Entering the 21st century, intelligent manufacturing, as a new production method integrating a new generation of information technology with advanced manufacturing technology, has become the core driving force of the new round of industrial revolution. From automated production lines to intelligent robots, from big data analysis to the Internet of Things technology, and from machine learning to the application of artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing is constantly promoting traditional manufacturing into a new era of more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable manufacturing.
From 2017 to 2024, the Intelligent Manufacturing Alliance of Chinese Societies (IMAC) continuously carried out the “Case Study on Progress in China’s Intelligent Manufacturing Technology” and selected a total of 80 cases of “Progress in China’s Intelligent Manufacturing Technology”. The achievement fields cover key manufacturing areas such as high-end CNC machine tools and basic manufacturing equipment, industrial robots, automobiles, aerospace, new-generation information technology, textiles, rail transit, ships and marine engineering equipment, energy equipment, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, textiles, and construction welding; the technical fields involve industrial Internet of Things platforms, big data management systems, application of artificial intelligence technology in factories, intelligent manufacturing equipment, flexible intelligent manufacturing production lines, cloud manufacturing systems, intelligent factories, mass customization platforms, etc.
We will showcase the technological achievements and innovative applications of intelligent manufacturing, allowing people to feel the changes and innovations that intelligent manufacturing brings to the manufacturing industry.
Ultra-High Precision Turbine Blade Flexible, Efficient, and Intelligent Manufacturing Unmanned Workshop
Dongfang Turbine Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Dongqi) is affiliated to China Dongfang Electric Group Co., Ltd. It mainly engages in large-scale power generation equipment, is a high-tech state-owned enterprise in China engaged in the research, design, and manufacture of large-scale power generation equipment, and is also one of China’s three major steam turbine production bases, with a domestic market share of more than 30% and an F-class gas turbine domestic market share of more than 67%. In 2021, Dongqi put forward the “11486” development strategy, driven by technological innovation, deepened reform, green development, and digital transformation to help the enterprise achieve high-quality development. In the same year, it released the “14th Five-Year” digital factory construction plan. According to the construction plan, it focused on the core production components in the factory and tackled the production problems of turbine blades such as high precision, flexibility, and intelligence.
Blades are the most delicate and important parts of a steam turbine. From the perspective of design structure, they bear the combined effects of high temperature, high pressure, huge centrifugal force, steam force, steam excitation force, corrosion, vibration, and water droplet erosion in the wet steam area under extremely harsh conditions. Their aerodynamic performance, machining geometry, surface roughness, installation clearance, operating conditions, scaling, and other factors all affect the power generation efficiency of the steam turbine; their structural design, vibration strength, and operating mode play a decisive role in the safety and reliability of the unit. From the perspective of manufacturing process, the blade profile is thin and easy to deform. Precise control of its manufacturing accuracy, efficient and high-quality processing are the core difficulties in the blade manufacturing process. The world’s most famous manufacturing groups such as Siemens, GE, and Mitsubishi are all committed to applying the most advanced scientific and technological achievements to the development of new blades and the manufacturing of high-precision blades to maintain their advanced position in the field of steam turbine manufacturing.
Dongqi has established an intelligent production line by introducing automated equipment, three-dimensional warehouses, online measurement, intelligent sensing and control equipment, etc., to carry out full-process digital control over blade manufacturing, and improve the enterprise’s intelligence level in resource allocation, process optimization, process control, industrial chain management, quality control and traceability, energy conservation and emission reduction, and safe production. It has solved the pain points in blade processing such as multi-variety and small-batch production, discrete information, large differences in production beats, long production change cycles, and insufficient quality stability, achieving a 650% increase in per capita efficiency of blade production, a 20% increase in production capacity, and a quality qualification rate of 99.67%.
Through the implementation of this project, 9 key technologies have been tackled, mainly including:
(1) Mixed-line flexible processing control technology for multi-variety and small-batch blades: Through large-scale cluster control of processing equipment, the limitation of unit-type control of blade processing equipment is broken, realizing the integrated control of 23 intelligent devices and multiple industrial robots in the production line. Under the instructions of the flexible control system, it can meet the fully automatic processing of 100 types of blades, and has the ability of rapid flexible production change and mixed-line production.
(2) Automatic monitoring and compensation technology in the processing process: By collecting machine tool NC operation data and sensor data, combined with edge computing and other technologies, 24-hour automatic monitoring of the production line processing status is realized. Preventive and early warning technical means are adopted for the processing process that affects product quality to ensure that the processing process is under control. An intelligent cutting fluid supply system has been built, which can execute control according to algorithms, fundamentally solving the problems of dynamic monitoring and fully automatic replenishment of machine tool cutting fluid.
(3) Blade design and process collaboration technology: Through self-developed 3D design and process integration software, parametric design of blades and collaboration between design and process are realized, solving problems such as 2D drawings unable to accurately express manufacturing requirements, design models unable to be reused in process and production links, and low design efficiency. For the independent research and development of F-class heavy-duty gas turbine’s overall 3D design, the engineering design and research and development cycle has been shortened by more than 30%.
(4) Production line state self-perception technology: Through equipment monitoring and system construction, accurate identification of equipment processing status, perception of tools, production tasks, and production line abnormal status are realized, assisting in decision-making judgment and statistical analysis.
(5) Logistics and production line processing integration technology: By integrating the production management and control system and the warehouse management system, and calling materials with one click according to the production work order, accurate data management and control of logistics and production line processing are realized, which greatly reduces the physical labor intensity of warehousing and outgoing, and effectively solves the waste of transfer waiting.
(6) 5G + intelligent logistics precise management and control technology: A 5G fully connected workshop is built through a 5G dedicated network, and MEC and network slicing are built to achieve high-rate, low-latency, and large-bandwidth application goals. Data is fully connected to intelligent units, 5G base stations, mobile core networks, and data dedicated lines. The AGV disconnection rate is 80% lower than that of traditional AGVs, and the delay in task, signal, and information reporting is less than 20ms, supporting precise logistics control.
(7) Adaptive scheduling technology for discrete manufacturing: Through in-depth development and application of models such as production master plan scheduling management, standard process BOM, inventory, emergency order checking, plan adjustment management, plan visualization, and witness plan management. Realize rapid optimization of limited capacity plan adjustment (change, abnormality) and emergency order insertion evaluation based on constraint theory, with the plan accuracy improved by 95%.
(8) Discrete manufacturing management and control technology based on virtual prediction of reality: Through virtual reality technology, the actual production environment of blades is modeled, and virtual data is combined with the actual production environment to realize faster and more accurate production decision assistance in the blade digital workshop, effectively ensuring production efficiency and product quality.
(9) Twin technology for blade production and operation management: Digital twins of processing production lines, warehousing logistics, and production processes have been built to realize the full-process twinning of blade product production and operation management.
This project has won many honorary awards from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Sichuan Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology. After evaluation by experts organized by Sichuan Gongxin Technology Evaluation Co., Ltd., the evaluation committee believes that the project results have reached the international advanced level of similar manufacturing technologies. At the same time, it has participated in the formulation of a number of national standards and published many papers and patents.
Since this project was put into use in August 2022, it has completed the processing of nearly 900 batches of about 112,000 blades, with products covering F-class, J-type, independent G50 and other series of gas turbines. The core technological innovations achieved have been actively promoted and used in the company’s eight factories, and the innovative achievements have also been extended and promoted to upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain such as Shandong Haomai.
