Robots move beyond the limited applications of traditional industries

Lin Jianxiong got a sudden surprise phone call from 361, a well-known Chinese clothing manufacturer, asking for his advice on getting an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

For the uninitiated, an AGV is something Lin's company, Siasun Robot & Automation Co Ltd, produces. It is mainly used for warehouses or factories.

"It was always manufacturers who bought AGVs in the past," Lin said. "I never thought of using one in a labor-intensive business."

Then, over the past year, he began getting more calls from clothing or cosmetics companies, and he and his colleagues were quite puzzled by this. Then, a customer told him why.

"Wages have doubled in recent times and the mobility of workers can't guarantee steady production, so it's more economical to buy a robot for both economic and labor reasons. So, why not?" explained Li Zhongjie, who manages a clothing factory in Jiangsu province.

Labor shortages have caused the shrewder private entrepreneurs to improve efficiency and this means development opportunities for companies such as Siasun.

And since the focus of international manufacturing has been shifting to China, there has been robust growth in China's industrial robot business, and this is good for Siasun, which was founded in 2000.

It is now connected with four major industries - advanced equipment, rail transport automation, energy equipment and advanced robotics. It ranked 48th among the "Chinese Top 100 Potentials" on Forbes' 2005 list.

Siasun's proprietary AGV robots were exported to more than 10 countries in North America, Europe and Asia in 2007. The company was listed on the growth enterprise board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2009.

According to Siasun's Board Chairman Qu Daokui, the company has benefited a lot from China's rapid economic growth and industrial transformation.

Some experts predict that China's industrial robots will keep their stable growth.

(China Daily 06/01/2011 page42)