OFweekRobotNetwork News Global intelligent manufacturing is surging.
About half a month ago, Shunde kitchen and bathroom appliance leader, Guangdong Wanhe New Electric Co., Ltd. and ABB Robotics Co., Ltd. officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement; and earlier, the third-generation successor of Japan’s FANUC Robot made a special trip to Shunde, Negotiated in-depth cooperation with microwave oven faucet Galanz; Midea has successively cooperated with YASKAWA of JapanmotorJointly established two robotics companies and acquired Germany in one fell swoopindustry4.0 Star KUKA Robot has more than 90% of the order equity.
In the industrial Robot industry, YASKAWA, FANUC, KUKA, and ABB are also known as the “Four Families” of global robots. According to statistics, the total market share of these four companies in China is as high as 80%. In order to break the monopoly of foreign countries, domestic enterprises have been making efforts to catch up in recent years.
As a crossover player, what can Shunde home appliance leaders bring to the domestic robotics industry? What will Midea gain in the robotics field after massive capital mergers and acquisitions? What new industries will be stirred up among the fiercely competitive home appliance companies Jianghu?
The Big Four of Robots and the Three Musketeers of Shunde Home Appliances “Love”
In the field of global industrial robots, represented by ABB of Switzerland, KUKA of Germany, YASKAWA Electric of Japan, and FANUC, they are called the “Four Families” of robots. And from Shunde, Midea, Galanz, Wanhe are also well-known white goods brands. These two seemingly different industries, but driven by the wave of intelligent manufacturing, are closely linked.
At the end of June, Shunde kitchen and bathroom appliance leader, Guangdong Wanhe New Electric Co., Ltd. officially signed a contract with ABB Robotics Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the world’s top 500 ABB Group, in Zhejiang. deep cooperation. Before signing the contract with ABB as a strategic partner, Wanhe has already cooperated with ABB on several intelligent transformation projects of production lines.
Four months ago, Dr. Kiyotori Inaba, the third-generation successor of Japan’s FANUC, one of the “Four Great Families”, and the senior manager, led a team to visit Galanz Shunde headquarters and discussed further deepening strategic cooperation with Galanz President Liang Zhaoxian. talks. In fact, in October 2016, Galanz signed a strategic agreement with Fanuc to cooperate to speed up the layout of intelligent factories and promote the in-depth application of industrial robots in microwave ovens, electric steam ovens and other industries.
Compared with the project-driven strategic cooperation between Wanhe and Galanz and foreign robot giants, the cooperation between Midea and the “Four Families” was earlier and more “radical”. As early as two years ago, Midea began to use its advantages in capital to carry out large-scale investment and mergers and acquisitions.
The cooperation with Japan’s Yaskawa Electric is its first step into the robot industry. In August 2015, Midea and Yaskawa of Japan each spent 200 million yuan to set up two joint ventures for industrial robots and service robots (the former holding 49% of Midea, the latter holding 60.1%). Relying on the most complete industrial chain resources accumulated by Yaskawa in the industry, Midea can focus on targeted development for the 3C industry.
At the beginning of 2016, Midea quietly acquired a 17.8% stake in Anhui Everte Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., a leader in the domestic robot industry, becoming the company’s third largest shareholder.
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