The robot super factory with an annual output value of 10 billion has opened!

Shanghai is moving towards a new height of intelligent manufacturing

01 The “super” strength of FANUC’s smart factory

Recently, the opening ceremony of Shanghai FANUC Smart Factory (Phase III) and the exhibition of new products and technologies were held in Baoshan, Shanghai. More than a thousand industry experts, customer representatives, partners, association media and other industry insiders gathered at the opening ceremony to witness the completion of another milestone of Shanghai FANUC.

The FANUC Smart Factory Phase III project, which opened this time, started construction in 2020 with a total investment of RMB 1.58 billion, a construction area of ​​300,000 square meters, and a total investment of more than RMB 1.5 billion. It is the largest robot base in the world after Japan. The project is expected to achieve an annual output value of RMB 10 billion, driving the entire Shanghai robot industry to a new level.

This "super smart factory" in the robotics industry is not only a diversified base integrating R&D, production, display, and sales, but also includes highly automated production workshops, customer-oriented exhibition halls, training centers and other facilities. It also introduces a large number of advanced intelligent manufacturing technologies including collaborative robots , mobile robots, and digital twins. The automation rate of the most representative sheet metal production line has reached more than 95%, completely realizing unmanned production.

As one of the earliest companies in the world to develop and produce industrial robots , FANUC is called the "Microsoft of the robotics industry" by investors. It is not limited to the development of industrial robots itself, but focuses on the entire industrial value chain, providing comprehensive capabilities from technology, equipment to integrated solutions.

Compared with the simple replacement of manual labor in the early days, current intelligent manufacturing has developed into a complex ecosystem covering all aspects such as perception, connection, execution, and decision-making. Through the application of a large number of advanced technologies, FANUC is gradually expanding intelligent manufacturing from point to surface, achieving a more efficient and flexible production method.

The construction of the FANUC smart factory in Shanghai is an important step in FANUC's smart manufacturing roadmap.

02 Promote the upgrading of smart manufacturing in Shanghai

As a "pioneer city" of intelligent manufacturing, Shanghai has further increased its investment in scientific and technological innovation under the background of the national innovation-driven development strategy, vigorously cultivated new-generation information technology, new energy vehicles, new materials and other high-tech industries, and provided fertile ground for the cultivation of an intelligent manufacturing ecosystem.

At the same time, Shanghai is also working hard to build a collaborative innovation system between industry, academia and research, and promote the deep integration of industry and scientific research resources. This healthy industrial ecology is nurturing more new intelligent manufacturing forces.

Today's Shanghai has not only cultivated the main forces of "domestic substitution" such as Shanghai Electric and Step Technology, but also has a good market environment, a complete supply chain system, and a large number of outstanding engineering and technical talents. It is an ideal place to attract industry leaders to settle down. The "Big Four Families" including FANUC have chosen Shanghai to establish their roots.

Recently, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology and other departments issued the "Shanghai Action Plan to Promote High-Quality Innovation and Development of the Intelligent Robot Industry", which clearly proposed to build a smart manufacturing highland with global influence, seize the development trend of robot intelligence, integration, humanization and service, accelerate the process of robot autonomy, and provide important support for Shanghai to shape a modern industrial system.

The completion of FANUC's smart factory is undoubtedly an important benefit to Shanghai's efforts to build a world-class robotics industry cluster and application ecosystem.

First of all, as one of the "Four Major Families", FANUC possesses industry-leading core technologies, and has a good reputation for both its products and services. The annual output value of RMB 10 billion after the project reaches full production will directly drive the growth of the output value of Shanghai's intelligent manufacturing industry.

In addition, FANUC's complete industrial chain layout will see upstream and downstream supporting companies gather around FANUC, which will drive Shanghai to shape a more complete ecological chain and form an intelligent manufacturing cluster.

03 Why the four major families are optimistic about the layout of the Chinese market

Currently, the global industrial robot market is dominated by four major families: ABB, KUKA, FANUC and Yaskawa. The four companies together account for more than 60% of the market share.

Over the years, China's manufacturing industry has maintained a relatively high growth rate, its position as the world's factory is difficult to shake, and it has gradually moved towards the mid-to-high-end industrial chain. This has enabled the four major families to early on see the soil for China's booming development and to make their moves.

ABB was the first to enter the Chinese market in 1994, and FANUC, Yaskawa and KUKA established Chinese subsidiaries in 1997, 1999 and 2000 respectively.

Take FANUC as an example. The company does not rely on sales from major customers, but adopts an open market strategy with full development, which has led to a steady increase in sales. Its market share in sales in China in 2022 was as high as 37%. China has become FANUC's second largest market after Japan.

The big pie of the Chinese market has brought tangible economic benefits to the four major families. At the same time, the four major families have also effectively promoted the development and progress of China's robotics industry. They have not only brought world-class industrial robot technology, but also established a considerable scale of localized production and sales system in China, and built a complete innovation research and development and talent training system.

At present, China is in a critical period of moving from a manufacturing power to a manufacturing powerhouse, which requires both the accumulation of quantity and scale and the improvement of qualitative capabilities.

The introduction of leading companies such as FANUC is an important driving force for the qualitative change of China's manufacturing industry and a magnet for the growth of new momentum. The completion and commissioning of the Shanghai FANUC Smart Factory will not only drive Shanghai's robotics industry to a new level, but will also provide a powerful engine for China's economic transformation and upgrading.

From the perspective of industrial structure, FANUC not only serves traditional manufacturing industries such as home appliances and automobiles, but also covers emerging fields such as electronic information, food and medicine, and new energy. Through flexible solutions, it helps these industries achieve the transformation from mass customization to flexibility. The large-scale application of robots can drive more companies to achieve automation transformation and promote industrial upgrading.

Compared with traditional manufacturing, intelligent manufacturing can achieve higher production capacity, better quality control, and higher resource utilization efficiency by virtue of its advantages of automation and refinement. Equipment procurement, system integration, operation and maintenance services around intelligent factories will activate a series of new consumer demands and provide a way to expand domestic demand for China's economic transformation.

FANUC's super smart factory is likely to become a new benchmark for smart manufacturing in China and even the world. As a new economic engine, how will smart manufacturing reshape the new industrial landscape? We will wait and see.