AI sparks momentum for private companies in S China's Guangxi

At the factory of Guangxi Fenglin Wood Industry Group Co., Ltd. in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the particleboard production line has been upgraded. Freshly made panels are now checked by intelligent quality inspectors that can instantly spot 32 different types of defects with over 99 percent accuracy.

This scene is a vivid example of how private companies in Nanning are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to boost both quality and productivity.

Photo shows the factory of Guangxi Fenglin Wood Industry Group Co., Ltd. in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the company)

On the fully automated particleboard production line at the company's factory in Nanning, wood shavings are hot-pressed into panels, then cooled, trimmed, and sanded, producing high-quality boards.

"In the past, these steps relied heavily on manual labor. Now, machines handle them effortlessly," said Yin Bibo, chief information officer of the company.

Previously, the company's production data was recorded by hand and entered into the system, which was a slow and labor-intensive process prone to errors. Today, the company has moved all production data to a single cloud and built an industrial internet platform along with a master data platform. Every step of production is now fully automated, digitized, and intelligently controlled.

At the quality inspection stage, the AI system, trained to recognize 32 common types of defects, quickly and accurately identifies flaws. The system then communicates with the sorting, grading, and automated packaging modules, ensuring that premium, standard, and substandard boards are separated with precision.

In a cornfield in Luyao village, Liangqing town, Liangqing district of Nanning, an AI-powered, new energy farming robot follows a preset path, automatically avoiding rocks and adjusting its plowing depth in real time to match soil hardness.

"This plowing machine uses high-precision positioning to automatically plan the optimal route and adjust plowing depth in real time based on soil conditions," explained a research and development (R&D) staff member.

"It's at least twice as fast as manual plowing," said local villager Wei Dadu. "Even beginners like us can learn to operate it in just 10 minutes," Wei added.

Hilly terrain has long posed a challenge for mechanized farming in Guangxi. The AI-powered machine overcomes the problem by automatically adjusting depth and angle and avoiding rocks or metal objects, reducing the risk of damage.

"A fuel-powered machine costs about 300 yuan (about $41.76) a day for fuel, while our machine costs only 1 yuan per mu (one mu is about 0.067 hectares)," said Zheng Yujie, technical director of Guangxi Deep Exploration Artificial Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., which developed the machine.

Private enterprises in Nanning are now setting their sights on the wider ASEAN market.

By leveraging AI to enhance its premium product lines, Guangxi Fenglin Wood Industry Group Co., Ltd. has established a strong presence in Japan by meeting JIS certification and the stringent F4 star environmental standards. Its eco-friendly fire-retardant and moisture-resistant boards are tailored for high-end construction markets, while its AI-driven, cost-effective product portfolio is helping the company gain traction in more price-sensitive markets.

Guangxi Deep Exploration Artificial Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on developing and applying cutting-edge AI solutions. Its new-energy, AI-powered agricultural robot is already in operation in orchards and research bases across Guangxi.

"The special terrain and land conditions across ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, and Myanmar have driven strong demand for our products," said Ruan Jie, marketing director of the company. "We've already established solid ties with local organizations and government agencies to ensure a smooth rollout," said Ruan.

Currently, Nanning is home to 1,552 AI-related enterprises, accounting for more than half of Guangxi's total.