The launching ceremony of the smart factory of Wanli Tire was held on Nov. 9 in Hefei, Anhui province.
The Hefei factory of Wanli was jointly invested by Wanli Tire and JAC Motors.
（Launching Ceremony of Wanli Smart Factory)
With an actual investment of 1.43 billion yuan, the factory takes an area of 500 mu and its capacity is expected to reach 1 million all-steel radial tires in the first phase at the end of 2016, and 2 million tires in mid-2017.
Wanli’s Hefei factory takes the lead in realizing intellectualization and automation in the entire process.
Liu Zixin, brand director and head of the marketing department of Wanli Tire, said in April at the 2016 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition that the company aims to boost its annual sales this year to 16 million.
Currently, products of Wanli Tire have been sold to over 150 countries and regions and the company has registered its trademarks in a number of major export destinations.
Wanli successfully became the tire supplier of Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Co., Ltd. in Aug. 2009, becoming the first Chinese tire brand recognized by French automakers. In Mar. 2011, it became the tire supplier of Guangqi Hongda Automobile Co., Ltd., becoming the first Chinese tire brand recognized by the quality management system of Japanese automakers.
Currently, Wanli supplies tire products for more than 20 domestic automakers and corporate clients. Its domestic sales network consists of over 200 agents and over 4000 service outlets.
(Wanli Hefei Factory)
Facing the status quo of low price competition among domestic tire brands, Fu Shoujie, board chairman of Wanli Group, proposed to build an internationally renowned brand.
(Fu Shoujie, board chairman of Wanli Group)
The vice president of Rockwell Automation Greater China said that Wanli’s cooperation with the U.S. company is not simply software purchase but a partnership of joint development.
The establishment of the smart factory of Wanli in Hefei is a process of continuous breakthrough, overthrow and innovation, there are many “first attempts”, and there is no model for reference.
“Luckily, we jointly crossed the river by feeling for stones, overcame a number of difficulties and finally succeeded.”
About 52% of Wanli’s tire products are exported and 48% of the products are sold in the domestic market.
In 2015, a wave of intellectualization swept across the world. Wanli Hefei factory realizes complete intellectualization, automation and green production, becoming a smart factory.
As a leading company in the process of state-owned enterprise reform, Wanli Group responds the government policy proactively, drives development with innovation, and builds up a real smart factory, opening a new page of smart manufacturing in China’s tire industry.
(Robot in factory)
Wanli will construct a golden triangle made up of global R&D, global manufacturing and global marketing, further expand the company’s international development and try to become a new model of SOEs.
