The Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone (Hannan), referred to as WEDZ, will focus on in-depth integration of new-generation information and manufacturing technologies, developing innovative industrial chains of robots, 3D printing, intelligent equipment, and high-end CNC machine tools, and constructing a national intelligent manufacturing laboratory; all of which will create an important domestic industrial base for intelligent manufacturing.
By 2020, the value of the intelligent manufacturing industry is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion).
Robot industry
The Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone -- also known as the WEDZ in Wuhan, in China's Central Hubei province -- plans to develop robot industrial town projects in its Smart Eco-city and General Aviation and Satellite Industrial Park.
The robot industrial towns will develop industrial robots, service robots and special robots, attract a group of robot companies with intellectual property rights and international competitiveness -- and build an industrial chain integrating robot R & D, testing, manufacturing, systems integration and application services.
According to the plan, the robot industrial towns will have multiple application scenarios such as government affairs, transportation, security, domestic homes, production, new retail, education, life services, medical treatment and smart energy.
WEDZ has a solid foundation in robot research and development, production, as well as in applications. More than 40 companies in the zone are transforming and upgrading to smart factories and more than 200 companies are about to start their intelligent transformation.
3D printing industry
The zone will welcome enterprises in the research and development, process control, digital modeling, and post-processing of 3D printing materials, and in the research and development of metal, polymer, and ceramic materials and 3D printing key equipment. By 2020, the output value of the whole industrial chain will exceed 5 billion yuan.
Intelligent basic manufacturing and complete equipment
The zone's interest in this area is in development and industrialization of intelligent transportation, intelligent engineering machinery, smart homes (including appliances), intelligent lighting, and wearable equipment. Organizing and implementing demonstrations of "machine substitution", the zone will create a number of sample rooms on such topics as "Internet of Things factories", "digital workshops", and "intelligent factories".
Major projects
(1) Industrial Robot Industrial Park
(2) 3D Printing Industrial Park
(3) CNC Machining Center
(4) Intelligent Equipment Industrial Park
(5) Intelligent Manufacturing Engineering
(6) Haier Intelligent Appliance Industry Park Project (Smart Home Experience Center).
