Under the new normal situation of our economic development, how to realize intelligent manufacturing and construction of intelligent factory has become a hot topic widely concerned by tire rubber enterprises. Only by increasing the degree of automation of equipment, or automated transportation, testing and warehousing of semi-finished products/finished products, is not a true intelligent factory, which must be built on lean design, lean manufacturing and lean management.

Lean management underpins intelligent manufacturing
In 2017, concepts such as Industry 4.0 and "Internet Plus" became very popular in China. "Industry 4.0 is a concept introduced by Germany, the United States calls it 'Industrial Internet', and China calls it 'Made in China 2025'. The essence of these three is the same, and they all point to a core, namely intelligent manufacturing." Fan Rende, honorary president of China Rubber Industry Association, who has been committed to promoting the strategy of making rubber industry powerful for many years and has conducted long-term research and promotion of lean management and intelligent manufacturing, pointed out that the combination of "Internet +" and manufacturing industry is Industry 4.0.
In the process of implementing and promoting intelligent manufacturing, the knowledge and understanding of lean production and intelligent manufacturing also come into being.
Deng Yali, president of the China Rubber Industry Association, said that the current development of China's rubber industry is influenced by two major world economic trends, one is the profound adjustment of the world economic pattern, the overall development rate is slowed down, the global manufacturing competition is upgraded, China is facing the "two-way squeeze" of advanced technology in developed countries and low cost competition in developing countries; Second, a new round of industrial revolution and industrial transformation is emerging all over the world. Intelligent factories and intelligent production have become the main direction of the new round of industrial revolution and industrial transformation.
Deng Yali pointed out that lean management is the key foundation and support for the implementation of intelligent manufacturing. Lean production information system, lean smart factory production line planning and design, lean automation equipment configuration, so that enterprises with the least investment to obtain the maximum benefits, smart factory efficient, low cost and more flexible operation, truly realize intelligent manufacturing.
"The deep integration of lean production and intelligent manufacturing is the only way for the transformation and upgrading of our rubber industry." Fan Rende believes that as a typical traditional manufacturing industry, Chinese rubber industry is necessary and has the conditions for the implementation of deep integration. The final gap between manufacturing industry of our country and industrial developed countries is efficiency and efficiency especially rubber industry production efficiency is only about 30% of the advanced level in the world. Rubber enterprises should seize the opportunity to accelerate transformation and upgrading through the deep integration of lean production and intelligent manufacturing. Our rubber industry previously implemented Total quality management (TQM), full production and maintenance (TPM), in recent years some enterprises implement 5S, six sigma management, ERP, MES and so on also progress, all these create favorable conditions for the deep integration of lean production and intelligent manufacturing.
Following the release of Made in China 2025 last year, The State Council issued the Guidelines on Deepening the Integrated Development of Manufacturing and the Internet in May this year, and the Outline of the National Informatization Development Strategy was issued by the Central Government Office and the State Government Office in July. "The two documents further elaborate on the significance of the deep integration of the manufacturing industry and the Internet, which will surely play a multiplier, superposition and aggregation effect." Mr Van Render said.
Procurement management is also an important part of lean management. How to achieve zero inventory of raw materials, reduce overhead, supplier management and credit assessment? A sound supply chain should be established to achieve efficient internal communication and working procedures, improve procurement transparency and efficiency, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing costs.
"In terms of building smart factories, engineering design companies have innate advantages. Engineering design companies serve the whole industry, get involved in the early stage, contact enterprises of different levels, combine the experience and lessons of each enterprise, and refine them into common indicators and data of the industry." Deng Wenzhong, deputy general manager of China Chemical Industry Guilin Engineering Co., LTD., said that with the popularization of digital factory technology, digital transformation makes the engineering design industry face new tests in the design ability, delivery requirements increase, budget and schedule control becomes the main risk, the accuracy of planning and budgeting requirements increase, low cost brings the need for refined material management. Global collaboration brings about a shift in working patterns. In particular, large-scale projects, international production capacity transfer trend is obvious, multi-party cooperation has become the norm, requiring rapid deployment, compliance work, collaborative work ability. By transforming into a digital integrated engineering service provider, the company has improved profitability, reduced project risks, and enhanced the ability of intelligent integrated design, intelligent material management, intelligent cloud system, intelligent project management and control and intelligent digital transfer, so that the green intelligent tire factory has integrated more new ideas and new technologies.
"The rubber industry has established a strong foundation, close to the world level, the safest thing in the next few years is software, the future of the factory drive is completely software driven." Fan Rende said that the difficulty of the implementation of intelligent manufacturing is that Internet enterprises do not understand the manufacturing industry, the rubber industry is very little, and the manufacturing industry does not understand the Internet, rubber enterprises mostly stay in the "PC+ manufacturing" stage. Based on the experience of the United States, Germany, Japan and others in promoting intelligent manufacturing, it is a good way to form an Internet and manufacturing alliance. "Industrial alliance has mature experience in our country, such as the China Chemical Industry Guilin Engineering Co., LTD., Beijing Rubber Industry Research and Design Institute, EVE Research Institute, Double Star Academia Sinica, etc." He said that according to different products, rubber enterprises can form a number of lean production and intelligent manufacturing industry alliances of rubber products with powerful Internet enterprises or universities, scientific research institutions and industry associations to do a good job in pilot projects and gradually promote intelligent manufacturing of the whole industry. Rubber enterprises can also form industrial innovation alliance by upstream and downstream enterprises, and establish a manufacturing service platform by using the Internet, so as to extend and develop service-oriented manufacturing and producer services, and change the traditional sales mode of vicious competition.
The era of intelligent manufacturing requires a large number of "digital-mechanical" crossover talents, data science and user interface experts. "The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires companies to have senior executives who know how to use the Internet," Fan said. "This requires a multi-tiered talent training system, and cross-boundary talents can be obtained through internal training and commissioned training."
The deep integration of lean production and intelligent manufacturing also requires strong support from national policies and special funds, as well as financial subsidies from local governments to shorten the period of return on investment.
By taking the road of lean, with the support of national and local government policy funds, the construction of industrial alliances, and the cultivation of talents, the goal of intelligent manufacturing will eventually be realized, no matter the gradual progress of old enterprises in the rubber industry or the one-step development of new enterprises.