Nanhai's Incorporation of Aerospace Technology Stimulates Intelligent Transformation of Aluminum Production

Into the aluminum processing workshop, a rectangular silver aluminum plate is heated, squeezed, sectioned, and cooled. It is slowly transported from the slide-out table to the loading and unloading robot. The robot immediately extends five pairs of long robot arms. With the "hands" firmly grasping the aluminum profile plate, slowly moving to the left shelf, the process of yard stacking and basket mounting was completed in just a few minutes.

This production scenario is only one part of the Guangya Aluminum Group's intelligent automated extrusion line. In May of this year, the 502 Institute of China Academy of Space Technology jointly developed intelligent loading and unloading robots with Guangya Aluminum and Guangdong Zhenglai Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhenglai Technology”), and they will formally test on the production line of Guangya Aluminum. Will flex its muscles in the field of smart manufacturing.

"This robot is developed using space technology and can realize automatic blanking of aluminum profiles and loading of baskets," said Zhong Sikai, general manager of Zhenglai Technology. The intelligent material loading and unloading equipment pioneered by the aluminium profile industry settled in Foshan not only demonstrated the transformation and application of aerospace technology in Foshan, but also embodied the deep integration of space technology and intelligent manufacturing.

Robotics with space technology

As a manufacturing city, Foshan has many manufacturing industries that are closely linked to the national market. Aluminum profiles occupy a special position. Foshan Nanhai is honored as “the birthplace of China’s civil aluminum profiles” and is the largest aluminum production and distribution center in China with the largest industrial scale and the most complete industrial chain. The intelligent production of aluminum profiles can be said to be an important step towards Foshan Zhizhi's manufacturing.

In the production area of ​​Guangya Aluminum, Zhenglai Technology has created a demonstration line for smart manufacturing.

In the traditional aluminum profile manufacturing industry, enterprises generally use transport baskets to transport aluminum profiles to different processes. Some processes require workers to put aluminum profiles into and out of the machine many times, resulting in labor intensity and inefficiency, and may cause bumps in the handling process. problem. In response to these problems, we are relying on space technology to apply the military control system to robots and work with our partners to develop intelligent loading and unloading equipment. The processed aluminum material no longer needs manual handling. The intelligent robot will automatically put the material into the basket, which greatly improves the production efficiency. It also reduces the problem of aluminum bumping during the operation and improves the yield.

Zhong Sikai believes that the aerospace field is very particular about high precision. If companies apply the control systems and information and automation systems in the aerospace field to the production of aluminum profiles, they will help companies move toward smart manufacturing. “The extrusion line is the key process for the production of aluminum profiles. Among them, the upper and lower baskets have the largest workload. We will do research on the baskets and apply mature aerospace technology.”

Yield is expected to increase to 90%

After adopting the intelligent loading and unloading robot, Guangya Aluminum has achieved outstanding intelligent transformation results: A production line that originally required 6 people now only needs 2 people. Compared with other production lines of the same scale, this intelligent production line has reduced electricity consumption by 30%, gas consumption by 28%, and comprehensive product yield by 5% to 10%.

According to Yan Lixia, executive director of Guangya Aluminum, the door to smart manufacturing is opening to her. "In this cooperation, Guangya Aluminum has received a lot of technical and practical support. We hope to use 3 years to go in the direction of automation and informatization, and make intelligent manufacturing of the entire company."

Zhu Zhibin, chief engineer of Beijing Xuanyu Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., is affiliated with the China Academy of Space Technology. At present, they are designing second-generation robots, which are expected to be launched at the end of the year to help enterprises better realize intelligent transformation.

In this regard, Yan Lixia has great expectations for the efficiency of future production lines. “Our final goal is to reduce the number of workers by 50%, energy consumption by 30%, and the rate of finished products to more than 85%, and even to more than 90% of the international advanced level. “Zhong Sikai believes that the implementation of the intelligent loading and unloading robot project is of great significance for the future development of intelligent manufacturing of aluminum profiles in Foshan. “It is now a time when the manufacturing industry in the PRD is upgrading. The robots for loading and unloading have a good market prospect and can be widely promoted within the industry.”

Research and development of intelligent companion robots to enter the pension industry

In the aluminum industry industry, "small test chopper" and the first taste of sweet fruit, is to come to science and technology began boldly stepping "chi creation" pace. At present, the company is working with the Beijing Institute of Control Engineering (China Institute of Space Technology 502) in conjunction with the Civil Affairs Bureau of Nanhai District, focusing on the needs of the elderly in daily life, special research and development of intelligent escort robots.

This intelligent robotic arm equipped with a robotic arm can take the elderly with them on foot and take walks. It can also send meals to senior citizens and chat with them. “We mainly target the needs of the elderly, such as taking cups, eating, watching TV and making phone calls, and developing functions such as mobile, operation, perception, control, and network communication on robots,” explains Zhong Sikai.

It is because of the huge market that is coming to science and technology behind the development of intelligent escort robots. The 2016 “China Health Care Industry Development Report” shows that there are less than 300,000 nursing staff in China's existing retirement care institutions. According to the internationally recognized standard of 3 senior citizens who need a nursing staff, China needs about 10 million elderly nursing staff, and the nursing talent gap is as high as more than 9 million. The supply and demand of the pension industry are in a state of serious imbalance. .

The huge demand for old-age care services represents a golden opportunity to enter the pension industry. "We are familiar with handling robots, generally used in the industrial field, but we want to cut into the pension industry with the transfer robot, the use of flexible mechanical arm technology to develop escort robots and rehabilitation robots." Zhong Sikai said.

"After installing flexible manipulators in conjunction with aerospace technology, robots can 'perceive' strength and weight. When carrying older people, robots can use different strengths according to their weight." Zhu Zhibin, who participated in the development of the robot, said that this rehabilitation robot will The South China Sea Welfare Center will be piloted and will be launched at the end of this year.