Longcheer accelerates to upgrade its intelligent manufacturing level from a scale factory to an “intelligent manufacturing model”

 * The following is excerpted from the media report of "China Economic News Network"

As emerging technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data and 5G further penetrate in the manufacturing industry, leveraging new technologies to upgrade R&D, production and management has become a key to enhancing business performance. Leading ODMs represented by Longcheer are also embracing changes to accelerate their digital and intelligence-based development and create new drivers of growth on the way leading to intelligent manufacturing.

Set a benchmark in intelligent manufacturing by seizing the opportunity of Industry 4.0 in this age of intelligence

  The past two years have witnessed an accelerated advance of the Made in China 2025 Initiative. Governments have been offering guides and supports for the manufacturing industry to tackle areas of weaknesses, foster leading enterprises, and facilitate innovation through the integration between new technologies and the manufacturing industry. The overall planning for fostering and strengthening strategic emerging industries has been implemented in a well-organized manner, especially in central China.

  Engaging in the manufacturing industry for more than 20 years, Longcheer keeps abreast with the time and invests more in intelligent manufacturing. To cite the model automation production line as an example, Longcheer has begun to customize automation equipment for this production line since 2021. In 2022, the production line is equipped with functions such as unmanned assembly, testing, and appearance inspection of key materials of phones and tablets. Besides, manpower is fully replaced by robot arms to load and discharge materials. The significant advancements of Longcheer in the journey towards intelligent manufacturing have lowered dependence of its production lines on manpower, while enhancing its productivity and optimizing the full-process management cost. In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, the guaranteed productivity means sustained capabilities of mass production and on-time delivery, and the risk resistance capacity and competitiveness of an organization will also be boosted.

  In order to accelerate the digitalization, Longcheer strives to expand coverage of digitalized management as required by business and production lines through independently developed technologies and external cutting-edge technologies. So far, the management models for personnel arrangement, procurement plan, warehousing system, energy monitoring and other systems have been optimized. “In addition to greatly reducing manufacturing and management costs, digitalized management and automated production lines have also made it possible to enhance production accuracy, improve the consistence of product quality, and monitor the quality on the whole production line, which is a great boost for lean production,” said the head of Longcheer’s Nanchang Production Base.

  It is understood that Longcheer keeps investing in intelligent manufacturing on the basis of its advantaged capabilities of industrial design, software interaction technology and mass production. All these efforts made by Longcheer have been recognized and valued by the industry and the government. In 2021, for example, Longcheer’s Nanchang Production Base was listed as the “Demonstration Plant with 5G+ IIoT”. Longcheer’s production lines that pioneer high automation and benefit growth target now have become a regional model of advanced intelligent manufacturing.

Empower R&D with intelligent technologies, develop internally and externally with upgraded strategies

  For ODMs, intelligent manufacturing is a meaningful initiative for optimization of production lines, and a facilitator for R&D, innovation and sustainable development of businesses. Over the past few years, Longcheer has also applied intelligent technologies in the upgrading of R&D investment systems and the study of basic technologies.

  Longcheer built a specialized team of audio frequency simulation and established an audio laboratory. This outstanding team has overcome a succession of challenges, from building basic simulation models and embedding them in R&D system to enhancing SPK simulation precision and to conducting in-depth TWS headset simulation research. Their efforts have contributed to efficient R&D validation regarding products, processes and production lines, as well as dramatic reduction of trial-and-error cost. In April this year, Longcheer’s Class 100 and Class 1,000 clean rooms have been put into operation after renovation, which allows Longcheer to independently solve product problems without seeking help from external agencies. To carry out reliability tests for AR/VR products, Longcheer approved an 800-square-meter specialized reliability laboratory as part of its central laboratory. This allows Longcheer to equip with hardware conditions for instant field tests and analysis in its journey towards intelligent manufacturing.

 Longcheer saw a constant growth of R&D strength in recent two years. Four R&D centers in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Huizhou and Nanchang, respectively, have been established. Moreover, another R&D and sales center in Hefei was planned in 2021, and has been officially opened in August this year.

 We are in an era with burgeoning application of emerging technologies. Businesses are improving their production and operation systems with new technologies through internally driven changes. However, it is also critical for companies to empower decision making through investigating markets and meeting market demands during expansion of their scope of business. To seize the market opportunity of intelligent manufacturing and create another growth driver, Longcheer takes the initiative to upgrade its development strategy, and makes more efforts to seek concerted progress in customer service, development of product categories, organizational efficiency, technological innovation, personnel training, among others.

 In terms of product development, Longcheer proposes the “1+Y” strategy. Following this strategy, Longcheer will extend towards AIoT (tablet, wearable CR, TWS, automotive electronics, etc.) while centering on smart phone, and develop its capability of launching new product categories while consolidating its business scale. Longcheer has also established an automotive electronics business unit in 2022 to back up the launch of new categories and the improvement of manufacturing capability.

Combine industry with research for sustained innovation, stay on the way towards intelligent manufacturing for a brighter future

 Longcheer’s achievements made in intelligent manufacturing are not only the response to new business demands, but also the results of reasonable strategic decisions and total employee involvement. Longcheer keeps improving all links throughout production lines with top-level design and innovation by bringing industry, academia and research together. It is reported that Longcheer allocates nearly 40% of resources to independent development in order to advance its progress in intelligent manufacturing. For example, Longcheer developed a PMS management system independently, which allows it to make, review and track project plans, and realize precise control and dynamic analysis of projects and personnel. For another example, the MES solution that was designed for supply chain and manufacturing. It collects data in real time — from incoming of raw materials to delivery of finished products, and conducts information-based management over the data collected from multiple subjects and workflows, thus achieving intelligent control and process collaboration.

 During its journey towards intelligent manufacturing, Longcheer has worked out a mid- and long-term plan and goal. We regularly update automation equipment in production lines. In addition, we are also committed to breaking down barriers between business links and processes through digital management, and integrating the global management system to make predictions and decisions in an intelligent manner. In response to the requirements of valuing industrial chain coordination, green development and cost reduction proposed in the 14th Five Year Plan, Longcheer guides definition and development of products with smart data, and builds a customer-oriented green production chain featuring customized and on-demand production.

  Longcheer will continue to accelerate its steps towards intelligent manufacturing, pay constant attention to technology and product innovation, and improve its efficiency and competitiveness so as to play a leading role in the development of domestic supply chains, and grow into a globally eminent sci-tech enterprise engaging in R&D and manufacturing of the most complete portfolios of intelligent products.

Back