The involution-ridden first half of 2024 has come to an end.
To address the involutionary domestic market, the company's development strategy established at the beginning of the year is to focus on three "transformations" in 2024, namely:
1.Technological R&D Mindset Shift: Transition to a new track for technological R&D and scientific progress by abandoning R&D of conventional equipment and technologies. Allocate sufficient time and energy to shift toward R&D of system engineering that features more disruptive technological innovation, more flexible production compatibility, smarter electrical control, more energy-efficient equipment production, greener customer production, lower operating costs, and expansion of equipment coverage toward both ends of the process chain, as well as R&D of complete one-flow equipment for entire factory systems. Technological R&D will serve as a technical reserve for the market to go global and undertake system engineering and general contracting projects;
2.Market Region Relocation: The market region will shift from the involution-ridden domestic market to stabilizing the domestic high-end market while cultivating emerging foreign markets. Maintain domestic high-end clients, key customers, and premium clients; build ships to set sail overseas, focus on the global market, and go international! Let overseas orders become a new economic growth point for TIMS in 2024; let foreign markets become the main battlefield after 2024!
3.Enterprise Management Concept Change: Determine costs based on market prices, and determine management based on cost-effectiveness. Management should follow the market, not the other way around.
Ⅰ. Market Work
1.Inspection Trip to the Vietnamese Market
In mid-June, Mr. Zhu Haixiao, General Manager of our company, traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to attend an exhibition and conduct inspections. He gained insights into the coating equipment market in southern Vietnam and held in-depth exchanges with local small-scale coating equipment suppliers to discuss cooperation. Leveraging each other's advantages, both parties will form a strong alliance to jointly develop the high-end and large-scale coating equipment market in Vietnam.
2. Exhibition Preview
To implement the 2024 market strategy, our company will participate in relevant international equipment exhibitions. Currently, two exhibitions have been tentatively confirmed, and we are continuing negotiations for other overseas exhibitions.
2.1 Our company will participate in the Autumn International Home Appliances and Household Products Expo in the CIS Countries. The exhibition time is from September 2 to September 4, 2024, and our booth number is 83B409.
2.2 Our company will participate in the 2025 Mexico Metal Processing, Welding and Coating Exhibition. The exhibition will be held from May 6 to 8, 2025, and our booth number is 3643.
3. Sales Updates
3.1 In the first half of this year, our company secured two contracts for compressor water testing, electrophoresis, and vacuum-pumping electrophoresis coating production lines, with one additional project currently under negotiation and expected to be confirmed shortly. Among them, the commercial new workshop compressor electrophoresis coating line project for Huangshi Donper has already entered the factory for installation, with production expected to commence by the end of July or early August.
Our company's newly developed invention patent technology - the tracking stepper multi - stage vacuum pumping system and other innovative improvement technologies will be widely applied in these three production lines.
3.2 On April 12th, our company officially signed a contract for automated, informationized, and intelligent production line equipment with a multinational corporation's water heater factory in the CIS countries. This water heater factory was led by our company in planning and design. The contract equipment covers all equipment for the entire factory except for end cover and cylinder stamping, welding, final assembly, and laboratory equipment. After commissioning, this water heater factory is expected to be a highly advanced factory in terms of automation within the current water heater industry, and it should also be one of the largest-scale and highly automated factories in Europe for wet enameling processes of water heater inner tanks.
3.3 Our company is in negotiations for a water heater enameling production line with another multinational corporation in the CIS countries, and we believe results will be achieved soon.
3.4 In the first half of this year, our company successfully won 8 bids for equipment procurement from Haier Group.
Among them, it includes two complete one-flow production lines for Haier Water Ecology Technology (a super factory in the water heater industry), covering automatic cleaning of water heater inner tanks, automatic enameling, and drying and firing in gas enameling furnaces.
One of the one-flow production lines - the small water heater enamel production line - will utilize our company's newly developed super compatibility technology to fully integrate small water heater inner tanks (including square tanks, round tanks, oval tanks), macaron inner tanks, double-tank inner tanks, and single-tank inner tanks on a complete production line. This will achieve non-changeover, flexible automated production with a comprehensive capacity of 400 units per hour. After this production line is put into operation, it will become the production line with the highest mixed-production compatibility, largest production capacity, and highest degree of automation in the industry.
The energy efficiency and waste heat utilization of the gas enameling furnaces in these two complete water heater inner tank production lines of Haier Water Ecology Technology will undergo re-optimization design based on the achievements already realized in the gas enameling furnaces of Haier Water Heaters in Huangdao (for detailed introduction, please refer to the special topic introduced later in this article). The goal is to further reduce the comprehensive energy consumption of electricity and gas, and further optimize the furnace temperature curve.
3.5 By virtue of our technological advantages in the industry, we are confident in competing. Although the involution is extremely severe, the sales output value of our company still strongly exceeded 100 million RMB in the first half of 2024. Among them, overseas sales accounted for more than 40%, achieving the company's market strategic goals set at the beginning of the year.
Ⅱ. Scientific and Technological Innovation and Technical Research and Development
1. Protection of Patent Technologies
1.1 In the first half of 2024, our company obtained a total of 6 patent authorizations for patented technologies, including 4 national invention patents:
1.1.1 Tracking Step-by-Step Multi-Stage Vacuum Pumping System (Patent No. ZL2019 1 1399591.3) (Invention Patent);
1.1.2 Automatic Greasing Device for I-Beam Conveyor Chain (Patent No. ZL2020 1 0773561.0) (Invention Patent);
1.1.3 European Water Heater Inner Tank Alignment Mechanism, Alignment Method, and American-European Water Heater Inner Tank Mixed - Use Alignment Mechanism (Patent No. ZL20191 1 1385499.1) (Invention Patent);
1.1.4 Online Automatic Enameling Spraying System for Water Heater Inner Tank Outer Wall (Patent No. ZL2019 1 1385507.2) (Invention Patent);
1.1.5 Spray Gun Head for Inner Surface Spraying of Small - Caliber Containers and Small - Caliber Spray Gun (Patent No. ZL2023 2 2105262.1) (Utility Model Patent);
1.1.6 Glaze Supply System for Mixed - Production Water Heater Inner Tank Enameling Machine (Patent No. ZL2023 2 2844520.8) (Utility Model Patent)
1.2 As of now, our company still has 16 patented technologies under review.
1.3 In the first half of this year, our company has filed 6 new patent applications.
2. Technical Research and Development and Achievements
2.1 Super Mixed-Production Robot Gripper
To achieve fully compatible, model-free flexible super mixed automation production of small kitchen water heater inner tanks (including square, round, and oval tanks), macaron inner tanks, dual-tank inner tanks, and single-tank inner tanks on a single complete production line, the robot automatic enameling gripper is a key device. In the first half of this year, our R&D department completed the development of this super mixed-production robot gripper.
2.2 Super Mixed-Production Automatic Enameling Machine
To achieve fully compatible flexible super mixed automation production without model change for small kitchen water heater inner tanks (including square tanks, round tanks, oval tanks), macaron inner tanks, double-tank inner tanks and single-tank inner tanks on a complete production line, the compatibility of the automatic enameling machine is also the key to success. In the first half of this year, our R&D department completed the development of this super-compatible mixed-production enameling machine.
2.3 Research on the Supporting Equipment of the One - Flow Production Line for Super - mixed Production
To achieve the flexible super hybrid automated production of all types of small water heater liners (including square liners, round liners, oval liners, macaron liners, double-liner and single-liner) on a complete production line without model change, supporting equipment is essential. In the first half of this year, our R&D department completed the development of supporting equipment for the one-flow production line realizing super hybrid production, including the development of tracking and centering mechanisms and tracking and lifting mechanisms.
2.4 Automatic Oil-Water Separation System for Pretreatment
The degreasing process in the pretreatment of hardware components is a critical procedure that directly affects the coating of hardware, including painting, powder spraying, electrophoresis, and enameling. Maintaining the cleanliness and activity of the degreasing agent while reducing the frequency of degreasing agent tank replacement are important links to improve the coating qualification rate of products and reduce coating costs. The automatic online oil-water separation system developed by our company has real-time solved the above problems, and does not require consumable replacement or frequent maintenance, which can save 50% of the usage cost of the degreasing agent.
2.5 Waste Heat Utilization System for Coating Production Line
To achieve the green design and operation of the coating production line, our company systematically carried out standardized design for the reuse of waste heat across the entire process of the coating production line in the first half of this year. By fully utilizing waste heat within the coating production line, the energy consumption of the entire line can be reduced by 6.3%, achieving the goal of energy conservation and emission reduction.
2.6 In - depth Research on Energy - saving and Cost - reduction Technologies for Gas Enameling Furnaces
The energy consumption and reliable operational stability are core factors for evaluating gas enameling furnaces. After optimizing the structural design and ensuring reliable operational stability through high-configuration key components, in-depth research is required to achieve energy savings and reduce operating costs. Due to differences in the heat exchange efficiency of burners, there is still a significant gap in energy efficiency between gas enameling furnaces equipped with domestic burners and those equipped with European burners.
Over the past few years, our company, TIMS, has been deeply engaged in researching energy-saving designs, improving the heat exchange efficiency of core components, reducing heat dissipation, maximizing the utilization of heat dissipation and waste heat, and developing new energy consumption control software. The strengthening of these measures has achieved very satisfying progress and results.
In the first half of this year, our newly developed energy-saving and cost-reducing technology was successfully implemented and validated in the gas enameling furnace of Haier Water Heater in Huangdao. Compared with previous gas enameling furnaces, the energy consumption cost (including electricity and gas) has been further reduced by 25%. Assuming the natural gas price is 3.8 yuan per cubic meter and the industrial electricity cost is 0.68 yuan per kilowatt-hour, the enameling and drying cost (including gas and electricity expenses) for an 80-liter water heater liner does not exceed 1.50 yuan per piece when including the energy consumption for wet enameling drying. For detailed information, please refer to the special introduction later in this article.
2.7 Spray Test Verification for Automatic Enameling Spray Gun Development
Since the beginning of this year, we have manufactured our own wet enameling drying furnaces and enameling firing furnaces, which can effectively verify the effects of automatic wet enameling spraying. In the first half of the year, we continuously verified the spraying effects and optimized the structural design of the spray guns for small liner openings, resulting in increasingly uniform film thickness of wet enameling spraying on the liners.
III. Qualification Certification and Eligibility Review
1.Successfully passed the ISO9001:2015 re - certification audit in 2024.
2.Successfully passed the random audit for the "High - and - New - Technology Enterprise" certification in 2024.
On May 15, 2024, after reviewing our company's technological R&D and scientific achievements, the evaluation committee completed the review in only half of the planned time, quickly recognizing our company as a well-deserved national high-tech enterprise and successfully passing the 2024 national high-tech enterprise certification audit.
Ⅳ.In-Plant Production, Equipment Delivery, and On-Site Installation & Commissioning
Since the beginning of the year, the company has seen a continuous increase in orders. To ensure the smooth delivery, installation, and debugging of each order, our approach this year is: "Standardize non-standard products, maintain early inventory for general components, prepare in advance, and implement fast turnaround." This strategy aims to meet both order delivery requirements and customer needs.
1.Delivery, Installation and Commissioning of Huangshi DONPER Electrophoretic Coating Line
By the end of May, the water inspection electrophoretic coating line for DONPER Commercial's new workshop undertaken by our company was completed and delivered successively. At present, the on-site installation has entered a critical phase, and it is expected to start operation in August.
2.Delivery and Installation of the Robotic Automatic Enameling System for Sino-German Haier Water Heater Sandwich Liners
The robotic automatic enameling system for the offline sandwich liners of Sino-German Haier water heaters, undertaken by our company, has been highly recognized by clients. Equipped with an automatic enameling machine that enables model-free and mixed production of liners with multiple models and large size differences, the system features a small footprint and high stability and reliability. It replaces the original online enameling system and fundamentally solves defects such as difficulties in liner model change, easy missed enameling of large-size liners, low enameling efficiency, and high waste due to minimal reuse of enamel. After intense in-plant manufacturing to meet client requirements, the system was delivered to the site for installation and commissioning by June 30.
3.Commencement of In-Plant Manufacturing for Haier Water Ecology Enameling Production Line Project
Haier's Water Ecology Water Heater Super Factory requires trial production to begin by the end of September. With multiple projects under our belt, heavy tasks, and a tight schedule, we are developing innovative customized mechanisms for super-integrated mixed-production flexible manufacturing. This includes super-integrated mixed-production automatic enameling machines, robotic grippers, and auxiliary mechanisms. To complete R&D and design as soon as possible and start production, we have advanced to the design and material preparation phase at the client's request, prioritizing the commencement of traditional and standard components.
4. Full Production Launch of Chongqing Haier Water Heater Liner Automatic Cleaning, Enameling and Firing Production Line
The one-flow production line with automatic robot loading, automatic cleaning, automatic robot enameling, drying and firing, and automatic robot transfer to the pre-assembly production line was fully put into operation in March 2024, achieving a production capacity of 240 units per hour. Based on a natural gas price of 3.61 yuan per cubic meter and an industrial electricity cost of 0.87 yuan per kilowatt-hour, the comprehensive energy consumption (including electricity and natural gas) for each enamelled inner tank does not exceed 1.8 yuan per unit.
5.The automatic enameling line for the double - tank inner liner of Haier water heaters in Zhengzhou has been put into operation.
The robotic automatic enameling production line compatible with heat pump water heater inner tanks and double-tank inner liners was successfully commissioned in April 2024 at the Zhengzhou Haier Water Heater Factory. This marks the first successful practical validation of our company's R&D and design for robotic automatic enameling of large heat pump inner tanks and double-tank inner liners. It has laid a solid technical foundation in advance for the R&D and design of super-compatible mixed-production flexible manufacturing for small kitchen water heater inner tanks, macaron inner tanks, double-tank inner liners, and single-tank inner liners at Haier's Water Ecology Super Factory.
6.The installation and commissioning of the gas enameling furnace for Haier water heaters in Huangdao were successfully completed and put into operation.
The super energy-saving optimized design of the gas enameling furnace was well validated in the Huangdao Haier water heater gas enameling furnace put into operation in June 2024. Data from actual on-site mass production shows that with a natural gas price of 3.8 yuan/m³ and industrial electricity cost of 0.68 yuan/kWh, the comprehensive energy consumption cost (including gas and electricity) for enameling, drying, and firing an 80L water heater inner tank does not exceed 1.50 yuan per piece when including the energy consumption for wet enameling drying. This represents a 25% reduction in comprehensive energy consumption, verifying the great success of our company's new energy-saving optimization and innovative design. It provides strong data support for our company to further optimize energy efficiency in the two gas enameling furnaces of the winning bid for Haier's Water Ecology Water Heater Super Factory project.
V. Continued Construction of Hubei TIMS Industrial Park
1.The capacity expansion of the No. 4 workshop in Hubei TIMS has completed comprehensive acceptance and entered the process of handling real estate certificates.
2.Construction of the finished product warehouse and shipping platform for the No. 4 workshop in Hubei TIMS has commenced.
