Visiting BAIC Foton Bus Plant: Intelligent Manufacturing Breakthrough

Visiting BAIC Foton Bus Global Center Plant: Unlocking New Heights of "Intelligent Manufacturing" for Chinese Buses

Under the spotlight of the intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry, the BAIC Foton Bus Global Center Plant was opened and showcased to global partners. At the same time, the Foton AUV Intelligent Bus made its global debut, handing out a brand-new "business card" for the high-quality development of China's bus industry to the world with the dual hard-core strength of "intelligent manufacturing + intelligent driving."

As an observer on the front line, China Bus Network went deep into the production heartland to witness this moment, which carries both industry milestone significance and market transformation value. Here, there is not only the shock of the "steel torrent" but also the wisdom of flowing data—the completion of the new plant marks that Foton AUV has set a new benchmark for intelligent manufacturing in China's bus industry with its full-chain intelligent processes and cutting-edge product technology.

Entering the BAIC Foton Bus Global Center Plant, the most intuitive feeling is the wonderful fusion of "quietness" and "speed." As a core intelligent manufacturing base painstakingly built by Foton AUV, it can cover the production of the full range of large and medium-sized buses and mid-buses from 5.4 meters to 18 meters, encompassing five energy types: fuel, gas, hybrid, pure electric, and hydrogen fuel.

Final assembly is hailed as the "last key process" of bus production. Here, we saw a complete subversion of the traditional model. With modularization, intelligence, and flexibility at its core, every process in the workshop is infused with the blood of "intelligent manufacturing."

The bus industry's first dual-vehicle AGV combined transport and SPS material distribution system is impressive. 45 sets of line AGVs and 36 sets of SPS AGVs act like well-trained dancers, coordinating with material carts to automatically adapt to different vehicle lengths and wheelbases, significantly improving assembly efficiency.

A flexible "Transformer": The production line is equipped with an all-flexible vehicle support tooling system. Through the rapid switching of local tooling, it can be compatible with various load-bearing forms, including full load-bearing and semi-load-bearing. This means that multiple categories of models can be efficiently produced on the same line, truly achieving customization.

For heavy materials such as passenger doors, windshields, and seats, the workshop is equipped with power-assisted manipulators and KBK lifting devices. This is not only a liberation of physical labor but also a guarantee of precision, effectively preventing material bumps and scratches. In the fluid filling stage, vacuum automatic filling equipment realizes full-process data traceability; assembly tools have been fully upgraded to electric versions, and key torque points are standardly equipped with digital display constant-torque electric tools, making quality "visible and searchable."

The final assembly workshop has also innovatively set up a smart logistics port and a movable shelf warehouse, realizing automated storage, intelligent scheduling, and precise distribution of materials. This builds an integrated intelligent system of "intelligent manufacturing + warehousing," providing a solid guarantee for large-scale, high-precision final assembly production.

Along with the unveiling of the new plant, the Foton AUV Intelligent Bus made its global debut. This product, which condenses cutting-edge technology and relies on the intelligent manufacturing strength of the new plant, has achieved comprehensive breakthroughs in safety, efficiency, and scenario adaptation, becoming the best evidence of the new plant's mass production capabilities.

Safety is the bottom line of intelligent driving. The new vehicle is equipped with an all-dimensional perception solution, featuring 6 LiDARs, 11 cameras, and 1 millimeter-wave radar. The 128-line automotive-grade semi-solid-state main LiDAR at the front of the vehicle achieves "360° perception without blind spots" and can detect subtle obstacles within 150 meters. The perception system uses an automotive-grade domain controller with a built-in dual-redundancy intelligent system, meeting L2 to L4 full-scenario coverage and connecting to the Foton Intelligent Driving Cloud Platform to achieve full-process data traceability.

Efficiency and scenario adaptation capabilities are equally outstanding. The vehicle can be widely used in scenarios such as scenic spots, industrial parks, and urban micro-circulation connections, effectively solving the "last mile" travel pain point. Among them, the central integrated electric drive axle eliminates the drive shaft, with a transmission efficiency exceeding 97% and an operating life of over 800,000 kilometers. The wire-controlled steering responds quickly and accurately, and the EBS+EPB wire-controlled braking system can achieve perfect braking under multiple working conditions. The "four wheels at four corners" design maximizes interior space. For closed park scenarios, a "living room" style design without a driver's seat or steering wheel is adopted to adapt to diverse scenarios such as reception and negotiation; for public road scenarios, the driver's seat and steering wheel are retained, allowing for normal licensing and road use.

As Han Dong, President of Foton AUV New Energy Bus, said: "True technology is never a pile of cold parameters, but is user-centric, making technology warm and life more convenient."

The unveiling of the BAIC Foton Bus Global Center Plant and the release of the intelligent bus are by no means a simple capacity expansion or product iteration, but a key leap for China's bus industry from "manufacturing" to "intelligent manufacturing."

Here, we see the profound understanding and practical implementation of Industry 4.0 by Chinese bus people—driving production with data, reshaping processes with intelligence, and defining products with scenarios. This not only demonstrates Foton Bus's intelligent manufacturing strength and innovation vitality but also conveys the infinite possibilities of technological innovation in Chinese buses to the world.