"Guided by Chinese innovation and connected through pioneering factories, we aim to build a 'gold standard' for smart manufacturing and collectively advance toward a new future!" On November 27, at the 2025 World Intelligent Manufacturing Conference, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (Zoomlion) and 14 other industry leaders jointly issued the "Pioneering Action Plan," outlining a new blueprint for the sector with resolute commitment.
As one of the first companies selected for China’s national "Pioneering-Level Smart Factory" cultivation list, Zoomlion has overcome the global challenge of mixed-flow production for "multi-variety, small-batch" heavy equipment, establishing a unique collaborative and shared smart factory cluster for construction machinery. This achievement sets a new paradigm for intelligent manufacturing in the industry, representing the **highest level** of Chinese innovation.
**What Defines a Pioneer?** **Excellence!** The "Pioneering-Level Smart Factory" initiative, led by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and five other departments, represents the pinnacle of the country’s intelligent manufacturing development framework. This tier focuses on digital transformation and intelligent innovation, aiming to explore future manufacturing models and establish globally leading benchmarks. It signifies the **highest national recognition** of a company’s smart manufacturing capabilities. Only 15 companies nationwide were selected for this prestigious list, highlighting their cutting-edge advancements in the field.
Zoomlion, the sole company from Hunan Province to receive this honor, has tackled the industry-wide challenge of producing diverse heavy equipment in small batches. Its groundbreaking approach has created a **one-of-a-kind** collaborative smart factory cluster, redefining intelligent manufacturing for construction machinery. This recognition not only affirms Zoomlion’s leadership in smart manufacturing but also underscores its commitment to independent innovation and China’s manufacturing prowess.
**How Does Zoomlion Lead? A New Paradigm in Smart Manufacturing!** "Shared manufacturing" is the defining feature of Zoomlion’s excavator smart factory and the key to solving the global challenge of producing varied heavy equipment efficiently. Located in Zoomlion’s Smart Industrial City, this factory has achieved three world-first innovations: 1. Full-process intelligent manufacturing across six core production stages for excavators. 2. Efficient mixed-flow production for over 70 excavator models. 3. Cross-category collaborative production, integrating excavators, cranes, concrete pumps, and aerial work platforms into a "one-drives-three" shared manufacturing model.
With "sharing" at its core, Zoomlion has built a globally unique smart factory cluster for construction machinery. Horizontally, it spans four major equipment categories; vertically, it integrates hundreds of processes. Three shared manufacturing centers enable multi-factory process collaboration, boosting steel utilization to over 90% and reducing construction costs by 15%. Automated heavy-load logistics replace traditional storage, cutting work-in-progress inventory by 70%. A cross-regional R&D platform, flexible mixed-line production, and a shared supply chain system form an interconnected "smart manufacturing" ecosystem.
**Global Leadership in Core Metrics** Zoomlion’s shared smart manufacturing model delivers world-leading efficiency. In its excavator factory, AI adoption exceeds 80%, enabling self-optimizing production with zero changeover time. From raw steel to finished excavator, the process takes just 6.5 days, with one unit rolling off the line every six minutes—setting global records for production speed, changeover time, and cycle time. The shift from "produce-to-stock" to "produce-to-order" eliminates mismatches between supply and demand, slashing finished and intermediate inventory.
Zoomlion’s smart manufacturing solutions have now been replicated in over 20 factories worldwide, driving innovation across its global supply chain. The model has also empowered hundreds of companies in agriculture, emergency equipment, and energy sectors, transforming individual factory advantages into industry-wide momentum.
As a pioneer, Zoomlion will deepen the integration of AI and robotics into manufacturing, explore industrial applications for smart robots, and advance breakthroughs in core technologies and processes. By refining and promoting its solutions globally, Zoomlion is poised to lead the future of manufacturing with Chinese innovation.
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