In the first half of 2025, a list of “Excellent Smart Factories” attracted industry attention: four companies under Shandong Heavy Industry, including Weichai Power, Shantui, Fast, and Hande Axle, were selected at the same time. This achievement shows that Shandong Heavy Industry’s “technological strength” in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing has once again led the country, providing a “Shandong Heavy Industry sample” for China to leap from a manufacturing power to a manufacturing power.
In Weichai’s new generation engine digital industrial park, AGV robots shuttle to deliver materials, robotic arms accurately complete component assembly, and the digital twin system simulates the entire production process in real time… This “dark factory” is the world’s first digital unmanned engine factory, with a 100% processing automation rate, an 80% assembly automation rate, a 100% automation rate for component logistics and distribution, 100% online detection of key processes, and green and low-carbon production throughout the entire process, demonstrating the hard-core strength of China’s high-end equipment intelligent manufacturing.
Shantui Group’s high-horsepower bulldozer smart factory is full of “black technology”: through the Internet of Things technology, the bulldozer’s hydraulic system and power system can complete “virtual debugging” on the production line; the “intelligent scheduling system” can automatically adjust the production plan according to order priority; L3-level AI smart bulldozers use satellite positioning and sensors to autonomously plan operating paths, and their operating efficiency in mines and construction sites is 30% higher than manual operation.
Fast’s heavy-duty commercial vehicle automatic transmission smart factory has built an intelligent manufacturing system by applying the six core technologies of “digital twin, dark light production, Internet of Everything, intelligent decision-making, green manufacturing, and data closed loop”. With the support of new technologies such as 5G and industrial Internet, 100% of key equipment has achieved identity recognition and digital management. From blank loading, parts processing to transportation, there is no human operation. All-weather, all-time, and full-process automated production can be achieved, and unmanned “dark light production” can be achieved for 6 hours in a row.
Hande Axle adheres to the three-step strategy of automation, digitization and intelligence, carries out application integration innovation, and accelerates the construction of intelligent manufacturing; at the hardware level, it invests a lot of money to introduce advanced automation equipment and intelligent production lines to achieve seamless connection and efficient operation of the production process; at the software level, it has built an intelligent system covering key business areas such as R&D design, production and manufacturing, procurement logistics, sales services and business management, which has significantly improved the company’s response speed, decision-making accuracy and operational efficiency.
The four “excellent smart factories” have proved that Shandong Heavy Industry, with its surging “smart manufacturing” momentum, has injected the core of wisdom into Shandong Province’s “leading the way and opening a new chapter”, the intelligent transformation of China’s equipment manufacturing industry, and the globalization of “heavy equipment of a great power”.
