Bekaert (Shandong) Steel Cord Co., Ltd: Establishing an Advanced "Dream Factory"
Bekaert (Shandong) Steel Cord Co., Ltd., the world's largest steel cord production plant under the Bekaert Group and the largest single steel cord production base globally, has embraced technological transformation and accelerated its process of informatization and automation. Despite the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China and the decline in the tire market in 2019, the company achieved remarkable growth in sales volume and attained a new record high in sales revenue with a year-on-year increase of 3.18%.
"To remain competitive in the radial tire industry, technological innovation has become our key breakthrough point, with new high-performance and high-strength products accounting for a significant portion of our sales in 2019," said Tao Xianhu, the plant manager of Bekaert (Shandong) Steel Cord Co., Ltd. The company is focused on enhancing overall quality and competitiveness while nurturing and establishing global high-end brands. As a pioneer in new steel cord technology, Bekaert continues to develop innovative skeleton materials for eco-friendly tires, such as Ultra High Strength (ST) and Extra High Strength (UT) steel cords. These high-strength materials enable a reduction in the amount of steel cord used while achieving improved tire performance and cost savings for customers.
"The combination of rubber and steel cord is enhanced, leading to improved tire performance, reduced heat generation, lower rolling resistance, and extended tire lifespan," explained Mr. Xianhu Tao. Currently, Bekaert's Weihai plant holds the top market share in China for ST/UT products.
Since 2017, Bekaert has launched the intelligent "Create Dream" factory project, actively exploring new models of intelligent manufacturing. In the first phase, an investment of RMB 200 million was made to renovate a 17,400 square meter standard workshop and procure 400 sets of production equipment and an MES system. The project integrates Bekaert Group's advanced technologies and experiences in automation, information technology, and intelligence from around the world, creating a test platform and operational model for future factories within the group through systematic integration and innovation.
"In contrast to traditional manufacturing processes, material handling in the 'Create Dream' factory is entirely automated, with LGV-laser-guided driverless vehicles being utilized," stated Mr. Xianhu Tao. The production equipment is interconnected, and real-time information is displayed on screens, making the process paperless. Additionally, big data is collected, analyzed, and processed in real-time to optimize processes and scheduling, resulting in a 20% increase in labor efficiency and a 5% reduction in production costs. This transformation project has the potential to increase output value by 20% and generate an additional tax revenue of RMB 22 million per year.
In 2020, Bekaert's pursuit of advancement continues. With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT), automation, information, and intelligent production have become the direction of advanced manufacturing. Bekaert's "Dream Factory" project aims to evolve into a fully automated, fully digitalized, and IoT-enabled intelligent factory, transforming from "industrial manufacturing" to "intelligent manufacturing." This initiative will further solidify Bekaert's position as an industry leader, establish the world's leading intelligent manufacturing base for steel cord, and extend its successful experience to Bekaert's global factories.
About Bekaert (Shandong) Steel Cord Co., Ltd.: Bekaert (Shandong) Steel Cord Co., Ltd. is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise that commenced production in 2004 and has since become the largest steel cord manufacturing base worldwide. Bekaert Group leverages the world's top technical resources and takes the lead in implementing intelligent and informative upgrades at its Weihai plant, creating a cutting-edge model-type "Dream Factory" and providing a blueprint for the intelligent upgrading of other facilities. The project, with a total investment of RMB 680 million, is being implemented in two phases and includes the acquisition of 400 sets of the world's most advanced fully automatic intelligent steel cord production equipment, which is already in operation. This expansion enables an additional annual production capacity of 25,000 tonnes and generates new sales revenue of RMB 250 million.
Original article from Weihai Daily Group, edited by Weihai.eu