On March 15, 2025, Hengshui Hebei Yidian Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd. held a completion ceremony for its intelligent production base, announcing the full implementation of the 14-month digital transformation project. With the last German-imported KraussMaffei fully automatic integrated molding machine put into operation, the company’s 20 fiberglass cable tray production lines were officially upgraded to “intelligent flexible production lines”, and the robotization transformation of 10 polymer cable tray production lines was completed simultaneously, marking a key step for the company to achieve the goal of “Made in China 2025”.
Intelligent production lines build industry-leading manufacturing systems
This transformation focuses on the introduction of Industry 4.0 technology to achieve digital control of the entire production process:
AI quality monitoring system: 32 sets of online sensors are deployed on the FRP bridge production line to collect key parameters such as resin viscosity, curing temperature, and fiber tension in real time. The process parameters are dynamically adjusted through machine learning algorithms. The product defect rate has been reduced from the industry average of 1.5% to 0.3%, and the one-time inspection pass rate has been increased to 99.7%;
AI quality monitoring system: 32 sets of online sensors are deployed on the FRP bridge production line to collect key parameters such as resin viscosity, curing temperature, and fiber tension in real time. The process parameters are dynamically adjusted through machine learning algorithms. The product defect rate has been reduced from the industry average of 1.5% to 0.3%, and the one-time inspection pass rate has been increased to 99.7%;
Technology + service dual-wheel drive to build a full-chain solution
Aiming at the complex coastal working conditions of Red Sea New City, the Yidian technical team customized and developed a triple protection system:
Material innovation: Nano-scale titanium dioxide modified resin is used to increase the UV absorption rate to 98% through molecular bonding technology, slowing down the aging of the resin matrix;
Robotic palletizing system: The polymer bridge production line is equipped with a KUKA six-axis robot, which uses visual recognition technology to achieve intelligent product sorting. The single-shift production capacity has increased from 800 linear meters to 1,300 linear meters, and the labor cost has been reduced by 40%;
Energy management platform: integrating photovoltaic power generation and intelligent energy storage systems, the comprehensive energy consumption of the production base has dropped by 18% compared with before the transformation, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 2,000 tons annually, and achieving the “14th Five-Year Plan” energy-saving goals ahead of schedule.
Data-driven flexible production capabilities
The newly commissioned intelligent production line supports the “multi-variety, small batch, fast switching” production mode. Through the seamless connection between the MES system and the CRM system, the mold switching of different specifications of bridges can be completed within 4 hours, and the order delivery cycle is shortened from 15 days to 7 days. The first trial-run FRP fireproof bridge production line has successfully completed an urgent order of 5,000 tons for a Southeast Asian photovoltaic project, increasing production efficiency by 60% while maintaining a zero-defect delivery record.
“This transformation is not a simple equipment replacement, but a way to connect the entire value chain of R&D, production, and quality control through data.” The company’s general manager said at the ceremony, “The ‘digital twin factory’ we have built can simulate production capacity load and process bottlenecks in real time. In the next three years, we will be able to respond to customer-customized products within 72 hours.”
Increased investment in R&D to strengthen the technological moat
As a national-level “little giant” enterprise specializing in special technologies, Yidian also announced that its R&D investment will account for no less than 8% of its annual revenue in the next three years, with a focus on the following areas:
New material research and development: engineering applications of cutting-edge materials such as graphene-enhanced epoxy resin and bio-based composite materials;
Intelligent equipment self-development: bridge defect detection equipment based on machine vision, installation robots that adapt to the environment;
Industrial Internet platform: building an online selection system for global customers, providing real-time production capacity query and quality traceability services.
Intelligent equipment self-development: bridge defect detection equipment based on machine vision, installation robots that adapt to the environment;
Industrial Internet platform: building an online selection system for global customers, providing real-time production capacity query and quality traceability services.
This intelligent transformation not only improves production efficiency, but also marks the transformation breakthrough of China’s cable tray industry from “manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing”. It is estimated that after the transformation, the annual production capacity of Hengshui Base will exceed 50,000 tons, of which the proportion of customized products will increase to 60%, which is expected to drive the company’s export volume to increase by 90%, further consolidating its leading position in the market along the “Belt and Road”.
About Hebei Yidian Smart Factory
The new production base covers an area of 80 mu, and has introduced 26 sets of advanced equipment from Germany, Japan and other countries, and built the industry’s first “dark workshop” demonstration line, realizing 24-hour unmanned production. So far, the intelligent transformation has obtained 12 utility model patents, and the relevant experience has been included in the “Hebei Province Intelligent Manufacturing Pilot Demonstration Case Collection”.
