At the seventh bi-annual executive council meeting of the China Knitting Industry Association, Gu Ren, chairman of Changzhou Hongda Technology (Group), delivered a keynote speech on "Intelligent Finishing Process System Based on Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence Technology." In his speech, he proposed that next-generation artificial intelligence is driving the manufacturing industry into a new stage—next-generation intelligent manufacturing. For the dyeing and finishing industry, due to its characteristics of involving both physical and chemical changes, as well as its multi-variety, small-batch, and fast-delivery nature, deep learning of dyeing and finishing processes based on industrial internet big data and the realization of artificial intelligence in dyeing and finishing processes are one of the important future development directions. The reporter had the opportunity to interview Chairman Gu Ren, engaging in a dialogue on topics such as how Changzhou Hongda solves the pain points of the dyeing and finishing industry, its advantages in the field of artificial intelligence, and how to achieve "source reduction."

Intelligent Textile Machinery Solves Industry Pain Points

　　Opening the product catalog of Changzhou Hongda, one finds that its products are not only characterized by intelligent automation but are also mostly born out of addressing industry pain points.

　　For example, the weight and width of fabrics are important indicators for judging whether products are qualified during the heat-setting process. For a long time, weight and width have been measured and controlled using offline measurements relying on human experience. The real-time status of fabric weight and width during continuous production cannot be understood, and offline weighing also damages the textiles.

　　“The current measurement method involves cutting samples from the fabric, which causes waste and trouble for production; this is a major industry pain point,” Gu Ren explained. Changzhou Hongda has successfully developed an intelligent online weight measuring instrument. This instrument enables real-time and accurate measurement of the actual weight during production, greatly reducing fabric loss and ensuring product stability and quality. Gu Ren is confident about this new product, the intelligent online weight measuring instrument, which is currently being promoted, believing it will become an industry necessity in the future.

　　Another technologically world-leading product is the automatic overfeeding control system for density detection. As is well known, knitted fabrics, due to their weaving methods and materials, are easily stretched and narrowed during processing and finishing. Therefore, to ensure the stability of the weight and dimensions of knitted fabrics, the density during the fabric setting process must be detected and controlled. “Traditional technology mainly uses photoelectric technology, which is monopolized by foreign countries. Now, photoelectric technology can no longer meet the requirements of today's enterprises. Our independently developed automatic overfeeding control system has now surpassed foreign technologies and is an advanced technology in the industry.”

　　Gu Ren introduced that Changzhou Hongda's density detection automatic overfeeding control system uses intelligent image technology to monitor the weft density of the fabric on the infeed side during setting. When the weft density does not reach the set value, the system adjusts the weft density to the ideal state in real time, ensuring consistent weft density of the outfeed fabric and improving the first-pass yield. This technology not only has broad applicability but also solves the measurement deviation caused by fabric shaking in traditional photoelectric technology.

　　In addition, other products, such as the intelligent image warp and weft straightening machine, the finishing process execution system, and the online monitoring system for knitted printing clogging, have also solved industry problems and pain points. Among them, the intelligent image warp and weft straightening machine has also won a national patent authorization and the first prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award from the China Textile Industry Federation. Recently, this product's patented technology has been announced as a winner of the China Patent Excellence Award from the State Intellectual Property Office. In 2020, Changzhou Hongda was awarded by the China Textile Machinery Association to establish the "Image Warp and Weft Straightening Machine" product R&D center in the Chinese textile machinery industry.

"Connecting to the Sky and Grounding": Technological Research

　　It is not easy to create world-leading technologies based on artificial intelligence and solve industry pain points.

　　“We invest more than 10% of our sales revenue in R&D.” This substantial investment, according to Gu Ren, is about “treating technology as intrinsic capital.” It is understood that Changzhou Hongda has been a social practice base for Tsinghua University doctoral students for 12 consecutive years, and it also conducts industry-university-research cooperation with several well-known domestic universities, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hohai University, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, and Changzhou University, to develop new intelligent products that meet the needs of the industry.

　　Gu Ren said that the company is building a "systematic and large-scale" R&D system, rather than fragmented and unsystematic research. The company's R&D includes a technology R&D platform and a product development platform. The former focuses on innovative research on cutting-edge technologies, while the latter focuses on improving product functions and performance and integrating technologies. In this way, it can both connect to the "antenna" of cutting-edge and frontier fields and "ground" the results into product innovation. Today, the company applies for more than 50 intellectual property rights every year and currently holds nearly 400 patent applications and authorizations.

　　Currently, Changzhou Hongda has become a national high-tech enterprise, a national Ministry of Industry and Information Technology "two-integration" pilot demonstration enterprise, a national dyeing digital system technology R&D center, and the chairman unit of the dyeing machinery branch of the China Textile Machinery Association. It is the largest and most powerful professional enterprise in China engaged in the research and manufacturing of intelligent online monitoring and intelligent information management and control systems for textile dyeing and finishing processes.

Intelligent Image Warp and Weft Straightening Machine

Artificial Intelligence Assists in "Source Reduction"

　　When it comes to "energy conservation and emission reduction," most people's first reaction may be how to save energy during the production process or how to work on back-end emissions. However, Gu Ren puts forward the concept of "source reduction." He believes that helping textile dyeing enterprises improve their first-pass yield can maximize the reduction of enterprise costs, increase profits, and thus achieve energy conservation and emission reduction.

　　However, such an effect needs to rely on "process digitalization and intelligent execution." “For example, how to wash the fabric and how many times it should be washed should be defined by key indicators. This requires monitoring the ion content and PH value of the dye liquor.” Gu Ren believes that only by quantifying the process can scientific control of the production process be achieved.

　　Currently, the textile industry's production process still relies heavily on human experience. Using artificial intelligence in the production process can not only reduce labor and alleviate the workload of workers but also reduce dependence on the skills of operators, thus surpassing general human experience, generating more scientific and accurate data, and providing decision support for the production process.

Intelligent Online Fabric Weight Detection Instrument

　　Today, artificial intelligence will lead the fourth industrial revolution and has become a key area for China and European and American countries to compete for technological heights. Gu Ren believes that in the future, the dyeing and finishing industry will inevitably rely on the application of artificial intelligence technology. Changzhou Hongda has been deeply involved in the field of intelligent automation for 30 years, accumulating a large amount of scientific research data and a wealth of understanding of the industry and grasp of its needs. In the future, it will surely usher in a broad and bright development prospect.