The construction of FAW Jiefang Axle Production Base & Project of Heavy Duty Replacement Axle Technology Upgrading was started at the Changchun International Automobile Town on July 22, 2021. 

As one of three core assemblies, Jiefang Axles are known with a key role in carrying, steering and driving. Calculated on a single-vehicle basis, the output value of axles accounts for one tenth of the total, thereby becoming the core competitiveness of Jiefang. By late June this year, FAW Jiefang had produced 12.5 million axles. 

The first phase of the axle base construction and heavy duty replacement axle technology upgrading project is said to be invested with RMB1.068 billion, covering a land area of 91,700 square meters and a construction area of 72,000 square meters. The main construction is expected to be completed on June 30, 2022 to make it ready for equipment installing and testing before the trial production is started on December 30, 2022. After the completion of the project, a total of RMB1.36 billion of output value and an amount of 100,000 drive axles will be added, increasing the total annual production capacity of Jiefang driving axles, steering axles and reducer assemblies to 320,000, 160,000 and 450,000, respectively, with a total output value of more than RMB8 billion. 

The project covers two plants for new energy manufacturing, differential shell processing and assembling, which is expected to become a modern, eco-friendly, digital, intelligent factory. 

In terms of assembling technology, the axle assembly line will be equipped with AGV and rapid scheduling technology for the first time in China to realize automatic assembly and flexible production. Such techniques as visual error proofing, sensor error proofing and online testing will be utilized to a large extent to make the assembly quality reach the European level. 

For logistic distribution, digital technology will be used to ensure automatic distribution and reduce time wasted in waiting in all procedures. 

In terms of environmental protection, zero emission of “waste liquid” will be realized, emissions of VOC will be reduced with the adoption of such techniques as RTO, and a smart energy system will be put in use to realize efficient energy saving and reduction of emissions. 

In terms of digitization, digital process design and simulation verification will be launched to improve the capacity of virtual manufacturing, shorten the course of process design, and meanwhile such advanced technologies as big data, industrial cloud, 5G and edge computing will be applied to create a “high-efficiency, high-quality and low-cost” digital factory under intelligent digital management.