Chinese AV ‘Smart Factory’ Features Cutting-Edge Technology
YANCHENG, China—Human Horizons recently opened a state-of-the-art autonomous vehicle assembly plant here. The factory produces the battery-powered HiPhi X SUV vehicle at a repurposed internal combustion engine vehicle facility. One unique aspect of the plant is that finished vehicles automatically drive off the assembly line and park in a nearby lot.
"Like people, things are the products of their environment, too,” says Ding Lei, CEO of Human Horizons. “If we want to build the world's most sophisticated new energy car, we must use the world's most sophisticated manufacturing technologies. If we want to build a new generation of autonomous vehicles, we must use the newest generation of autonomous production machinery. If we want to create an ultra-efficient and personalized car, we must be ultra-efficient and flexible in our manufacturing process."
The new factory’s body shop is equipped with 130 Kuka robots, while the automated paint shop features the latest technology from Durr. The final assembly line uses digital twin technology and hundreds of Internet of Things devices connected through 5G and cloud computing software.
On the battery assembly line, state-of-the-art data analytics is uses for error-monitoring, quality assurance and traceability.
Human Horizons' vehicle-to-everything technology allows the HiPhi X to drive itself safely off the assembly line to a designated delivery area, where is parks itself using the built-in Level 4 automated valet parking function.
“This is the final step in an almost entirely automated manufacturing process underpinned by a world-class quality control system that ensures safe and consistent production,” claims Lei.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
