Information about Automated Assembly Equipment of Ningbo Xilun Trading Co., Ltd. in 2024
1. Background and Objectives of Equipment Investment
In 2024, Aohong Hydraulics Factory focused on investing in 12 automated product assembly machines with the three core goals of "improving productivity, reducing loss, and ensuring quality". These machines are specially used for assembling ED rings and thread protectors on plugs, aiming to solve a series of problems existing in traditional manual assembly.
2. Pain Points of Traditional Manual Assembly
When manually assembling ED rings and thread protectors, there are obvious limitations due to hand operation speed and operator fatigue:
1. Low Productivity: The maximum daily output of a single manual line is only 4,000 pieces;
2. Order Backlog: Shortage of labor during peak seasons often leads to delayed order delivery.
3. Achievements of Automated Equipment Investment
(1) Significant Productivity Improvement
1. Equipment Performance: Each automated machine is equipped with a high-speed assembly module. The assembly cycle is 0.4 seconds per piece for ED rings and 0.3 seconds per piece for thread protectors, with a stable daily assembly capacity of 12,000 pieces per machine;
2. Overall Productivity: When 12 machines operate simultaneously, the total daily output can reach 120,000 pieces;
3. Shortened Delivery Cycle: The delivery cycle for peak-season orders has been reduced from the original 7-10 days to 3-5 days, completely breaking the bottleneck of manual productivity.
(2) Remarkable Loss Reduction
Automated machines ensure "zero deviation positioning", effectively reducing scratch waste:
1. Technical Support: Adopting a combination of robotic arms and laser positioning, the positioning deviation of parts during assembly is ≤0.05mm, avoiding scratches caused by collision and friction when workers hold parts manually;
2. Loss Reduction: "Scratch loss" has dropped from 1% in manual assembly to 0.2%.
(3) Comprehensive Quality Upgrade
With "non-contact assembly" as the core, automated machines eliminate hidden dangers that affect key product performance in manual assembly and protect the salt spray resistance of the electroplated layer:
1. Problem Solved: Avoiding sweat residue on the plug surface during manual assembly, which damages the integrity of the electroplated layer;
2. Improved Pass Rate: The pass rate of plug electroplating salt spray tests has increased from 97% to 99.9%;
3. Customer Feedback: Customers reported that plugs assembled by automated machines show no corrosion after 6 months of use, fully meeting their environmental application requirements.
(4) Prominent Cost Advantages
1. Reduced Procurement Costs: With reduced part loss, Aohong Hydraulics no longer needs to allocate loss costs to product pricing. The unit price of ED rings and thread protectors of the same specification has decreased by 3% compared with the manual assembly era. Taking a construction machinery customer as an example, with an annual procurement volume of 1 million pieces, this alone can save 30,000 yuan in procurement costs per year;
2. Lower Customer Maintenance Costs: The improved salt spray test pass rate has reduced equipment maintenance costs for customers caused by part corrosion failure. A chemical enterprise calculated that after using automatically assembled plugs, the annual pipeline maintenance cost was reduced by 50%.
4. Phase II Automation Plan
Aohong Hydraulics has launched the Phase II automation plan, with specific details as follows:
1. New Equipment: Plan to add 8 more automated machines, increasing the total daily output to 240,000 pieces;
2. Technology Upgrade: Introduce an AI visual inspection system to monitor the electroplated surface of plugs in real time, further stabilizing the salt spray test pass rate above 99.9%;
3. Ultimate Goal: Achieve "productivity infinitely close to demand, quality infinitely close to perfection".
5. Core Views
1. The relevant person in charge of Aohong Hydraulics stated: "For hardware accessories, productivity determines 'whether we can supply', loss determines 'whether it is cost-effective', and salt spray performance determines 'whether it works well'. These 12 automated machines have not only solved the problems of productivity and loss, but also guarded the bottom line of quality that customers care about most. Next, we will continue to increase investment in automation, making 'high output, low consumption, and corrosion resistance' the core competitiveness of Aohong!"
2. The investment and subsequent upgrade plans of automated equipment will continue to strengthen Aohong Hydraulics' competitive advantage in the industry, providing customers with higher-quality and more efficient products and services.
