The yet-to be-released Haval H9 and 4×4 ute will be built by the latest robotic technology in a new Chinese factory that is currently under construction.
The Yangchuan-based plant will be operational by late 2019 and produce up to 250,000 vehicles using the newest of ABB’s industrial robots.
Haval’s high-tech Xushui factory in Baoding is what the new Yangchuan site is based on, and will include the newest vehicle stamping, assembly and painting production equipment and processes.
Despite the army of robots, the new Haval factory will offer employment for approximately 10,000 workers.
ABB’s ‘IRB 6640’ robots are used for welding door covers and car bodies, with a payload of 235kg, it is used for spot welding and can carry welding guns for consistent operation.
Compared with traditional pneumatic guns, the robot uses ‘servo guns’, which take less than 3 seconds per spot-weld and are 25% more efficient.
The ‘IRB 7600’ robots (pictured) are used in a ‘flex framing’ station to weld bodysides to the roof and underbody to create the main frame.
Twenty other sites were on a shortlist to be chosen, but Yangchuan was decided on for its south-west location with major rail links and transportation benefits, the same reason it is a major automotive hub for China in the Chongqing province.
