The Industrial Internet is transforming “manufacturing” into “intelligent manufacturing.”
2021-11-16
Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the “2021 Pilot Demonstration List for the Integrated Development of Next-Generation Information Technology and Manufacturing,” which covers areas such as specialized industrial internet platforms and the enhancement of industrial information security capabilities. Experts noted that promoting the integration of next-generation information technology with manufacturing will further elevate China’s manufacturing sector’s level of intelligence, drive innovative development of the industrial internet, and accelerate the building of a manufacturing powerhouse and a cyber power.
Install an AI “brain” that doesn’t get tired.
Using AI to replace human eyes in product inspection and employing intelligent scheduling systems to forecast urban water consumption—this is the “AI+ Industrial Internet and Smart Manufacturing Comprehensive Solution” offered by Baidu Smart Cloud’s Kaiwu Industrial Internet Platform. In an interview with our newspaper, Chang Cheng, General Manager of Strategic Industry Solutions and Business Development at Baidu Smart Cloud, said that this solution is designed for industrial enterprises, supply chains, and regional industrial clusters in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and power. It enables companies to leverage next-generation information technologies with low barriers to entry, helping them reduce costs, improve quality, and boost efficiency.
In several key industrial sectors—such as electronics, automotive, and steel—surface quality defects in high-precision, high-performance structural and functional components have traditionally relied on human visual inspection, which suffers from unstable detection accuracy and high labor costs for enterprises. Baidu’s Industrial Visual Intelligence Platform uses AI to replace manual inspection, enabling 360-degree detection of surface defects. According to reports, Baidu Smart Cloud has already partnered with a company in Jiangsu Province, deploying intelligent inspection equipment that operates 24 hours a day. In less than one second, the equipment can complete the inspection and identification of over 30 defect items across all six surfaces of a component, effectively helping the company achieve an intelligent upgrade in its quality inspection processes.
Also leveraging AI technology, Gechuang Dongzhi Technology Co., Ltd. provides digital quality inspection solutions for the manufacturing industry based on its Dongzhi Visual Inspection System. This system equips industrial operations with “eyes” and “brains” that never get tired—making it the first truly implemented AI application in China’s semiconductor display industry. Compared to traditional manual inspection methods, this solution significantly boosts inspection efficiency, replacing more than half of the human workforce and increasing identification speed by a factor of 5 to 10.
Technology Powers High-Quality Development
“You have a new notification about equipment failure warranty—please address it promptly.” This was the text message Mr. Liu, an employee at the sugar refinery, received on his mobile phone. Helping him identify fault issues and improve maintenance efficiency is “Equipment Maintenance Butler,” an industrial app developed by Aerospace Cloud Network Data Research Institute (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. This app is one of the digital, industry-specific cluster platform products created by Aerospace Cloud Network for the food and beverage sector. It’s understood that the platform’s features cover all stages of the food and beverage industry—including production, supply, and sales—and can help food and beverage companies achieve digital transformation and upgrading.
“The food and beverage industry generally faces challenges such as low production efficiency, difficult management, and a lack of product traceability mechanisms,” said Wang Yu, Deputy General Manager of Aerospace Cloud Network Data Research Institute (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. “By leveraging the data governance system of industrial internet platforms, we can achieve the aggregation and integration of data across all stages of the production process, thereby supporting high-quality development in the industry.”
The new generation of information technology also plays a vital role in promoting green and low-carbon development. Take the energy-saving and environmental protection industry as an example: the Hailan Zhiyun industrial internet platform, with energy conservation and emission reduction at its core, provides enterprises with one-stop solutions including integrated energy management, intelligent system-based energy saving, safety and environmental protection supervision, and the construction of digital smart factories. For instance, the “Smart Energy Management Solution for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises” offered by this industrial internet platform enables real-time monitoring and early warning of corporate data related to carbon emissions, environmental protection, and safety, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and driving the rapid transformation and upgrading of the energy-saving and environmental protection industry.
“Compared to traditional construction methods, we’ve further optimized architectural design and enhanced building quality through smart construction technologies, making the construction process more efficient. At the same time, we’re actively responding to the nation’s call by proactively controlling carbon emissions during the construction phase,” said Pan Zhichuan, Project Manager at China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corporation. He added that the second-phase project of the Xiong’an Business Service Center has employed a variety of cutting-edge digital tools throughout its construction, including the CSCEC Eighth Bureau’s Building Information Modeling platform, the Xiong’an Supervision APP, the Digital Xiong’an Construction Management Platform, and a blockchain-based construction mini-program. By leveraging these smart construction technologies, the project is able to accurately track its carbon footprint and ensure that environmental standards are never exceeded.
Provide customized solutions.
As the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation rapidly unfolds, the industrial internet plays a crucial role in expanding the scope of the digital economy and driving the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the “2021 Pilot Demonstration List for the Integrated Development of Next-Generation Information Technology and Manufacturing,” aiming to promote the deep integration of informatization and industrialization and help the industrial economy make the transition toward the digital economy. So, how will the industrial internet continue to develop?
“The industrial internet is still in its infancy and has a long way to go, which calls for all relevant stakeholders to make strategic predictions and preparations,” said Xu Guoping, General Manager of Hailan Zhiyun Technology Co., Ltd., in an interview. “From the perspective of industrial internet platform companies, expanding the dimensions of innovation is a prerequisite for industry development. The integration of information technology with manufacturing not only involves reshaping production and management practices within factories but also requires platforms to explore new business operating models through the deep mining and application of industrial data as well as the reorganization and integration of all elements across the entire industrial value chain.”
In addition to broadening the dimensions of innovation, industrial internet platforms also need to delve deeper into industry-specific scenarios and offer tailored, customized solutions. “In the past, everyone was talking about how to build platform-based and standardized systems. But recently, there’s been a growing realization that the industrial internet must go even further down to the grassroots level and truly unlock the value of platforms within specific scenarios,” said He Jun, CEO of Gecreat East Intelligence. “Linked to this ‘downward push,’ another emerging trend is ‘greater vertical specialization.’ Over the past few years, the country has vigorously promoted digital platforms; now, it’s starting to focus on developing vertical industry platforms. This shift reflects the vast differences among various industries, so it’s crucial to deepen platform development within key sectors.”
Industry insiders point out that the manufacturing production environment is complex, with numerous scenarios involving interactions among people, machines, and objects. Moreover, specific characteristics vary across different sub-sectors. Therefore, there is still a need for talent who not only understand technology but also have deep industry expertise to develop tailored solutions.
Source: People's Daily Online
Author: Zhou Shuyun
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