Have you heard of "dark factories"?

Imagine a dark factory where the only light comes from the faint glow of equipment status indicators, quality inspection lights, and laser emitters.

Although the production line is completely unmanned, rows of machines operate in an orderly fashion, and robotic arms deftly sort materials.

The ideal "lights-out factory," resembling a scene from a sci-fi blockbuster, is a vision of highly automated manufacturing.

As we all know, factories are the primary vehicles of manufacturing. As regions and enterprises accelerate their transition to smart manufacturing, factories are also undergoing upgrades and evolution.

To accommodate the diverse nature of enterprises and products, factories are pulling out all the stops, with every move demonstrating true expertise.

Intelligent transformation has become a mandatory requirement for enterprises, and for industrial parks, keeping pace with these enterprises is an urgent priority.

A Prototype and Microcosm of the Future Factory

The term “future factory” is actually a broad category.

Any modern factory that extensively applies technologies such as digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the Industrial Internet to achieve digital design, intelligent production, smart management, collaborative and green manufacturing, and secure control—while significantly enhancing social benefits—is referred to as a “Future Factory.”

"Future factories" and smart manufacturing are closely intertwined; they represent the epitome and microcosm of smart manufacturing.

In this era of high-quality development, the traditional single-model batch manufacturing approach is no longer viable.

To pursue high returns at both ends of the “Wei-curve,” personalized manufacturing has gradually become the mainstream model for enterprise production.

Ningbo Geely Auto Parts Co., Ltd. is a successful case study of a "Future Factory" achieved through digital transformation.

In terms of hardware, the layout of the production lines and the process solutions are entirely different from traditional methods, capable of meeting customers’ customized needs;

On the software side, through the “One Brain + Three Teams” model, the company optimizes, simulates, and tests its automated production lines, enabling timely and effective self-correction when quality or efficiency issues arise;

For high-end customization, customers can not only place orders online but also view the entire manufacturing process.

It is truly a fully digital, transparent, agile, and intelligent factory.

Since “Future Factory” is a general term, let’s now discuss its specific subcategories.

Lighthouse Factory "Oscar" Awards

As the name implies, Lighthouse Factories serve as "beacons" guiding the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry; they are the cream of the crop among "Future Factories."

With "Lighthouse Factories" leading the way and setting an example, followers may be able to avoid some detours.

The key to a Lighthouse Factory lies in digitally empowering the industrial chain; in addition, sustainability capabilities are also a key evaluation criterion.

At Sany Heavy Industry in Beijing, following factory upgrades, the overall operational rate of production equipment rose from 60% to nearly 90%, production cycles were shortened by nearly 80%, channel inventory decreased by 40%, product quality metrics improved by 15%, and internal comprehensive efficiency increased by 28%.

Although “Lighthouse Factories” are the Oscars of the smart manufacturing world, building one is a long-term process that must be grounded in a company’s “fundamentals”—including its IT infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities, and supply chain collaboration.

If companies blindly push forward with transformation and upgrading, they are likely to find themselves in operational difficulties. This is especially true for most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which lack the funds and equipment for digital transformation and can generally only achieve smart office capabilities.

When pursuing "Lighthouse Factory" status, it is essential to proceed within one’s means.

The Blueprint for "Dark Factory"

At the beginning of this article, we discussed the ideal state of a “lights-out factory,” where no manual operation is required and only machines are in operation.

Therefore, the "lights-out factory" is also known as an unmanned factory.

However, in current practical applications, "lights-out factories" still require human intervention under certain circumstances, such as equipment inspection and maintenance.

The advantages of a "lights-out factory" are evident: it can effectively reduce labor costs and improve production efficiency, but the construction costs are also significant.

According to reports, the current investment required for an automated production line is approximately 8 million yuan (specific costs vary by industry).

As pioneers in the intelligent transformation of manufacturing, some leading domestic manufacturing companies have already taken the initiative to explore "lights-out factories."

Lenovo Group’s “Quantum Line” automated assembly line at its Wuhan industrial base has doubled its automation rate. Compared to traditional production lines, it has reduced staffing by 45%.

Shared Factories and High-Speed Trains

Following the popularity of “sharing” concepts such as bike-sharing and employee-sharing, the idea of “shared factories” has entered the视野 of local governments and enterprises.

As early as 2017, new production models such as “shared production capacity” and “shared factories” had already emerged.

Alibaba has become a leading example of “shared factories.” Over the past three years, Alibaba’s new platform has piloted collaborations with more than 200 small and medium-sized businesses, successfully establishing a flexible model featuring small minimum order quantities and rapid response, thereby achieving on-demand production.

It is evident that the target audience for shared factories differs from previous models, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) becoming the primary beneficiaries.

SMEs with production needs simply pay “by time, by part, or by value” to gain access to high-end smart equipment, while also enjoying personalized services such as free prototyping, operational training, and quality inspection.

One enterprise located in a smart manufacturing park has seen its production capacity increase 14-fold in just over three months since adopting the “shared factory” model. It has truly boarded the “high-speed train” of development.

The Core Cohesion of Chain-Leading Factories

The term “chain leader” originates from the industrial chain. The production activities of a “chain leader factory” must not only serve internal needs but also function as a “chain leader” externally, facilitating effective integration between upstream and downstream segments of the industrial chain.

To support upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, collaborative capabilities serve as the “central nervous system.”

Xin'an Chemical possesses a comprehensive processing industrial chain for organosilicon materials. Centered on its headquarters "chain-leading factory," the company has successfully established a provincial-level industrial internet platform for silicon-based new materials.

It serves nearly 10,000 enterprise-level clients and over 100,000 individual distributors, connects with more than 10,000 freight drivers, and enhances the digital capabilities of enterprises across the entire silicon-based new materials industrial chain.

To become a “chain-leading factory,” enterprises must pass through a rigorous selection process.

Holding a dominant position in the industrial chain is a prerequisite, with priority given to “Single-Champion” and “Little Giant” enterprises. Priority is also given to enterprises that demonstrate a high level of industry collaboration and supply chain synergy, and that make significant contributions to driving the development of the local industrial chain.

Leading-Goose Factories Focus on Breakthroughs

"Leading-Goose Factories" refer to "factories of the future" that have achieved breakthrough innovations in relevant fields or possess pioneering significance.

Unlike “Chain Leader Factories,” “Leading-Goose Factories” emphasize corporate R&D and must drive breakthroughs in the innovation and application of technical equipment within their respective fields.

Chint Electric has established a model “Leading-Goose Factory.”

From fully automated production lines to the construction of digital demonstration workshops, and the integration of new technologies such as 5G and big data, Chint has built the first industrial internet platform in the energy and power vertical through independent R&D.

Just like the lead goose in a flock, it has become a benchmark enterprise in the industry through its own innovation and technological prowess.

Hardcore Factories: Technologically Proficient

A "hardcore factory" refers to an enterprise that specializes in a niche sector, leverages its technological strengths, and is supported by its own cutting-edge technology to continuously advance smart manufacturing.

95% of Chunfeng Power’s components come from domestic and international suppliers.

Facing tens of thousands of components, over 300 core suppliers, and more than 3,000 dealers, Chunfeng Power has successfully achieved orderly coordination.

To ensure rapid response to demand and enhance industrial synergy efficiency, the “Factory Brain” monitors the upstream and downstream supply chain in real time, including component tracking from over 300 core suppliers and direct delivery of materials required for two-hour production runs from on-site warehouses.

The Skyscraper Factory: A Metamorphosis

In simple terms, a “skyscraper factory” refers to the vertical integration of industrial production.

Moving industry indoors is a solution adopted by various regions to address the production challenges of companies lacking funds and governments lacking land.

Moving factory operations to upper floors not only improves land use efficiency but also allows enterprises to conduct R&D and production at lower costs.

Thus, enterprises characterized by “precision, compactness, and lightness,” along with high environmental standards and low energy consumption, have ushered in the era of “skyscraper factories.”

As businesses cluster together, upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain, as well as clients and suppliers, gradually gather on the floors above and below.

This facilitates production collaboration and drives the digital and intelligent transformation of enterprises.

In Conclusion

Although the names, forms, and core advantages of future factories may vary, the essence remains the same: digitalization, intelligentization, and collaboration are the central themes.

Industrial park developers must also grasp the essence of future factories to support enterprises in their transformation and upgrading.