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On August 14th, the 30th anniversary celebration of ABB Electric Drive Systems Co., Ltd. in Beijing, with the theme of “Thirty Years of Fuyao, Lingyun Towards the Future”, was held grandly. Representatives from the government, Chinese joint venture partners, channel partners, ABB Group, and ABB China management gathered with ABB colleagues to celebrate this milestone moment.

Guo Huaigang, Director of the Beijing Branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Wang Xi, Deputy Director of the Chaoyang Park Management Committee of Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, attended the celebration and highly praised the achievements of Beijing ABB Transmission in the past thirty years. At the same time, Mr. Qin Haibo, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Beijing Jingyi Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese shareholder, also highly praised the 30-year cooperation between the two sides and stated that he will continue to strengthen cooperation with Beijing ABB Transmission and support the future development of Beijing ABB Transmission.

Since its establishment in 1994, taking advantage of China’s reform and opening up and rapid economic development, Beijing ABB Transmission has gradually grown and expanded through unremitting efforts and innovation. In 2008, it became the market leader in China’s low-voltage transmission industry and has remained at the forefront for twenty consecutive years in the “China Electrical Top 100” list released by the “Electrical Times” magazine based on national audit data.

Message from Management

Mr. Bai Yuanteng, a member of the ABB Group Executive Committee and Global President of ABB Motion Control Business Unit, said, “China is ABB’s second largest market and a key part of ABB’s global layout, and its importance is self-evident. In the past thirty years, ABB Beijing Transmission has embarked on the fast lane of China’s economic development, formulated a flexible and comprehensive long-term strategy to cover the Chinese market, continuously increased local research and development investment, forged an elite team, worked sincerely with channel partners, and maintained continuous growth. The average compound annual growth rate reached 23%, which is a very impressive achievement. We are very satisfied with this. Looking forward to the future, we have full confidence in the Chinese market and believe that it will continue to show strong growth potential for our company. Injecting a continuous stream of momentum into development.”

Mr. Kang Liang, General Manager of ABB (China) Co., Ltd. and Chairman of Beijing ABB Electric Drive Systems Co., Ltd., said: “The 30th anniversary of the establishment of Beijing ABB Drive is not only an important milestone for ABB’s development in China, but also a vivid portrayal of our ‘in China, for China’ strategy. According to this strategy, ABB continues to increase its research and development investment in China. Taking the ABB Motion Control Division, where Beijing ABB Drive is located, as an example, the division has established three research and development centers in China, with an increase of about 40% in R&D personnel since 2019, and local R&D product revenue accounting for about 30% of total revenue. In the future, we will continue to focus on the Chinese market, fully promote innovation, and use technological progress to support high-quality and low-carbon development！”

Mr. Qi Luping, the head of ABB Motion Control Division in China and the president of Beijing ABB Electric Transmission System Co., Ltd., played a video clip on site that condensed the 30-year development and struggle history of Beijing ABB Transmission. He said, “In 1994, we founded Beijing ABB Electric Transmission System Co., Ltd. with dreams and enthusiasm. Over the past thirty years, Beijing ABB Transmission has adhered to the corporate culture of ‘high aspirations, pursuit of excellence, courage to innovate, continuous improvement, humility and diligence, and hard work’, relying on advanced technology, reliable products, and professional services to win market recognition and customer trust.

The 30-year development history of Beijing ABB Transmission is a struggle of hard work, enterprising spirit, and continuous innovation. From initially introducing foreign products and technologies for sale in China, to achieving localized production and manufacturing, and then focusing on local research and development, independently developing various products suitable for the Chinese market, every step is full of challenges and hardships, but more importantly, it is the joy and pride of harvest. In the future, we will continue to work hand in hand with channel partners and customers to create a more brilliant tomorrow.”

Thirty years of hard work and innovation driven development

Since its establishment in 1994, ABB Beijing Transmission has always adhered to innovation driven development. From initially relying mainly on technology introduction and only having one standard frequency converter product suitable for distribution, to continuously increasing local research and development efforts and launching multiple products suitable for the Chinese local market, including the universal product ACS510 for the mainstream mid-range market in China, the medium voltage universal product ACS580MV for the mid to high end market in China, and the high-quality industrial frequency converter cabinet ACS880-07C that can be flexibly customized. During this process, ABB Drive not only established a comprehensive local R&D system, but also cultivated a R&D team of over 400 people, and successively established the Nanjing Servo R&D Center and ABB Drive and Control North Asia R&D Headquarters.

Thirty years of continuous cultivation, serving society with technology

For the past thirty years, Beijing ABB Transmission has deeply rooted itself in the Chinese market, and has participated in multiple national key livelihood projects with its expertise and technological advantages, such as the South to North Water Diversion Project, Yellow River Diversion Project to Shanxi, Dianchi Lake Water Replenishment Project, Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge, Olympic venues, etc., providing high-quality products, solutions, and services to safeguard people’s livelihoods. At the same time, ABB Transmission did not forget to give back to the society, actively fulfilled its corporate social responsibility, responded quickly to emergencies such as the COVID-19, the flood disaster in Zhengzhou and Zhuozhou, Henan, and fully supported the rescue, relief and post disaster recovery, especially accelerated the reconstruction of the water supply and heating system in the disaster area, and sent warmth and hope to the victims. In addition, the company actively participated in the ABB Cup Intelligent Technology Innovation Competition, aiming to stimulate innovation vitality and cultivate future compound innovative talents for society.

Thirty years of working together to create a sustainable future

For the past thirty years, Beijing ABB Transmission has provided diversified products, solutions, and services to customers in various industries such as mining, electricity, water, HVAC, etc. As of the end of 2023, the cumulative delivery of transmission products has exceeded 8 million units, saving energy equivalent to reducing 520 million tons of CO2 emissions, helping customers save energy and reduce emissions, and moving towards a greener and more sustainable future together.

Looking back on the past thirty years, Beijing ABB Transmission has written a glorious history of struggle with its spirit of continuous innovation and enterprising attitude. Looking ahead to the future, Beijing ABB Transmission will continue to implement the strategy of “in China, for China”, driven by technological innovation and guided by market and customer needs, to help customers achieve digital, intelligent, and green transformation, and jointly create a better tomorrow!

ABB is a technology leader in the field of electrical and automation, committed to empowering a more sustainable and efficient future. ABB integrates engineering experience and software technology into solutions to optimize manufacturing, transportation, energy, and operations. Adhering to over 140 years of outstanding history, ABB’s more than 105000 employees worldwide are dedicated to driving innovation and accelerating industrial transformation.

1、 What is an ERP management system?

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) management system is an integrated enterprise management software system that can coordinate and integrate the business processes, data flow, and process control of various departments in the enterprise, achieving orderly allocation and efficient utilization of enterprise resources.

ERP systems typically include multiple functional modules such as finance, procurement, sales, production, inventory, and human resources, covering various areas of enterprise production and administrative management. They can conduct comprehensive business process management, improve the production efficiency, management level, and decision-making ability of enterprises.

2、 What is MES management system?

MES management system, also known as manufacturing process execution management system, is a production information management system aimed at the workshop execution layer of manufacturing enterprises.

It can help enterprises achieve comprehensive management, including manufacturing data management, planning and scheduling management, production scheduling management, inventory management, quality management, human resource management, work center/equipment management, tool and tooling management, procurement management, cost management, project kanban management, production process control, underlying data integration analysis, upper level data integration decomposition, etc., to create a solid, reliable, comprehensive, and feasible manufacturing collaborative management platform for enterprises.

3、 The relationship between ERP system and MES system:

ERP system and MES system are both important components of enterprise management system. The ERP system mainly focuses on the overall resource planning and management of the enterprise, including multiple modules such as financial management, sales management, procurement management, inventory management, etc. It takes a global perspective of the enterprise, coordinates and plans various resources of the enterprise, aiming to improve the overall operational efficiency of the enterprise.

The Wanjie Starry Sky MES system focuses more on the specific production execution process, including multiple links such as production scheduling, production scheduling, and quality control. The MES system can provide real-time production data and execution status, helping enterprises better control the production process and improve production quality and efficiency.

Although ERP and MES systems are functionally independent, their work may overlap and complement each other in practical applications. ERP systems are closer to enterprise level systems and involve global business operations with lower update frequencies; The MES system, on the other hand, is closer to scene based on-site control and requires real-time updating, analysis, and processing of data.

4、 Applicable scenarios of MES and ERP:

Based on the definitions and advantages of MES and ERP, we can see that their applicable scenarios are different. Generally speaking, MES is more suitable for manufacturing enterprises, especially those that require production process optimization and quality management. Wanjie Starry Sky Technology MES can help these enterprises achieve real-time monitoring and control of the production process, improve production efficiency and quality, and reduce costs and risks.

ERP is more suitable for service-oriented and circulation oriented enterprises, especially those that need to optimize internal business processes and improve management efficiency. ERP can help these enterprises achieve information sharing and circulation, optimize business processes, improve decision-making ability and market competitiveness.

Industrial touch displays, as the name suggests, are industrial displays with touch functionality. Industrial touch displays are mainly used in industrial environments, and they have high requirements for the environment. Generally, they need to have functions such as wide temperature and wide pressure, dust and water resistance, and electromagnetic interference resistance.

At present, industrial touch displays have been widely used in intelligent manufacturing production lines, security, urban transportation, commerce, finance, healthcare, education and other fields.

So what should we pay attention to when using industrial touch displays? Do you know?

1. If you are using a capacitive industrial touch display, it is recommended that you correctly install the driver program required for the capacitive industrial touch display according to the instructions in the manual.

2. When using a resistive industrial display, if you find that the cursor does not move or can only move in a local area, you can check whether the touch area of the touch screen is pressed by other touch objects. For example, once the touch screen is squeezed by the display housing, it is equivalent to a point being constantly touched, and the coordinate position feedback to the controller will be inaccurate, and the cursor will definitely not be positioned correctly.

If the cabinet shell is pressed against the touch area, you can adjust the distance between the cabinet and the industrial display screen to be larger. If the industrial display shell is pressed against the touch area, you can try loosening the screws of the industrial display shell slightly.

3. In order to ensure the normal operation of industrial touch display systems, in addition to ensuring the correct installation of system software, it is important to remember not to install two or more touch screen drivers on a single host, as this can easily cause conflicts during system operation and prevent the industrial touch screen system from functioning properly.

As a computer device designed specifically for industrial environments, Linux industrial tablets have many significant advantages, making them widely used in industrial automation, intelligent manufacturing, and other fields.

This article will explore in detail the advantages of Linux industrial tablets, including stability, security, openness, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, etc., in order to help readers have a more comprehensive understanding of the uniqueness of this device.

Firstly, Linux industrial tablets have extremely high stability. This is due to the advantages of the Linux operating system itself, which adopts a modular design, has a small and stable kernel, and can run stably for a long time without any failures.

At the same time, industrial tablets also fully consider stability and durability in hardware design, using high-quality components and strict production processes to ensure that the equipment can maintain stable performance even in harsh industrial environments. This stability makes Linux industrial tablets an ideal choice in the field of industrial automation, capable of meeting the needs of long-term, high load operation.

Secondly, Linux industrial tablets have excellent security. The Linux operating system is known for its powerful security performance, which adopts multi-layer security protection mechanisms, including user permission management, file access control, network firewall, etc., effectively preventing malicious attacks and data leakage.

In addition, industrial tablets also have hardware level security features, such as encrypted storage, secure boot, etc., further enhancing device security. This security enables Linux industrial tablets to perform well in application scenarios involving sensitive data and critical business, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.

Furthermore, Linux industrial tablets have openness and flexibility. The Linux operating system is an open-source system with a vast open-source community and abundant software resources. Users can freely access and modify the source code, customize and optimize it according to their actual needs. This enables Linux industrial tablets to easily adapt to various complex industrial application scenarios and meet the diverse needs of users.

At the same time, the hardware configuration of industrial tablets also has a high degree of flexibility. Users can choose processors, memory, and storage devices with different performance according to their actual needs to achieve optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.

In addition, Linux industrial tablets also have high cost-effectiveness. Compared to traditional Windows industrial computers, the procurement cost of Linux industrial tablets is lower because the Linux operating system is free and the price of hardware devices is relatively affordable. Meanwhile, due to the high stability and durability of Linux industrial tablets, they can reduce the frequency of equipment maintenance and replacement, further reducing maintenance costs. This cost-effectiveness makes Linux industrial tablets highly attractive in small and medium-sized enterprises and projects with limited budgets.

Finally, Linux industrial tablets also have broad application prospects. With the continuous development of industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing technology, the demand for high-performance and highly reliable computer equipment is also increasing. Linux industrial tablets, with their advantages of stability, security, openness, and flexibility, can meet these needs and be applied in more fields.

For example, in the field of intelligent manufacturing, Linux industrial tablets can serve as the control center of production lines, achieving data exchange and collaborative work between devices; In the field of the Internet of Things, it can serve as a node for data collection and transmission, achieving interconnectivity between devices.

In summary, Linux industrial tablets have many significant advantages, including stability, security, openness, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. These advantages make it have broad application prospects in fields such as industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing. With the continuous progress of technology and changes in market demand, it is believed that Linux industrial tablets will play a more important role in the future, providing strong support for the development of the industrial field.

Speech by Thomas Pilz, Managing Partner of Peel Magnetic

Industry is undergoing transformation, and digitalization and sustainable development are the driving forces behind industrial transformation.

Industrial digitization leads to networked production systems. The risk of manipulation (intentional or unintentional) or data leakage increases with the level of networking. Unlike information technology security, industrial information security refers to protecting production and industrial equipment from deliberate attacks on the availability of equipment and machinery. In contrast, the task of functional safety is to prevent unintentional dangerous states.

I would like to review last year’s press conference: the goal of industrial information security is to ensure the availability of equipment and machines, as well as the integrity and confidentiality of machine data and processes.

If I cannot control my data, then the safety of my employees will also be threatened: without information security, there is no mechanical security, and without mechanical security, people cannot be protected from accidents! Therefore, without information security, the digital transformation of production processes cannot be successful.

Information security is a necessary condition for protecting people, machines, and the environment. This is the only way for enterprises to achieve sustainable management. A report from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in Germany shows that industrial enterprises suffer losses of billions of dollars annually.

As an automation company, Pirmagnetic’s core competitiveness lies in safety. Every day, Pierce Magnetic’s mission is to make the world digital, interconnected, flexible, efficient, secure, and reliable. Pierce Magnetic hopes to contribute to ensuring the success of industrial transformation.

Compared to other industries, certain industries are more affected by transformation as they will play a crucial role in addressing future tasks. These industries include hydrogen, electric vehicles, semiconductor, and railway technology.

The key requirement of the hydrogen energy industry is safety

Hydrogen energy has a high energy density and is therefore considered a future energy carrier. With the booming trend, the requirements for functional security and industrial information security are also constantly increasing. Because hydrogen, like all fuels, has a high potential danger. The tested safety principles in the automation industry and functional safety field can also be applied to the hydrogen energy industry.

In addition to traditional safety functions, safety automation technology can also undertake additional tasks, such as dynamic pressure and temperature monitoring or safe compliance with load limitations of downstream structures. Automation technology can also ensure secure data exchange and visualization of operational and diagnostic information (if applicable).

In France, our automation system PSS 4000 has provided safety assurance for hydrogen distribution at 10 public hydrogen refueling stations. The customer is a European hydrogen refueling station manufacturer and is looking for an experienced safety expert. Since 2023, Pearson Magnetic has maintained a cooperative relationship with the client and provided comprehensive safety solutions while ensuring the economic operation of the hydrogen refueling station. Currently, both parties plan to expand their cooperation to other projects.

Electric Vehicles: Safe and Efficient Charging Systems

The MADELAINE project in Austria – “Multi Adaptive DC Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Network” – is researching a new DC charging system. Its goal is to provide a modular and flexible charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. For example, in charging stations in public parking lots, multiple charging points can operate in different modes. For example, hybrid operation is possible, in which case individual vehicles can charge quickly while other vehicles can charge slowly. In short, just a few charging modules are enough to quickly charge a large number of electric vehicles with direct current. The results of the MADELAINE project are expected to improve the energy efficiency of the parking lot system.

Here, Pierce Magnetic’s automation system PSS 4000 is also a core part of controlling necessary safety functions, such as distributing different charging currents to the correct charging point.

Professional knowledge in the semiconductor industry

Another key industry is the electronics industry, especially the semiconductor industry. The shortage of components in the past few years has clearly demonstrated the importance of processors and other electronic component supplies to the global economy.

The semiconductor industry has its own standards, among which safety standards play an important role. In addition to protecting workers, these standards are also aimed at ensuring the production efficiency of factories. Because if a dangerous situation causes the machine to stop running, it usually means production loss. Therefore, an important task of security technology is to monitor security functions and analyze diagnostic data to avoid the occurrence of dangerous situations.
Peel Magnetic has successfully provided advice and training to semiconductor manufacturers in Asia, with the aim of establishing correct safety regulations and concepts for their respective factories. Pierce Magnetic’s intelligent sensors and controllers work together to form a complete solution.

In addition to traditional security, industrial information security is also playing an increasingly important role: modern production bases are highly networked and digitized. Therefore, preventing misoperation plays an important role here. To prevent misoperation, operators hope to have precise control over who can enter the equipment. Pierce Magnetic’s Identity and Access Management (I.A.M.) system combines mechanical security and information security. From user authentication to operation mode selection, from data and network security to access management. The I. of Pearson Magnetism A. The M. solution is currently being used in factories in Asia and Europe.

The Safety of Digital Railways

Railway transportation is another cornerstone of transportation transformation. The digitization and automation of signal technology are fundamental requirements for improving railway infrastructure capabilities. With open interfaces and ready-made commercial solutions (i.e. standardized products), Pearson Magnet can help break through previous proprietary applications. Pierce Magnetic’s independent railway business department was established in 2022, mainly dedicated to expanding product portfolio and tailoring application engineering specifically for railways. Pierce Magnetic has closely cooperated with operators and system suppliers, including in the European EULYNX standard. Its purpose is to develop and provide unified industry standards for new modular interlocking technologies. Another partner of Pearlsch is the German company Pintsch, which is an expert in safe railway infrastructure.

In the autumn of 2023, Peel Magnetic was awarded a contract for the Scandinavian digitalization project. The Swedish Railway Infrastructure Transport Authority (Trafikverket) has signed a contract with Pirci to modernize the communication infrastructure of the national railway network. Based on Peel Magnetic’s railway controller, data transmission will shift from analog copper cable technology to more powerful and reliable fiberglass technology. In the future, Pierce Magnetic’s innovative railway control system will be based on secure real-time Ethernet SafetyNET p, taking over communication between interlocking devices and control cabinets on the line.

Pierce Magnetic – Security Spirit in Digital Automation summarizes our commitment to our customers, which is to work together with them to develop sustainable solutions to meet the challenges of the times. This means that even today, Pearson Magnet can meet the requirements of safety, supply chain sustainability, and functional safety.

For many years, industrial cameras have mainly focused on visible light imaging technology. Short wave infrared cameras, abbreviated as SWIR cameras, can reveal hidden features. But finding a cost-effective SWIR imaging solution tailored for industrial applications is not easy.

Today, we will introduce you to the Basler SWIR camera solution and the imaging potential it brings.

What is SWIR spectrum?

Light is an electromagnetic wave characterized by its wavelength, and the spectrum can be divided into multiple spectral bands. The visible light range is from 400nm to 800nm, while the near-infrared and shortwave infrared light ranges from 900nm to up to 2500nm, and are not visible to the human eye. The new Basler ace 2 X visSWIR camera is equipped with a Sony SenSWIR photosensitive chip, which can cover visible and invisible light ranges from 400nm to 1700nm.

SWIR cameras suitable for machine vision can utilize the physical properties of SWIR to achieve new imaging scenes. By listing several classic machine vision application cases, let’s learn about the highlights of SWIR cameras together.

1. Within the SWIR range, silicon becomes transparent, therefore, detecting semiconductor wafers and solar panels is an important application area. Using a SWIR light source to illuminate silicon-based wafers or solar panels can reveal tiny defects and impurities hidden beneath the surface.

2. Typically, SWIR can penetrate opaque coatings at visible light wavelengths, allowing for visualization of underlying features, such as viewing liquid levels and distinguishing different materials with similar colors. Therefore, it is very suitable for non-destructive identification and sorting of materials.

3. Within the SWIR range, water has high absorption, which makes objects or features with high water content appear almost black. Therefore, applying this scheme to moisture detection can help control food quality.

Why choose Basler SWIR visual solution?

Basler has accumulated unique visual expertise, making Sony’s photosensitive chip technology shine and providing a perfect entry point for cost-effective SWIR imaging solutions.

We can also provide all the components in one stop, and compared to traditional SWIR cameras, the ace 2 X camera is much smaller, with a cross-sectional size of only 29 x 29 mm, which is highly recognized by the market.

At the same time, this camera provides GigE and USB 3.0 interfaces to meet different application requirements. The ace 2 X camera is an ideal combination with the Basler SWIR light source and the Basler SLP controller that controls the light source.

In order to achieve excellent imaging results, filters should be used to shield unwanted spectral parts. The main limitation of InGaAs chips is that they inevitably have pixel defects and high noise levels. The Basler camera has a unique Pixel Correction Beyond pixel correction override function built-in to enhance SWIR images. The Beyond pixel correction surpassing function can easily detect and minimize linear noise, while also dynamically reducing horizontal lines in the image.

With Basler’s solution, you can get an ace 2 X camera with imaging quality comparable to American cold cameras and a compact size for the price of non cooled cameras.

Finally, with the help of easy-to-use Python software, you can fully explore the above features and other camera functions, and directly capture excellent SWIR images through the camera to achieve excellent results.

The origin of the Loong Boat Festival can be traced back more than 2000 years ago to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China. At that time, there was a patriotic poet named Qu Yuan in the State of Chu. In 278 BC, the state of Chu was conquered by the state of Qin, and Qu Yuan was filled with grief and anger. He threw himself into the Miluo River on May 5th and died.

To commemorate Qu Yuan, local people have rowed boats to find his body in the river, and put Zongzi into the river to prevent fish and shrimp from eating his body. Later, people commemorate Qu Yuan in this way every year, which is the origin of Loong Boat Festival.

The Loong Boat Festival, also known as the Loong Boat Festival, the May Festival and the Zongzi Festival, is an important traditional festival of the Chinese nation. It is not only a festival commemorating Qu Yuan, but also a festival for warding off evil and praying for good luck.

The customs of Loong Boat Festival are rich and colorful, mainly including:
 Eating Zongzi: Zongzi is a traditional food of the Loong Boat Festival, which is wrapped with glutinous rice, stuffing and zongzi leaves. The shape, size and stuffing of Zongzi are different, but they all express people’s yearning for a better life.

 Loong Boat Rowing: Loong Boat Race is one of the most distinctive activities of the Loong Boat Festival. The Loong Boat is dozens of meters long, shaped like a dragon, and dozens of crew members work together to paddle, which is very spectacular.

 Wormwood and calamus hanging: wormwood and calamus are the traditional anti evil plants on the Loong Boat Festival. People will hang wormwood and calamus on their doors to ward off evil spirits and avoid plague.

 Drinking realgar wine: realgar wine is a traditional drink of the Loong Boat Festival, made of realgar, Baijiu, glutinous rice, etc. People believe that realgar wine can expel insects, detoxify, and prevent diseases.

The Loong Boat Festival is the cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. It carries rich historical and cultural connotations, and embodies the patriotism, Qu Yuan spirit and the spirit of unity of the Chinese nation.

Since the beginning of the year, humanoid robots have often dominated hot topics and become one of the hot topics in the technology industry.

On May 13th, Yushu Technology released the Unitree G1 humanoid intelligent agent, which starts at 99000 yuan and is available on JD.com stores. Compared to other humanoid robots that often sell for hundreds of thousands or millions of yuan, some netizens say that the Unitree G1 has “knocked down” the high price of humanoid robots.

In early May, Tesla released a video of its second-generation Optimus Prime humanoid robot working in its own factory, showcasing the scene of the Optimus Prime robot assembling batteries in a battery factory.

At the end of April, the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center released the world’s first fully sized electric driven humanoid running robot, “Tiangong,” which can run steadily at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour.

Previously, in the article “In factories that college students don’t like to enter, they actually go to work”, we also explored the application scenarios of humanoid robots in the field of industrial manufacturing. Among them, the video of domestic humanoid robot Walker S assisting humans in completing car assembly and quality inspection operations on the assembly line of new energy vehicle factories has attracted attention.

In April of this year, the first China Humanoid Robot Industry Conference released a research report on the humanoid robot industry, predicting that the market size of China’s humanoid robots will be about 2.76 billion yuan in 2024; In 2026, it reached 10.471 billion yuan; By 2029, it will reach 75 billion yuan, accounting for 32.7% of the world’s total; By 2035, the market size is expected to reach 300 billion yuan.

The industry has more optimistic expectations for the future of humanoid robots, especially in terms of policies, which also show more positive signals. For example, in October 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the “Guiding Opinions on the Innovation and Development of Humanoid Robots”, in which the Chinese government proposed the goal of establishing an initial innovation system for humanoid robots and achieving mass production by 2025. By 2027, it is expected that the technological innovation capability of humanoid robots will be significantly improved, the industrial scale development will accelerate, and the application scenarios will become more diverse.

Humanoid robots are on the rise, should we focus on the “humanoid” shape or the functionality of the robots themselves?

Humanoid robots refer to intelligent robots that resemble humans in appearance and movement. They typically have a body structure similar to humans, including the head, torso, and limbs. They can walk on both feet, perform multiple operations with their hands, and possess certain cognitive and decision-making abilities.

Based on the usage scenarios of humanoid robots announced by multiple manufacturers this year, intelligent manufacturing, especially in the automotive manufacturing field, is expected to be the first field to implement humanoid robots. They can be used for assembly and assembly, handling and logistics, collaborative production, quality inspection, equipment maintenance and inspection, etc.

So the question is, if the role of humanoid robots is to replace repetitive, dangerous, or dirty work tasks, why must we develop humanoid robots? So many automation devices, such as AGV cars and robotic arms, are also capable of assisting humans in their work while also fulfilling their mobility needs.

Moreover, unlike ordinary industrial robots, humanoid robots have significant differences in structural design, hardware composition, control algorithms, core performance requirements, component selection, cost control, and other aspects.

At the technical level, humanoid robots need to integrate complex perception abilities such as vision, hearing, touch, etc. to simulate human perception systems; At the same time, there is a higher demand for AI algorithms, which require advanced decision-making and learning abilities to achieve human like intelligent behavior; In addition, the control algorithms are more complex and require the implementation of complex motion control algorithms, such as balance, walking, and fine hand movements.

Secondly, in terms of action, humanoid robots need to move freely and perform tasks in various environments. How to ensure the long-term endurance of humanoid robots while also ensuring their portability and flexibility poses a major challenge to the built-in battery system.

Finally, there is also a significant gap in cost. Due to the complex design and high-end hardware requirements of humanoid robots, the manufacturing cost is relatively high, requiring more investment in research and development and manufacturing. Ordinary industrial robots usually focus more on cost-effectiveness and need to control manufacturing costs while ensuring performance to improve production efficiency and competitiveness.

Complex and precise, with high cost, if the value of robots lies in helping humans complete various complex or tedious work tasks that are difficult to complete, unlike humans, which are not actually important things, practicality is sufficient.

Industry experts analyze that there are two main reasons why robots are designed to resemble humans: 1. Most of the working environments, facilities, and tools in the physical world are designed for human body shape. Designing robots with adult body types has the best versatility and can quickly adapt to various scenarios. When developing AGI (General Artificial Intelligence) based on humanoid robots, human video data can be used for training to improve training efficiency.

At present, the development of humanoid robots still belongs to the stage where the “body” leads the “brain”. “Body” refers to the hardware equipment of humanoid robots, while “brain” refers to the software algorithms of robots. The main reason why humanoid robots have been difficult to commercialize for many years is the lack of universal intelligence to support their cross scenario applications and leverage the advantages of human form.

The ultimate goal of humanoid robots is to become general-purpose robots that can adapt to different environments, perform different tasks, and do not require separate construction sites and tools. They are suitable for a wider range of scenarios, but this also requires the joint advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing, and new materials to achieve.

Despite the era of artificial intelligence, the development of AI technology has led to a qualitative leap in humanoid robots. The huge research and development costs and difficulties in commercialization have also led to many robot companies facing difficulties. For example, as industry pioneers, Pepper, ASIMO, Atlas, and others bid farewell to the market or cannot find suitable application scenarios.

From this perspective, whether humanoid robots must be humanoid or not ultimately needs to return to specific usage scenarios.

Firstly, the key to intelligent manufacturing lies in improving production efficiency and quality, rather than imitating human appearances. On industrial production lines, the task of robots is usually to perform repetitive and high-precision actions, such as assembly, welding, etc., which do not require robots to have a human appearance. On the contrary, designing more compact and efficient robot structures based on specific task requirements may be more conducive to improving production efficiency and reducing costs.

Secondly, the design of robots in intelligent manufacturing should prioritize safety and operational efficiency. In industrial production environments, robots need to cooperate with various equipment and tools, and humanoid design may not always be the most suitable for these work scenarios. By designing robot shapes and structures that better meet work requirements, the safety and operational efficiency of robots on industrial production lines can be improved, and potential risks and failures can be reduced.

In addition, robot design in intelligent manufacturing can also draw inspiration from natural forms to create more efficient and adaptable robots. For example, spider like robots in biomimetics can simulate the movement of spiders, demonstrating better flexibility and adaptability in narrow spaces, thereby improving operational efficiency and flexibility on production lines.

Overall, in industrial intelligent manufacturing scenarios, the design of robots should focus on functionality and efficiency, rather than blindly pursuing humanization. Flexible design concepts can bring more innovation and advantages to industrial intelligent manufacturing, improve production efficiency and quality, and reduce costs and risks. Therefore, humanoid robots in intelligent manufacturing scenarios do not necessarily adhere to “humanoid” design, but should choose the most suitable robot shape and structure based on specific production needs to achieve more efficient intelligent manufacturing.

Efficiency is a key performance indicator of motors, especially in the current energy-saving and low-carbon environment, where users attach great importance to the compliance of motor efficiency indicators.

From the concept of motor efficiency, it can be understood that the output power is less than the input power, which means that the conversion and transmission process of motor power is a process of attenuation.

But according to the law of conservation of energy, the energy that is “thrown away” is only converted or consumed in different forms. Starting from the working principle of the motor, we divide the process of motor input and output into several segments, and briefly analyze and understand the process of energy attenuation.

The first process: The electrical power input to the stator (P1) will generate copper loss (Pcu1) and iron loss (PFe) due to the current in the stator. Theoretically, the iron loss of the motor is composed of stator iron loss and rotor iron loss, but due to the particularly small rotor frequency, the rotor iron loss can be omitted, that is, the iron loss of the motor is mainly generated by the stator part. From the analysis of the process of energy conversion and transmission, the electromagnetic power (Pme) that can be transmitted to the rotor is less than its input power P1.

The second process: The electromagnetic power (Pme) received by the rotor from the stator is reduced again to the total mechanical power (Pmec) that can be converted due to the copper loss (pcu2) present in the rotor.

The third process: The rotor part is converted to the total mechanical power (Pmec). Due to the mechanical loss (pmec) caused by the movement of the rotor, as well as the additional torque loss (pad) caused by tooth harmonics, the output power (P2) of the motor is attenuated again on the basis of the total mechanical power (Pmec) of the rotor.