Create multiple 'China firsts'! Nearly a hundred Xinsong industrial robots are widely used in the main welding line of Geely Automobile

Introduction

Every application innovation that truly rewrites the industry landscape is inevitably accompanied by a milestone breakthrough in core technology. How can Xinsong and Geely work together to create multiple "China firsts"?

Recently, nearly a hundred Xinsong heavy-duty industrial robots have been deployed in bulk in the welding workshop of Geely Yiwu base, breaking the long-standing monopoly of foreign robot manufacturers in the automotive welding field and competing with industrial robot brands from the "four major robot families" on the same line, with a highly consistent pace. In one fell swoop, it rewrote the history of "automobile welding being a 'forbidden zone' for domestic industrial robot applications", and inserted the "Chinese flag" into the main line of automobile welding, which was rated as the "most high-end application field of industrial robots" by the industry!

Xinsong and Geely join hands to create a history of robot development in China

In this project, the Xinsong team and the Geely team collaborated deeply and jointly tackled key issues, breaking through the initial list of over 1000 pending tasks one by one, achieving multiple historic breakthroughs from 0 to 1, and realizing the production of domestic industrial robots——

First large-scale application on the main line of automotive welding assembly

For the first time, multiple models have been applied on the main line of automotive welding assembly

For the first time, multiple key application processes such as spot welding, quick change, glue coating, stud welding, SPR, FDS, etc. have been introduced on the main line of automotive welding assembly

First implementation of PDPS simulation offline and virtual debugging on automotive welding assembly line

For the first time, the adaptation of photoelectric and rotary multi protocol welding tongs drive has been achieved on the automotive welding assembly line

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Created multiple 'China firsts' in the history of robot development and automotive industry development in China!

Successfully developed a high load, high dynamic, and highly reliable spot welding robot!

100% independent and controllable core technology

The welding assembly line for automobiles has a tight structure, high technical difficulty, and high industry barriers. Over the past 30 years, the application of automotive welding in China has been monopolized by robot manufacturers from developed Western countries, and has built comprehensive barriers in terms of technology, ecology, standards, and other dimensions.

About 76% of the vehicle welding process uses spot welding, 18% uses handling and quick change spot welding (including SPR, FDS, stud welding, etc.), and 6% uses arc welding. The development of high-performance spot welding robots is of utmost importance and is also the core "bottleneck" equipment for automotive welding lines.

High performance spot welding robots are used in automotive welding assembly lines

In the past decade, only Xinsong Company in China has experience in the research and development of spot welding robots and automotive welding applications, and has a high market share in the field of automotive parts manufacturing. Its customers include domestic and joint venture automotive brands, accumulating valuable experience for high-end applications of domestic robots and retaining the "spark" for large-scale breakthroughs.

After market validation with tens of thousands of sets, its stability under high-intensity, high cycle continuous operation can better meet the strict requirements of host factories for "zero failure" operation of equipment, and can minimize the potential running in risks of new models. It can achieve the design capacity of the production line in the early stage of production and achieve long-term, uninterrupted stable operation, laying a solid foundation for the research and development of high-performance domestic spot welding robots.

Xinsong Company has experience in the research and development of spot welding robots and automotive welding applications

In this cooperation, Xinsong Company and Geely Automobile Group focus on the core pain points of domestic spot welding robots, such as insufficient high dynamic operation accuracy, large fluctuations in welding quality in large quantities, and low long-term service reliability. Based on Xinsong Company's existing technical reserves, two new types of high load spot welding robots, SR210A-210/2.65 and SR500A-360/2.83, have been successfully developed, breaking through the global performance optimization method in multi scenario applications of high load and high dynamic spot welding robots and achieving welding position error ≤ 0.06mm.

At the same time, a high-precision spot welding process adaptation system was developed to achieve high-precision adaptive feedback control of welding energy, providing important equipment support for improving the high reliability, high quality, and high flexibility manufacturing level of Chinese automotive vehicles and promoting the high-end development of new energy vehicles.

In addition, both teams attach great importance to the localization and adaptation of robot core components, achieving 100% independent and controllable core technology. The core components of the robot, such as the controller, control system, servo motor, and driver, are independently developed by the Xinsong team or use domestic brands. The spot welding external axis servo driver supports adaptation to various mainstream protocols of welding tongs servo motors, completely eliminating dependence on imported core components.

On the premise of achieving autonomous control of the core components of the robot, both teams ensure that the overall performance of the robot is fully benchmarked with mainstream foreign brands, which increases the technical difficulty and development testing workload exponentially.

The complete autonomy and controllability of core technology not only benefits the maintenance of supply chain security, but also reduces procurement and operation costs, and provides "customized" flexibility in technology iteration and after-sales service response, reflecting the huge advantage of full stack autonomy in the high-end manufacturing field.

Both teams are highly concerned about the localization and adaptation of robot core components

In the field of automotive manufacturing, a mean time between failures (MTBF) of ≥ 80000 hours is the only authoritative measure of robot reliability. Whether it is the bidding standards of the international "four major families" or the top domestic host manufacturers, MTBF ≥ 80000 hours is set as an uncompromising admission bottom line.

The secret for Xinsong Company to achieve 80000 hours of MTBF lies in the "full stack self-developed technology closed-loop": building a solid physical foundation with high rigidity ontology design, strengthening dynamic control accuracy with self-developed controllers and servo algorithms, and achieving fault pre warning with intelligent operation and maintenance system.

This three in one technological architecture enables Xinsong Company not only to meet the strict standards of major automakers such as Geely Automobile Group, but also to customize and optimize according to the complex working conditions of Chinese automobiles, demonstrating the localized technological advantages that pure imported brands cannot possess.

At the Geely Yiwu base, the hourly downtime loss of a single production line can reach up to 4 million yuan, requiring extremely high efficiency in product delivery and production line deployment. In order to shorten the cycle of robot introduction into the production line, both teams have innovatively introduced PDPS simulation offline and virtual debugging technology, which is the first of its kind in China.

We have built a high-precision digital twin model for the production line, which simulates and verifies the robot trajectories of all vehicle models in advance, avoids interference risks in advance, greatly shortens the on-site debugging cycle, and achieves a "one click" program switching call. At the same time, through millions of virtual fatigue tests, topology optimization is carried out on the casting structure and stress points to ensure the rigidity reserve of the body under extreme working conditions.

Through simulation offline and virtual debugging technology, the Xinsong team has shortened the debugging cycle of a single industrial robot equipment from tens of days, which was first deployed on an automotive welding line more than a decade ago, to about 4 days for batch deployment at the Geely Yiwu base. The efficiency has been greatly improved, helping Xinsong industrial robots to quickly import and operate stably on flexible welding lines.

In addition, through actual testing and verification, it is possible to achieve simultaneous simulation and virtual debugging of multi brand controllers, that is, offline simulation and virtual debugging of single workstation mixed with other brands, which is convenient for later transformation execution and flexible production.

Complete the import of multiple key application processes

At the Geely Yiwu base, Xinsong industrial robots have been covered

At the Geely Yiwu base, nearly a hundred Xinsong industrial robots are deployed in core workstations such as the main welding line, lower body line, left and right front door lines, and side panel lines of the car body, including multiple models of Xinsong industrial robots weighing 12kg, 210kg, and 360kg, covering more than 95% of mainstream application processes in the automotive welding line.

Through the collaborative innovation of independently controllable controller software and deeply integrated spot welding process package, Xinsong Company has not only achieved the localization replacement of core algorithms, but also made significant breakthroughs in welding quality consistency, production efficiency, and intelligent operation and maintenance.

This technological system can accurately match the strict requirements of the host factory for multi vehicle hybrid production, high cycle operation, and welding quality traceability, providing solid technical support for building an efficient, stable, and intelligent modern welding workshop.

In addition, with the rapid development and popularization of new energy vehicles, body lightweighting has become an important trend in the industry, and "multi material structure" design is one of the main ways to achieve body lightweighting.

In order to achieve the connection of dissimilar materials such as aluminum alloy, steel, and composite materials, the Xinsong team has successfully overcome the connection technology of spot welding+SPR/FDS riveting, which balances the strength, sealing, and lightweight of the vehicle body. This has enabled domestic robots to apply SPR/FDS riveting technology to the mainline of the main engine factory for the first time.

At the Geely Yiwu base, the Xinsong team has completed the first domestic industrial robot to import multiple key application processes such as spot welding, quick change, glue coating, stud welding, SPR/FDS riveting, etc. on the main line of automotive welding.

Support rapid production changes for multiple vehicle models

As a global leader in Chinese automotive industry, Geely Automobile Group's high standard requirements for industrial robots are no longer limited to a single indicator, but pursue a comprehensive synergy of cycle efficiency, rigid reliability, and full lifecycle cost advantages.

Firstly, thanks to the extreme pursuit of flexible production by the Manufacturing Engineering and Management Center of Geely Automobile Group, the Xinsong team has transformed "multi vehicle co production and rapid production change" from an industry challenge to the core highlight of this project.

Faced with the rigorous challenges of Geely Automobile Group's "hybrid production of fuel, pure electric, and hybrid multi energy vehicle models" and "rapid changeover and flexible manufacturing of production lines", the Xinsong team has built a three in one technical system of "modular hardware architecture+intelligent recognition algorithm" relying on PDPS offline programming and digital twin simulation technology.

At the same time, the Xinsong industrial robot has high repeatability positioning accuracy and stable motion control performance. Combined with precise path planning through offline simulation, it can adapt to the welding operation needs of multiple vehicle models and complete precise operations without relying on external guidance systems.

In the end, Xinsong Company successfully overcame the problem of rapid production change and achieved "zero pause" free switching of multiple vehicle models.

Secondly, rigid reliability is the lifeline that ensures stable production. The welding quality of the safety structural components of the white body should not deviate at all, and the risk of downtime caused by equipment failure is something that the OEM cannot bear.

The Xinsong robot adopts a high rigidity casting structure and optimized dynamic design, which can maintain micrometer level repetitive positioning accuracy even under high-speed and heavy load conditions, eliminating welding defects from the source; The built-in intelligent predictive maintenance system can monitor the health status of equipment in real time, transforming passive maintenance into active prevention, ensuring that the overall efficiency of equipment remains stable at the leading level in the industry.

In addition, the cost advantage of the entire lifecycle has become a core consideration. The host factory no longer only focuses on the unit price of equipment procurement, but also pays more attention to the comprehensive cost covering energy consumption, maintenance, spare parts and other aspects.

The Xinsong team reduces daily operating costs through low-power design and long-life spare parts, relying on a localized service team to provide 24-hour rapid response and reduce implicit maintenance expenses; At the same time, standardized interfaces and modular design simplify production line integration and post maintenance processes, further reducing non productive labor costs and achieving optimal control of overall costs.

To further promote the comprehensive autonomy and controllability of core manufacturing equipment in the automotive industry, the teams of both parties will be committed to continuously improving the stability and welding rhythm of robots in high dynamic operating scenarios, exploring and breaking through collaborative planning and control technologies under compact deployment conditions of multiple robots, and developing more key models to promote their large-scale application on welding production lines of mainstream domestic automotive companies.

Behind the creation of multiple 'China firsts', technology never grows naturally. It requires people to resist the long silence of' entropy increase 'with willpower in an endless' ineffective period'.

The "novelty" of technology often shines in an instant, but it is human persistence that supports it from 0 to 1, from the laboratory to the application field. Behind Xinsong and Geely teams breaking the monopoly of foreign investment in high-end applications of automotive welding and assembly, there are countless unknown stories