Industry 4.0 Lighthouse Factory
2020-05-29
Tracking and tracing: Haier Qingdao Jiaozhou Industrial Park
Workpiece being processed: Air conditioner outdoor unit base
Punching line: 17 STEP Robot units
Resistance welding wire: 13 STEP robots and 2 SCARA robots
Industry 4.0 Lighthouse Factory
Haier Qingdao Jiaozhou Factory
There are a total of 16 “Industry 4.0 Lighthouse Factories” worldwide under the World Economic Forum’s Davos initiative—these factories serve as guiding beacons leading the way in global manufacturing. Haier’s Jiaozhou factory in Qingdao is an outstanding representative of China’s approach to the “Industry 4.0 Lighthouse Factory” model.
This factory utilizes numerous international robot brands, and its first domestically produced robot production line was delivered by STEP. This marks that Chinese robot brands’ products and solutions have entered a mature stage, capable of successfully meeting the demanding requirements of high-intensity, high-stability production-line applications—and have thus won the favor of Haier, a major international home appliance brand.
STEP builds for Haier.
The first domestically produced intelligent robot production line
The Qingdao Jiaozhou factory of Haier Industrial Park features an intelligent production line composed of 32 STEP robots, which handle the stamping and welding of air conditioner outdoor unit bases. This line operates with high intensity and stability, achieving remarkable flexibility by supporting 17 different product models and enabling quick and seamless product transitions. Labor requirements have been reduced by 60%, with general workers replacing welders, significantly lowering the risk of work-related injuries. This is the first domestically produced robotic production line adopted by Haier—a turnkey project supplied by STEP, a high-quality robotics brand.
Haier’s First Domestically Produced Robot Production Line
Speaking about this project, the technical director explained: The production line for manufacturing outdoor units of Haier air conditioners in Qingdao urgently needed a comprehensive upgrade of its equipment due to the aging of existing machinery. At the same time, in line with Haier’s global strategy of transitioning from a traditional factory to a digitally-driven air-conditioning plant, the company further advanced the intelligent retrofitting of the entire production line. During the supplier selection process, after interacting with and evaluating STEP, we recognized STEP strong technical capabilities. Following repeated discussions on solutions and rigorous technical verification, we successfully implemented the stamping line and resistance welding line for Haier’s outdoor air-conditioner bases. As a result, the production equipment has undergone a full-scale intelligent upgrade, significantly improving product quality and substantially reducing labor intensity.
Air conditioner outdoor unit base
Automated Stamping Line for Air Conditioner Outdoor Unit Bases
The stamping process for air-conditioner components involves multiple operations. Previously, this was carried out using several separate stamping presses. After completing one operation, operators had to remove the component and place it into the next press for further processing—this process was cumbersome, involved high labor intensity, and resulted in low processing efficiency. This time, Haier has introduced a total of 17 STEP robots into the automated stamping line for the outdoor unit base of air conditioners. As a result, the overall automation efficiency of the line has improved by 50% compared to the original manual line, and now a finished product can be produced every 10 seconds.
Haier Air Conditioner Outdoor Unit Base Automated Stamping Line
Automated resistance welding line for air conditioner outdoor unit bases
In total, the resistance welding line for air-conditioner outdoor unit bases has been upgraded with 13 new Shinetech robots and 2 SCARA robots. The upgraded flexible welding line can handle multiple product models with ease and is compatible with a wide range of products. As a result, the consistency of welded products has improved significantly, with a finished product being produced every 12 seconds on average. According to the site manager from Haier, in the resistance welding process, manual welding allows for a maximum output of 750 units per person per day, whereas the automated production line achieves an output of 1,000 units per person per day—representing a substantial efficiency boost. At the same time, the automated system effectively addresses issues such as missed welds and false welds that often arise from human operator errors during manual welding, thereby enhancing product quality.
Automated resistance welding line for Haier air conditioner outdoor unit bases
By partnering with Haier, STEP Robotics leverages the high quality of its robotic products and its deep expertise in various processes—including welding, loading/unloading, and material handling/palletizing—combined with the actual operating conditions of Haier’s air-conditioning production line. This enables STEP to efficiently advance the entire line’s design, implementation, and acceptance phases, ultimately helping Haier drive demonstration applications in the smart home appliance industry. At the same time, this collaboration highlights STEP Robotics’ product strength and its capability to deliver comprehensive solutions.
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