To help intelligent equipment‑manufacturing enterprises seize new opportunities in digital transformation and accelerate their move toward smart, digital upgrades, a platform for exchanging insights on intelligent transformation was established. On September 9, Nanjing Hexin Automation Co., Ltd. successfully hosted an exchange event titled “Intelligent Transformation and Upgrading in the Equipment‑Manufacturing Industry.” The event brought together more than ten distinguished business leaders from the high‑end equipment‑manufacturing sector. The delegation was diverse, including CEOs of “unicorn” companies driving industry-wide change, leaders of rapidly growing “gazelle” firms, and representatives from specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative “little giant” enterprises that have carved out niche markets.

On-site inspections, gaining insights into emerging trends.

At the outset of the event, attendees toured the company’s smart exhibition hall and research center. During the visit, Dr. Zhou Shujun, Chairman of the Group, provided a comprehensive overview of Hexin Company, covering its development journey, corporate culture, and core business lines. He highlighted the company’s innovative initiatives in intelligent manufacturing and digitalization, including robotic welding workstations, intelligent logistics AGVs, RGVs and RCS scheduling systems, laser‑welding quality online inspection equipment, and a digital Kanban management platform. By seamlessly integrating hardware and software, the company has systematically achieved device interconnectivity, data‑driven operations, and intelligent decision‑making, thereby demonstrating its forward‑thinking approach and tangible progress in its transformation toward smart manufacturing. These efforts have laid a solid foundation for enhancing production efficiency and reshaping its business model.

Smart Insights Clash, Gaining Foresight into the Future

Dr. Zhou Shujun delivered an in-depth presentation titled “Practices in the Intelligent Transformation of Equipment-Manufacturing Enterprises.” He pointed out that, in advancing intelligentization, many manufacturing firms commonly fall into developmental pitfalls—prioritizing hardware investment while neglecting software integration, and focusing on superficial appearances at the expense of substantive results. He emphasized that companies must start from their production pain points and actual needs, adopting a strategy of “modular deployment, lightweight applications, and low‑cost implementation” to forge a practical, feasible digital transformation roadmap. Only then can intelligent upgrades be effectively put into practice, delivering tangible outcomes and generating sustainable value.
Faced with the widespread challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises—namely, their reluctance to embark on digital transformation and their inability to afford it—Dr. Zhou Shujun has proposed a pragmatic, lightweight, and highly efficient solution. Leveraging a self-developed micro-MES collaborative smart manufacturing system, the approach innovatively employs a “modular subscription plus agile deployment” model, enabling businesses to achieve rapid system rollout within one to three weeks while seamlessly integrating all business processes, from marketing and procurement to production and quality inspection. This solution significantly reduces upfront capital expenditures and trial-and-error risks, making digital transformation both affordable and easy to implement.
Meanwhile, the company also unveiled its self-developed H-LinkSmart AI‑based Andon system, which leverages multi‑network converged communications and AI‑powered visual monitoring to establish a collaborative mechanism for real‑time anomaly response and intelligent workforce scheduling. This system not only delivers millisecond‑level early warnings of equipment malfunctions but also automatically initiates corrective workflows, significantly reducing traditional production downtime and boosting overall operational efficiency by more than 30%, thereby truly achieving “no waiting for responses and no bottlenecks for issues.”

The event garnered widespread acclaim, with attendees lauding its value.

This event received unanimous high praise from representatives of the Unicorn Alliance member organizations. Several entrepreneur delegates commented, “The content was packed with practical insights, particularly the sharing of real‑world internal R&D case studies, which provided ample inspiration and actionable ideas.” Chen Zhongrong, Chairman of Jiangsu Xinlantian Steel Structure Co., Ltd., expressed his anticipation for the industry’s continued exploration and innovation in the course of intelligent transformation, aiming to achieve higher‑quality development. Meanwhile, Gao Chi, Chairman of Nanjing Haoyang Chemical Equipment Co., Ltd., engaged in an in‑depth discussion with the Hesin team on the challenges of digital management and control for non‑standard equipment, and the two sides have tentatively reached an agreement on technical collaboration. This event not only offered a high‑value platform for in‑depth exchanges among industry leaders but also marked an important starting point for advancing collaborative innovation across the sector.