If an enterprise that produces equipment for AGM batteries does not understand the production process of batteries, it is difficult to produce excellent equipment that meets the needs of battery manufacturers!” Wu Songyan, Chairman and General Manager of Guangdong Yixinfeng Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Yixinfeng”), said in an interview with China Auto News at the 10th China (Shenzhen) International Summit on Battery New Energy Industry.
Becoming an equipment manufacturer with a better understanding of battery technology is precisely the vision and goal of Yixinfeng. Behind this lies its resilience to continuous technological innovation. Wu Songyan has been engaged in the research and development and manufacturing of production equipment such as die-cutting, laminating, slitting, and winding in the 3C industry and power lithium battery industry for 22 years. After several transformations, he has a profound insight into the new energy vehicle lithium battery industry.
He told reporters, “The lithium battery industry needs to remain calm, slow down, and find a niche track that suits itself. Find the right positioning, be precise, specialized, and thorough, and achieve the ultimate in products.” Currently, under the pressure of “cost reduction and efficiency increase” in the new energy vehicle industry chain, Yixinfeng is leveraging its value to help battery companies build core competitiveness.
To unleash one’s own value
To achieve “quality improvement and cost reduction” for customers
Under the “dual carbon” goal, the lithium battery industry has become a new track for Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs. This new energy track is wide and long enough to last for 20, 30, or even 50 years. Because of this, the industry has also experienced multiple reshuffles after capital and personnel flooded in.
“Only through continuous innovation can lithium-ion companies survive, and we are no exception,” Wu Songyan told reporters. Yixinfeng has been constantly learning and innovating, thinking about what customers want and being anxious about what they need.
It is reported that Yixinfeng currently has more than 180 people, with R&D personnel accounting for 30%. Its products are widely used in leading manufacturers such as Ningde Times, BYD, Yiwei Lithium Energy, Honeycomb Energy, Penghui Energy, Guoxuan High tech, Ruipu Lanjun, Xinwangda, Lishen Battery, and Wanxiang A123. In terms of innovation, Yixinfeng has also developed the world’s first metal mold flexible die-cutting machine, which can be said to be unprecedented. It has won the national level invention excellence award, changing the current situation where a set of molds can only produce one product.
The current lithium battery industry market is very hot and competitive, with many participants, and it is even more necessary to improve competitiveness through innovation. “We reduce costs, improve quality, and better adapt to the market for customers through automated production lines, innovative processes, and other methods.” Wu Songyan said that the value of Yixinfeng lies in “improving quality and reducing costs” for customers, solving problems such as insufficient yield, low efficiency, high energy consumption, and too much labor.
In fact, regardless of the battery process, such as large cylindrical, square winding, stacking, etc., cost is a very important factor. This means that whoever can achieve low cost and high security can open up the market. In this state, in pursuit of lean production, the stability, efficiency and progressiveness of equipment are particularly important. Nowadays, batteries are more about structural innovation, pursuing yield and efficiency in order to have more cost advantages.
For the future development of the market, he mentioned that the price reduction of the lithium battery industry chain has a certain promoting effect on the industry’s development. After the cost of batteries and systems is reduced, the returns for investors become apparent. The market that was not penetrated, involved, or developed before may now have an opportunity. For example, the track of energy storage is even larger than that of power batteries, and this market price reduction has the opportunity to develop industrial and commercial energy storage.
We are currently in a critical period of transformation
The lithium battery industry does not need false prosperity
“The battery industry belongs to technology intensive, talent intensive, and capital intensive industries, and none of them are indispensable. In order to truly survive, enterprises with technology, foundation, and capital are needed. Enterprises that want to speculate, circle land, and deceive others for compensation cannot last long and will definitely be washed away,” said Wu Songyan. Many of the companies that Yixinfeng once served no longer exist.
In fact, since its establishment in 2000, Yixinfeng has also completed three transformations within more than 20 years. According to Wu Songyan’s statement, each time is profound enough, “we must seize the opportunity accurately. Turning too fast is not enough, and turning too slowly is not enough.”. Nowadays, Yixinfeng is still facing a moment of transformation and upgrading: in the fiercely competitive battery industry, how to solve the pain points of customers and make Yixinfeng’s equipment a necessity for battery enterprises.
Wu Songyan believes that in order to solve problems for battery companies, the first step is to understand batteries, and secondly, to understand battery companies. For Yixinfeng, it is about becoming an equipment supplier who understands battery manufacturing technology better.
In the current context, a high degree of integration between equipment manufacturers and battery companies is particularly important. If each team fights independently and lacks in-depth understanding of the equipment, research and development work will be difficult to carry out. Meanwhile, collaborative innovation between equipment and materials is also essential. To promote the development of new equipment and processes, joint innovation and research and development are needed.
In recent years, Yixinfeng has continuously increased its research and development efforts, with R&D investment accounting for 8% of total sales. At present, our main products include: laser winding and leveling all-in-one machine (4680 large cylinder), laser die-cutting and laminating all-in-one machine (blade battery), laser die-cutting and slitting all-in-one machine, logistics system, MES system, and other core equipment for the entire factory, as well as solutions for pilot and small-scale trial line equipment. We provide customers with whole factory planning and design and new energy whole line solutions.
For the gap between domestic and foreign equipment, in some fields, there is still a certain gap between domestic equipment and foreign equipment in terms of materials, details, and stability. However, in the lithium battery industry, some equipment has already surpassed the level of foreign countries. Wu Songyan mentioned that “when China first entered the lithium battery industry, companies in the industry bought equipment from Japan and South Korea. A die-cutting machine and a laminating machine cost two to three million yuan. Later, through learning, research and development, and innovation, the development speed of equipment in the Chinese lithium battery industry has now surpassed them.” Currently, many equipment in the domestic lithium battery industry are leading foreign countries, with higher efficiency and lower costs.
As a practitioner of deep cultivation in the manufacturing industry, Wu Songyan mentioned two points about the talents needed in the lithium battery industry:
Firstly, talents in the lithium battery industry may not necessarily be PhDs or professors. This industry requires a solid foundation of work and practice, along with theoretical knowledge from professors and PhDs. The current industry is very hot, and there are many wild and unreliable ideas. It is even more necessary to work hard, solidly produce good products, and do research and development with real money and money.
Secondly, we should do more practical things and talk less about space. The industry needs down-to-earth talents, otherwise the industry may be a false prosperity. Whether it’s the lithium battery industry or the new energy industry, the required talent quality is very high. Not only do they need to understand chemistry, thermodynamics, and other aspects, but these high-quality talents also need to be able to truly settle down.
Post time: Apr-02-2024