Rebirth 99 to become a car giant

Normally, if a Chinese company keeps bragging in front of Phillips about how advanced its products are and how far ahead of its competitors, he won't listen at all.

But if it was Cao Yang who said this, the situation would be different.

After all, the strength of Nanshan Group is obvious to all.

Even Nanshan Group cannot be compared with ordinary Chinese companies.

To a certain extent, it is like a large industrial enterprise in Europe and the United States, covering products in many fields, and making each product excellent.

For large European and American companies, if they cannot make a product into the top three in the industry, it is very likely that the product will be axed, or the business unit it belongs to will be sold directly.

In this way, the competitiveness of the enterprise is fully maintained.

But there is no such custom or business habit in China.

Under such circumstances, the fact that Nanshan Group can do the same thing and do the same thing really arouses the curiosity of many people.

Even Phillips himself is no exception.

"Mr. Cao, I understand all the situations you introduced. From my personal perspective, I am definitely willing to watch Nanshan Equipment compete fairly and fairly with other manufacturers."

"If Nanshan Equipment's products have advantages in QCD, I believe BMW Brilliance has no reason not to use your equipment."

This promise from Phillips is actually pretty good.

For many manufacturers, it is actually very difficult for you to have a fair and just opportunity.

Or even if you get this so-called opportunity, it may only be superficial.

In fact, there are various ways to kick you out.

But Phillips obviously still trusts his promise.

Zhang Sheng, who came with him, naturally knew this.

At the same time, he is also very lucky that he can cooperate with Nanshan Group. Otherwise, the press machine of BMW's new factory will most likely be taken away by Schuler.

However, after the equipment problems in the stamping workshop were solved, the Nanshan robot came into play.

There is an industrial processing technology that I often hear about, but I have a lot of knowledge about it. It is easy to get started, but difficult to master.

From large-scale castings and forgings of hundreds of tons to the connection of nano-components, almost everything is inseparable from it, and it is: welding.

Welding technology is widely used in various industrial sectors such as aerospace, aviation, nuclear industry, shipbuilding, construction and machinery manufacturing.

As the saying goes, "Advanced manufacturing cannot prosper without welding."

Although the application fields of welding technology seem "advanced", the working environment of welding is actually very harsh.

High-temperature sparks flying everywhere and pungent welding slag and fumes pose a great threat to the personal safety and health of workers in the daily life of the welding workshop.

Therefore, it is very difficult to recruit welding workers, and it is even more difficult to find experienced masters.

It is difficult to guarantee the quality of recruitment, which will inevitably lead to problems such as unstable quality of welding products and low qualification rates.

Robotic welding is imperative.

The increasing sales of Nanshan robots in recent years is the most convincing evidence.

However, when Li Shigui explained the advanced nature of his product to Phillips, his first sentence calmed the scene.

He said: "The welding robot we recommended to BMW's new factory this time is an upgraded version of the robot model used in the Xingchen Automobile welding machine workshop!"

Xingchen Automobile’s factory is called a benchmark factory.

It is not only the most technologically advanced in China, but also the leading technology in the world.

At that time, a large number of advanced technologies from Nanshan equipment and Nanshan robots were used inside, and the visiting media from all walks of life were full of praise.

So now Li Shigui just needs to say that the product he recommends is an upgraded version of the Xingchen Automobile Factory, and that will be more convincing than anything else.

Xingchen Automobile, which has already made a name for itself, can set such a benchmark effect.

Just like when some domestic suppliers in later generations approached Volkswagen, General Motors, and Toyota to discuss cooperation, they directly said that I was a supplier of Tesla, and everyone's attention immediately rose to a higher level.

This is the role of benchmarks.

The same principle applies to China's independent brands a few years ago.

As long as a supplier says that he is a supplier to Volkswagen and Yangcheng Honda, the purchasers of Geely, Chery and other OEMs will look up to him.

Everyone subconsciously feels that the level of this manufacturer is relatively high.

Because they have passed the assessment of other manufacturers, it is equivalent to someone endorsing them.

The current situation of Nanshan Robot is similar.

Many articles and videos can be found on the Internet about the advanced level of Xingchen Automobile’s welding workshop.

Many media and friends also visited the site.

Now Li Shigui wants to introduce more advanced products to Phillips, which is naturally very convincing.

“I’ll give you a relatively niche arc welding robot to illustrate the advanced nature of the product.”

Li Shigui feels that ordinary spot welding robots can no longer highlight the excellence of Nanshan robots.

So I’m going to use an arc welding robot to illustrate.

"Our arc welding robot uses a high-power density motor and a higher-torque harmonic reducer. Its joint output torque is more than 30% higher than the previous generation product. Compared with similar products, the robot's motion efficiency is increased by 20%."

“Its repeatable positioning accuracy reaches ±0.05mm, and it is equipped with a self-developed self-learning vibration suppression algorithm to effectively ensure the end motion compliance and trajectory accuracy, further ensuring the welding qualification rate.”

"The software equipped with this robot supports one-click model change function, which can effectively cope with the model change needs of multiple varieties and small batches of production lines, and improve the flexibility of the production line."

"It also integrates external axis control functions and supports up to 3 bus servo controls to cope with application scenarios such as ground rails and positioners."

“In addition, it also supports a variety of mainstream bus communication methods, including DeviceNet, CANopen, EtherCAT, PN, MC, EIP, TCP/IP, RS485, and ModbusTCP, etc., which can easily be implemented with mainstream welding machines. , servo, PLC and other peripheral equipment efficient cooperation."

"Another point is that our robot is equipped with a software platform that is more suitable for ordinary operators. It does not require grammar memory, supports Chinese notes and health maintenance reminder functions, etc., so users can easily get started."

Li Shigui confidently introduced his company's products there.

Nanshan Robot is definitely the most technologically advanced robot company in the country. Among global robot companies, it is also ahead of its peers.

It’s just that many people don’t acknowledge this fact, or are not fully aware of it.

But it won’t take long, everyone will realize this sooner or later.

Just like Phillips, he was quite surprised when he heard Li Shimin introduce the arc welding robot of Nanshan Robot.

Phillips is a Ph.D., and he also had a technical background in his early years.

Although he is not a professional in robots, he still knows a lot about welding robots.

After all, this is the most commonly used robot in the factory.

"Phillips, if the welding workshop of BMW's new factory uses Nanshan Robot's complete solution, the automation rate can reach 95%. It can be said that except for the rework station, all welding automation will be realized."

"We use the latest welding technology, including laser welding, spot welding, brazing, arc welding and stud welding, etc., to improve efficiency while saving energy consumption."

"And the entire welding process is monitored by cameras to ensure the quality of the solder joints."

"We can also equip the welding robot with a heat recovery system. The heat generated during the robot's welding process can be recovered and used for indoor temperature regulation in winter."

After Li Shigui introduced the arc welding robot, Cao Yang supplemented the explanation.

This year can be said to be a turning year for the popularity of robots.

In the next ten years, various robots, including welding robots, will rapidly enter various factories.

China's robot production will also see explosive growth.

Nanshan's new welding robot factory will be officially put into production early next year.

When the time comes, after robots with more advanced technology and lower costs are introduced to the market, Nanshan Robot will surely sweep away its opponents and become the leading company in the industry.

Even the construction of BMW's new factory this time will allow Nanshan Machinery and Nanshan Equipment to show their talents together.

Regarding Li Shigui and Cao Yang's explanations, Phillips naturally had no reason to object to their participation.

He even originally intended to take this opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Nanshan Group.

Now that I see that Nanshan Group's products are so advanced, I don't need to worry about whether there will be any side effects during the cooperation process.

Even after Phillips met with Cao Yang, he immediately called Aimoha and briefly expressed his opinions.

So when Cao Yang and his group went to see Aimoha, things went even smoother.

"Mr. Cao, I have gained a lot of experience in visiting BMW people with you this time."

After the visit, Zhang Sheng and Cao Yang took the same car back to the hotel.

He knew that Nanshan Group was very technical and would not be willing to play a supporting role.

But after seeing the performance introduction of Nanshan Robot's latest products, I realized that Nanshan Group's strength has become so strong.

As a stamping equipment manufacturer, Ji'er Machine Tool Factory actually needs to purchase some robots.

Especially when the TDM press needs to be automated, a robot needs to be installed between the two presses to transport semi-finished products.

Therefore, Zhang Sheng also has a relatively deep understanding of the performance of robots.

The more you learn about it, the more you realize how powerful Nanshan Robot is.

That's why I feel so emotional.

"Mr. Zhang, we are just making a start. It is difficult to say whether we will be able to successfully obtain orders for BMW Brilliance's new factory in the end."

"Judging from the current situation, the people at BMW should not have any objections to us."

"Now it depends on whether you can smoothen the relationship with Huachen smoothly."

"As long as both shareholders have no objections and our product QCD is impeccable, the order will be considered stable."

Cao Yang was not arrogant because of Zhang Sheng's praise.

The product is good, but he has seen too many cases of lost orders.

So you can’t relax until the last minute.

"Leave this to us, and if I can't figure it out, I'll ask someone who can figure it out to help me figure it out."

"Our products are the most advanced in the country, and there is no reason why Brilliance people should not support us."

Zhang Sheng had no confidence in taking down the BMW people.

But he is still very confident in dealing with Huachen's people.

This can be regarded as a Chinese characteristic.

…

Just after Cao Yang and his team visited the people from BMW, and then the people from BMW Brilliance, people from Schuler and Aida also appeared in the BMW Brilliance factory.

"Lucas, I just seemed to see someone from Aida."

The circle of the automotive industry is very small, and the circle of automotive equipment is even smaller.

Xu Dacheng has been at Schuler for more than ten years, and he has a clear understanding of the situation of his old rivals Huida, Nanshan Equipment, Ji'er Machine Tool Factory and other manufacturers.

Even at some industry associations or client bidding sites, everyone has seen each other.

It was normal for him to recognize Liu Wenfei and Kato Ichiro from Aida immediately.

"The people in Aida don't give up, either?"

"There's no way BMW can leave the order to them!"

Following the direction of Xu Dacheng's finger, Lucas saw several familiar figures, and his expression turned bad.

No matter how much confidence he has in Schuler's products, having another competitor is definitely not a good thing.

In particular, Aida's skills are not bad, and he can tie with Schuler internationally.

It would be really annoying if the other party offers a low price to disgust you.

"How about I make an appointment with each other later, and we can all come out to do it in the evening and have a good communication?"

Xu Dacheng obviously wanted to use off-board moves to communicate with Aida.

For example, let the other party accompany the bid?

In some bidding fields, accompanying bids is also relatively common.

The so-called accompanying bidding means that before a project enters the bidding process, the bidding unit has determined the intended unit, and then the intended unit contacts the relevant units to participate in the bid invitation according to the requirements of the bidding process, so as to ensure that the intended unit achieves the purpose of winning the bid.

To put it bluntly, it means recruiting a few people to play with you so that the bidding process can comply with the process and withstand audits.

But the actual things have already been decided.

Similar things have definitely happened in many places.

Especially in some construction fields, this situation is more common.

Therefore, sometimes there are policies from above and countermeasures from below.

Even if you participate in bidding, you can get a sum of money.

"We will see the situation after meeting with BMW Brilliance people first."

Lucas frowned and thought for a moment, but still didn't dare to do anything illegal.

For companies like Schuler, the headquarters also audits the legal compliance issues of each branch every year.

Once problems arise in this area, it will be useless if your performance is very good.

Of course, even in foreign companies, sometimes there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom.

It's just to avoid using abnormal means, and Lucas definitely hopes not to use them.

Similarly, Xu Dacheng saw Liu Wenfei, and the other party also noticed their arrival.

After all, when BMW Brilliance's purchasing department ended the meeting just now, they specifically mentioned that they would meet with Schuler later.

So Liu Wenfei paid special attention to his surroundings when he left.

This time, I saw Schuler's Xu Dacheng, Lucas and others.

"Liu Sang, according to our investigation, BMW's past stamping shop presses all used Schuler products."

"This time is likely to be no exception. It seems to be very difficult for us to grab orders from Schuler."

Ichiro Kondo is self-aware and knows that it is very difficult to win orders from Schuler at BMW.

This is just like Schuler going to Toyota or Honda to grab orders from Aida. It is also very difficult.

There is protectionism everywhere and there are humanities and sophistication.

Don’t think that only China is like this.

“We took a look at Schuler’s servo presses, and their products do have some unique features.”

"Schüler's servo-driven press directly replaces the traditional press drive device consisting of main motor, clutch, brake, flywheel, transmission shaft, etc. with a servo motor device, reducing the number of components of the drive device by half."

"This approach greatly simplifies the structure of the mechanism, reducing the height of the press above the ground to less than 9m, and the depth of the press below the ground to less than 4m."

“The size of the press is reduced by about half, reducing the floor space, which can greatly reduce the cost of the stamping workshop and basic special structures.”

“However, our products also have these advantages of Schuler’s servo presses.”

"Even compared with traditional mechanical presses, our servo press does not require the consumption of circulating water, and at the same time, the power consumption can be reduced by about 40%, thus greatly saving energy consumption."

"And we use variable frequency speed regulation technology to reduce the heat generated by the AC servo drive system during the working process of the press and improve electrical efficiency. This is especially important for large-capacity, low-speed motors used in stamping workshops."

As a senior salesperson, Liu Wenfei is quite familiar with the performance of his own products.

However, no matter what he said, he could not dispel the doubts in Kondo Ichiro's mind.

Especially in the evening of that day, when Schuler's people took the initiative to contact him for a meeting, Kondo's mood became even more complicated.

After much deliberation, he finally took Liu Wenfei to Schuler's dinner.

"Minister Kondo, I believe you also know why we invited you here today, so before eating and drinking, let's finalize things first?"

Although Lucas has lived in China for many years, he still likes to speak directly.

In his opinion, since Ichiro Kondo chose to come over for the appointment, it meant that the other party had already considered the relevant issues in his heart, and he could directly finalize it.

"Lucas, are you really so sure about the press at BMW's new factory this time?"

Although he knows that he has no chance, Kondo must still find a way to find out as much information as possible, and even get some benefits.

Otherwise, all the benefits will be taken away by Schuler. If he goes to accompany the bidder, he will obviously suffer a lot.

"I can't say I'm 100% sure, but it's still 70% to 80% certain."

"Everyone in the industry knows the level of Schuler's servo presses."

"We at Schuler have been working closely with BMW for decades."

“I don’t think Aida has any special advantages in this project.”

Lucas said while staring at Kondo Ichiro.

"BMW Brilliance is going to build a new factory, and their suppliers will definitely need to expand related production capacity."

"I hope that Schuler can also give Aida some support in this regard."

Kondo Ichiro's words were obviously negotiating terms.

Aida accompanied the bid on BMW's new factory project and assisted Schuler in obtaining orders.

But Schuler wants to help Aida with press orders from parts manufacturers.

Such a transaction is definitely illegal.

But illegal things actually happen every day.

As long as no one is caught with evidence, this kind of thing will definitely continue to happen in the future.

"No problem, but we can only cooperate with the bidding activities of two suppliers at most. For other manufacturers, we all have to show our talents!"

Lucas hesitated briefly before agreeing to Kondo's conditions, but he also set a threshold.

If Kondo comes to him with this condition every time in the future, it will definitely not work.

He still thinks it's acceptable to free up orders from two suppliers.

"No problem, it's a deal!"

Kondo Ichiro is not greedy.

BMW Brilliance's suppliers often keep an eye on the OEM's actions.

Therefore, it is relatively common to use Schuler presses.

In this case, Lucas was willing to free up the orders from the two suppliers and give them to Aida, which Kondo thought was acceptable.

Once the general direction is agreed upon, the rest of the matter will be easier to handle.

Everyone eats and drinks well, and then goes to the next show happily.

Anyway, the expenses of these activities can be reimbursed.

Sometimes you can even get reimbursed by the company if you spend it yourself.

As long as you don't go too far, everyone will turn a blind eye.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

Otherwise, when some companies want to lay off employees in the future, if the employees in the sales department do not cooperate, then arrange for someone to check the employee's accounts.

Nine times out of ten, a simple search will reveal the problem.

At that time, not only the compensation for layoffs may be saved, but also some money can be given back to the company.

Of course, if you do this too much, it will definitely be very harmful.

If you encounter a strong salesperson and directly drag the customer into the water, it will be a lose-lose situation.

Similar things have never happened in the industry.

For example, sales take some evidence and go around reporting customers and companies.

At that time, high-end customers will be directly afraid of your company. This kind of thing is absolutely unacceptable.

So usually, companies just use accounting audits to scare people.

Most people can't stand being frightened and will soon give in.

After all, not everyone has the courage to hurt both sides.

If you really do something like that, your career will basically be over.