ASD to invest in new robot factory

Zhejiang Aishida Electric Co, also known as ASD, announced plans on Monday to invest at least 500 million yuan (US$71.4 million) building an industrial robot factory which will help the company establish “a smart manufacturing ecosystem” in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Besides the new plant in Zhejiang Province, ASD also plans to build ASD Shanghai Intelligent Valley and related logistics and research facilities in the region. This ecosystem will cover robotics, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, said Chen Helin, chairman of Shenzhen-listed ASD.

Despite mounting economic uncertainties, China’s robot demand will continue to grow thanks to digitalized and artificial intelligence upgrade trends, industry insiders said.

China’s annual sales of industrial robots will hit 150,000 units in 2020, and 260,000 units in 2025, according to the Shanghai Robot Industry Association.

The new ASD factory, located in Wenling, Zhejiang Province, will produce 20,000 industrial robots annually.

About 1,000 robots manufactured at the new factory will be used in ASD’s production line for cooking pots and other devices, said the company.

ASD will join other industry players to attend the China International Industry Fair, which opens on Tuesday in Shanghai.

ASD is “still interested in” being listed on the new Shanghai STAR market through spinning off its robot or smart manufacturing business, Chen said on Monday.