On June 7, the 2017 10th Shanghai International Water Show (AQUATECH CHINA), the world's largest water treatment exhibition, kicked off at the National Exhibition and Convention Center. The event gathered over 3,200 powerful exhibitors from various fields and product categories in the water treatment industry, showcasing top-notch products, technologies, and solutions from around the world, creating an unprecedented spectacle.
Shanghai Foresight Technology Co., Ltd. made a stunning debut with its RO filter cartridge standardized intelligent manufacturing system (FST-RO200). Coinciding with the successful 10th anniversary of the Shanghai International Water Show, Foresight's presence added a significant highlight to the event, marking an important milestone. This signifies that the development of China's water purification industry has ushered in a new era of intelligent manufacturing, heralding the arrival of the Industry 4.0 era in the water purification sector. Zhang Dan, Marketing Director of Shanghai Foresight Technology Co., Ltd., was interviewed by “China Direct Drinking Water.”
[China Direct Drinking Water] This is the first time Shanghai Foresight Technology Co., Ltd. has appeared at the Shanghai International Water Show. Could you introduce the RO filter cartridge standardized intelligent manufacturing system you are showcasing? What are its features and advantages?
[Zhang Dan] Our RO filter cartridge manufacturing system is currently used to produce RO filter cartridges, which are relatively common and have high added value in the household water purifier industry. It has the following main features:
High Flexibility: By incorporating industrial robots, the system is highly flexible and can accommodate more sizes of filter cartridges. Switching between different product models is quick. Additionally, since industrial robots are standard equipment, the overall reliability and stability of the equipment are improved.
Modular Design: Modular design is an important concept in our equipment development, and it is well reflected in this system. The entire system consists of five independent workstations, each controlled independently. Workstations can be combined according to the actual needs of customers, making it very flexible. Maintenance is also simple and convenient. If a workstation has an issue, it can be quickly isolated, and manual production can temporarily replace it without affecting the overall production line operation.
Information and Intelligence: Our system provides an intelligent information processing system and a visual operation system. The user interface is friendly and simple, and the information during the production process is fully traceable, storable, and exportable. It also provides interfaces for seamless integration with customers' existing MES or ERP systems.
Based on the above product design concepts, our system is more flexible, easier to operate, and more stable compared to traditional specialized equipment. All data can be accurately collected and traced, well reflecting the direction of future Industry 4.0 intelligent manufacturing. From the customer's perspective, this system ensures the quality and consistency of product production, reduces overall costs, and improves production efficiency, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises and products.
[China Direct Drinking Water] What was Foresight's initial intention to enter the water purification industry?
[Zhang Dan] Foresight is a company focused on the research and application of industrial robots. Our product solutions have been widely used in industries such as 3C, automotive parts, teaching instruments, and warehousing logistics. Based on our experience in robot applications in other industries, we actively sought other suitable fields for robot applications where there is currently a market gap. The water purification industry is one such area we identified.
Compared to other industries, the automation level in the water purification industry is still very low. However, due to the characteristics of product use, there is a significant potential demand for improving hygiene standards and product consistency and quality. We see a considerable opportunity and market space here. Therefore, we chose to enter this industry, hoping to improve automation levels through the application of robots, strictly control product quality, and thus further standardize the industry and make some contributions.
[China Direct Drinking Water] What challenges have you encountered during product promotion? How have RO filter cartridge manufacturing companies responded, and what feedback have you received from users?
[Zhang Dan] One major challenge we encountered during product promotion is the inconsistency of incoming materials. A critical component of the filter cartridge assembly is prone to significant deformation, affecting the automated assembly process. This is a common issue in automated production and one that automation equipment providers must objectively address and resolve. Given the current supply chain environment, expecting all incoming materials to strictly comply with specifications is unrealistic.
When faced with such issues, we are fortunate that our customers are very supportive and cooperative in resolving the problems. They work with us to analyze the product manufacturing process and explore possible solutions. Ultimately, we successfully resolved the issue. During this process, we gained a deeper understanding of the filter cartridge manufacturing process, and our customers became more confident in our automation technology capabilities. This mutual trust has further strengthened, creating a positive cycle. Currently, based on the existing equipment, customers have already placed additional demands and orders.
[China Direct Drinking Water] Our country is currently advocating for the development of intelligent manufacturing and green manufacturing. How do you view the automation development of China's water purification industry?
[Zhang Dan] Whether in the water purification industry or other industries, using robots to achieve automation is an inevitable trend; it's just a matter of time. The application of automation and robots started earlier in some industries, such as the automotive industry, which began early and is now almost mature. After maturing, it gradually expanded from complete vehicles to the automation of parts. Other industries follow a similar trajectory, such as the 3C industry, which, although it started automation later than the automotive industry, is already on the path to automation.
Compared to other industries, the water purification industry is just beginning its automation journey. However, looking at the trajectory of industrial robot usage and automation development, it is similar to other industries. The benefits of using automated equipment are numerous: increased production efficiency, improved product quality, industry optimization, and reorganization, among others. Additionally, the water purification industry differs from other industries in that products must meet hygiene standards, which cannot be achieved without automated equipment. In summary, this major development trend is undeniable; it's just a matter of time. I believe that as the standards in the water purification industry gradually unify, it will be very conducive to automation. I am confident that this trend will develop quickly, and we are very optimistic about it. Foresight is also very willing to contribute to this process.
[China Direct Drinking Water] Compared to foreign automation equipment, Foresight has unparalleled advantages. This international exhibition has also attracted foreign merchants from various countries. Is Foresight considering entering the international market?
[Zhang Dan] This is Foresight's first participation in an international water show. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the overseas market is very large. Yesterday, many foreign customers visited our booth for discussions, including customers from India, Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, Iran, Russia, and even Egypt. They all showed great interest and appreciation for our equipment. Besides these overseas customers, we know that some capable domestic filter cartridge manufacturers are also actively expanding into overseas markets and setting up production plants abroad. For them, a significant challenge is labor issues. Due to differences in culture, laws, and customs, labor costs are high, and labor efficiency is low, making the adoption of automated equipment for production an inevitable choice. Based on the above situation, Foresight is very interested in the overseas market and holds an open attitude. We are willing to work hand in hand with domestic and international customers and partners to explore the overseas market and achieve win-win cooperation!
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