Shengrui Transmission, a pioneer auto transmission developer in the Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, organized a summit to discuss the latest industry trends and release its latest products on Jan 18.

Shengrui introduced the world's first front-engine, front-wheel drive hybrid eight-gear auto transmission; a third generation front-engine, front-wheel drive eight-gear auto transmission; a front-engine, front-wheel hybrid six-gear auto transmission; a frontengine, front-wheel drive, efficient and compact eight-gear auto transmission; and a rear-drive eight-gear auto transmission.

Representatives from 12 automakers, including Faw, Dongfeng Motor, Chery and Great Wall, and more than 180 suppliers attended.

Shengrui also launched a smart production line with an annual capacity of 300,000 units. About 73 percent of tasks on the production line can be done automatically.

The company's new products such as the hybrid six-gear auto transmission will be produced on this line, it said.

The line is a milestone in China's auto transmission production and represents an upgrade to domestic production, according to the company.

On the same day, Shengrui's auto transmission industrial park in the zone was put into use. The company said the industrial park, the first of its kind in China, will support China's transmission industry development.

"China has become the largest automotive production and trade market for 10 consecutive years. That success should be attributed to breakthroughs made by domestic auto component makers," said Xin Ning, deputy head of China Automotive News.

Xin said Shengrui has an auto transmission research and development capacity and an innovation chain that covers concept design, simulation analysis, hardware design, software development, calibration and industrialization. This allows Shengrui to have sustainable innovation.

"Shengrui won first prize at the National Science and Technology Progress Awards for developing the first eight-gear automatic transmission in China in 2016. The 8AT has been introduced to the market and Shengrui has an annual production capacity of 600,000 units," Xin said.

Shengrui, established in the zone in 2003, has built two national research centers. It is also a national technology innovation demonstration business, a national high-tech company, a national smart production pilot demonstration company and a national intellectual property rights demonstration company.

Shengrui has also developed a R&D team with international horizons. They have established R&D centers in Germany, the United States, Beijing and Qingdao in Shandong province. The company has registered 576 patents and more than 110 invention patents.

Liu Xiangwu, chairman of Shengrui, said the company will continue to focus on transmission development and strive to be a leading auto transmission developer in China in the next two to three years.

Cui Chengwang contributed to this story.