a heavy-lift drone is undergoing takeoff and landing tests. For these “air taxis” that will soon carry cargo and even passengers, the failure of any single component could be fatal. The high-reliability, low-friction bearings custom-developed by Wanxiang Qianchao for this leading customer are the key to ensuring their safe and stable operation.

The reliability requirements for aerospace-grade bearings are nearly exacting. Wanxiang Qianchao has focused on key product categories such as deep-groove ball bearings and tapered roller bearings, achieving breakthroughs in core technical metrics including high reliability, long service life, low friction, and lightweight design. Through intensive technical research, Wanxiang has successfully raised bearing reliability to 99.5% while reducing friction torque by more than 30% compared to conventional products.

“This is not merely a simple weight reduction; it is an ultimate challenge in materials science and tribology,” explained a member of the R&D team. Currently, Wanxiang Qianchao has successfully passed maiden flight tests and commenced mass production, providing “rock-solid” assurance for the safe operation of low-altitude aircraft.

As a national-level “Single Champion” product in manufacturing, Wanxiang’s universal joints, hub assemblies, drive shafts, and other products have long proven themselves in terms of market share. This relentless pursuit of “long service life” and “high reliability” has been perfectly replicated in the aviation sector. Leveraging its National-Level Enterprise Technology Center and Postdoctoral Research Station, Wanxiang Qianchao has established a full-chain technical system covering design, manufacturing, and testing. The company has accumulated 3,832 authorized domestic patents, providing a solid foundation for the rapid iteration of low-altitude economy products.

The low-altitude economy is a national-level sector for new-quality productive forces. Wanxiang Qianchao’s aviation-grade bearings in this field have passed airworthiness testing and secured bulk orders. Moving forward, the company will continue to deepen its collaboration with leading low-altitude aircraft manufacturers, expand its high-end bearing product lines, refine transmission system solutions for low-altitude aircraft, and capture the trillion-level blue ocean market of the low-altitude economy.

Cracking the “Semi-Solid-State” Code to Safeguard Energy Security

At Wanxiang’s New Energy Laboratory, a test is underway—the “Xingchen” battery cells are undergoing a needle-puncture test. Even after being pierced by ten needles, the cells showed no open flames or explosions throughout the entire process. This is thanks to the “Xingchen” series of semi-solid-state battery cells and the “Xinghe” series of immersion-type energy storage systems launched by Wanxiang 123 Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Wanxiang 123) in January 2026. Together, they have established a brand-new safety paradigm for energy security characterized by “internal locking and external cooling.”

“Safety is the biggest pain point in the energy storage industry,” explained Zhang Lei, Deputy Manager of the System Engineering Development Department at Wanxiang 123. Wanxiang has successfully developed a gel-based semi-solid electrolyte. Through “Full-Range Freezing” technology, the electrolyte is locked into a semi-solid state, eliminating safety hazards at their source. At the larger energy storage system level, the “Milky Way” system fully submerges the cells in an insulating coolant, controlling the temperature difference under 45°C operating conditions to an extreme minimum of 2.9°C and achieving second-level interruption of heat diffusion.

Furthermore, the 800V HVDC minimalist link solution launched for AIDC (Artificial Intelligence Data Centers) boosts system efficiency by more than 4%, demonstrating Wanxiang’s ability to achieve extreme optimization in specific application scenarios.

Wanxiang’s energy strategy extends beyond energy storage; the company also holds an unshakable position in the low-voltage battery cell sector. The 48V mild-hybrid system, based on super-nano lithium iron phosphate technology, boasts a power density of up to 17,000 W/kg, supports over 10,000 cycles of 10C charging and discharging, and achieves fuel savings of over 20%. It is installed in vehicles from leading global automakers such as BMW and Audi, with a global market share exceeding 30%. This rigorous validation by the world’s top automakers constitutes Wanxiang’s strongest competitive moat in its energy business.

Transitioning from a “supplier” to a “service provider,” Wanxiang 123 is committed to evolving from a battery cell supplier into an energy system integration service provider. In addition to continuing to deepen R&D in semi-solid-state and solid-state battery cells, Wanxiang 123 will expand into high-value-added services such as remote vehicle-to-grid connectivity, trading strategy development, and energy operations and dispatch. At the same time, Wanxiang Qianchao is actively advancing the acquisition of Wanxiang Automotive Components (WAC) in the U.S. and using Thailand as a strategic hub to build an international, low-cost supply chain. The goal is to secure a favorable position amid shifting global dynamics and establish a more robust and efficient global supply system.