On June 22nd, the fourth China International Supply Chain Expo commenced in Beijing, featuring 676 leading enterprises, specialized and sophisticated firms, and industry organizations from China and abroad, covering 85 countries and regions. Over 65% of the exhibitors are Fortune Global 500 companies. This year's event introduced a dedicated artificial intelligence zone for the first time, focusing on "AI + Manufacturing" to drive industrial upgrades.
Notably, Apple, which holds a significant position in China's manufacturing ecosystem, participated for the fourth consecutive year. This time, it appeared alongside key supply chain partners such as AAC TECH (HKEX: 02018) in the Digital and Intelligent Technology Supply Chain exhibition area, collectively presenting achievements in precision intelligent manufacturing, AI implementation, and green manufacturing.
In an interview, Apple's Chief Operating Officer, Sabih Khan, stated that supply chain partners like AAC TECH have demonstrated impressive strength in areas including smart manufacturing, green manufacturing, environmental protection, and employee development. Reports indicate that the collaboration between AAC TECH and Apple spans 18 years, with supplies covering the full range of products including phones, computers, watches, and wireless earphones, cumulatively exceeding 8.6 billion units.
The centerpiece exhibit was a haptic engine magnetic levitation intelligent assembly closed-loop line. This system controls assembly error with a precision of 15 microns—merely a quarter of the thickness of a human hair. It is paired with a full-process AI inspection system that detects product sensitivity deviations in real-time, automatically traces issues back to upstream processes, and issues adjustment commands, forming a complete closed loop of assembly, detection, and optimization.
Concurrently, the company has developed its own AI anodic dyeing large model. This system leverages massive production data for autonomous learning, intelligently regulating dye concentration, temperature, and pH levels, thereby completely eliminating the inefficient traditional method of manual, repeated color adjustment. It is supported by an intelligent factory management system that enables dynamic optimization of micron-level dispensing, predicts production line anomalies in advance, and shifts operations from reactive maintenance to proactive control.
In the realm of green manufacturing, AAC TECH has established a plant-wide intelligent energy management system for real-time visual monitoring of energy consumption. Pilot factories have achieved carbon emission reductions of 15% to 30%. The factory's water recycling system boasts a recovery rate of up to 85%, saving 80,000 tons of water annually per plant.
Pan Zhengmin, Founder, Executive Director, and CEO of AAC TECH, noted in an interview that Apple's stringent product standards continuously drive the team's innovation. Together, they have overcome cross-generational technological challenges such as high-precision water injection for vapor chambers and miniature speaker modules, jointly setting new industry benchmarks.
This year marked the first time that Sabih Khan, a key figure in Apple's global supply chain management, attended the Supply Chain Expo. "The relationship between us and our Chinese supply chain partners is one of mutual success. Our collaboration has exceeded the effect of 1+1>2, reaching 1+1>3, 4, 5..." he remarked in a media interview. "I am deeply grateful to our suppliers in China. It is their hard work that enables us to deliver outstanding products to our users."
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