Robots are now being used to build other robots, and this is not a scene from a sci-fi movie. It is already happening in China, where Ubetech Robotics has launched a new humanoid robot factory aimed at producing robots on a much larger scale. Situated in Liuzhou, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the facility uses robots for several manufacturing tasks and is capable of producing one industrial humanoid robot every 10 minutes.
The company says the new factory has an annual production capacity of 10,000 robots. Covering 14,000 square metres and standing 13.8 metres tall, the facility primarily manufactures Ubetech’s Walker S and Cruzr series of industrial humanoid robots.
UBTECH and Siemens Digital Industries Software jointly developed the factory, which is operated through a digital system that UBTECH refers to as its “smart brain”. According to the company, the system oversees the entire manufacturing operation, including determining production requirements, transporting components and inspecting the quality of completed robots. Every robot is also assigned an individual serial number, allowing UBTECH to monitor it throughout the manufacturing process.
So, what exactly do the robots do inside the factory? Ubetech says its Cruzr Y1 and Cruzr S2 humanoid robots perform jobs including unloading, stacking and loading materials, as well as transporting them across the production floor. In other words, some robots are involved in handling the components required to manufacture more robots.
The humanoids are also supported by other automated machines. During final assembly, the factory uses collaborative robotic arms, unmanned logistics vehicles, power-assist manipulators and rotating worktables. The company says this setup allows multiple robot models to be manufactured on the same production line, eliminating the need for completely separate assembly systems. Machines with varying levels of intelligence work together with little to no human supervision.
Health check for robo workers
Before a humanoid robot is sent out from the factory, it must undergo a detailed series of checks. Ubetech says every finished robot produced by the humanoids is subjected to more than four hours of whole-machine testing. It then undergoes a 360-degree visual inspection to assess its appearance from all angles.
Automation also extends to the post-production stage. According to Ubetech, its automated warehouse can accommodate 112 humanoid robots within an area of just 65 square metres. Automated guided vehicles, unmanned forklifts and other logistics equipment transport robots and components between assembly, testing and storage zones.
The factory has been established as China continues to rapidly expand its robotics sector and shift robots from research environments into practical manufacturing applications. Data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the country produced 98,677 industrial robots in July, representing a 30.2 per cent increase compared with the same month a year earlier. During the first seven months of the year, industrial robot production reached 635,056 units, marking a 28.5 per cent year-on-year rise.
