Aluminum alloy CNC machining encounters robot mass production line - opportunities for precision parts outsourcing factories have changed

On September 8th, Xiaopeng Robot's automated production line was officially put  use. The first high-level universal humanoid robot completed automated assembly  walked off the production line on its own. The core process automation rate exceeded 80%,  it will enter mass production by the end of the year. As soon as the news came out, several friends who work in robot hardware came to ask the same question: Is there still a chance for outsourcing precision parts since the entire machine factory has built its own production line?

Shenzhen Huiwen Zhizao has been deeply involved in the processing of robot components for many years. The answer is  complicated: outsourcing will  be replaced, but it will be screened. The automated production line solves the problem of "consistent assembly" of the entire machine,  its requirements for upstream parts are  decreasing but increasing. At the time of semi manual trial production, assembly technicians could still rely on repair  assembly to provide a backup; Once the production line is automated, there is no margin for "one repair" in the tolerance chain,  consistency of parts  traceability of batches become a hard threshold. Pushing back to mass production, we are currently in the most intensive window for NPI trial production  process ramp up. The outsourcing demand for multiple varieties of precision parts is  shrinking, but being released in a concentrated manner.

1、 What does a complete machine factory do,  what does an outsourced factory do? A clear table of division of labor boundaries

Nowadays, automated assembly lines are booming, but the core focus is always on whole machine assembly, calibration,  testing, without the need to handle all parts in-house. The whole machine factory should concentrate manpower  funds on the core links of the whole machine system logic, control algorithms,  assembly calibration; However, precision structural components  sub assemblies with multiple varieties, fast iteration,  small to medium batches are inherently suitable for outsourcing to professional manufacturing partners for completion. We have handled a large number of such projects,  the clear division of labor boundaries are roughly as follows:

Simply put, what a complete machine factory needs is never a small workshop that only knows how to process according to drawings, but a reliable manufacturing partner who can work together to tackle polishing processes during the NPI stage  withstand demand fluctuations during the mass production ramp up stage.

2、 The premise of 'pretending to be consistent' is' doing it consistently ', which relies on craftsmanship to solidify,  on experienced craftsmen

In the era of semi manual prototype making, the size difference of the parts was a few threads,  the assembly master could save it by filing  adding gaskets,  the whole machine could still operate. But the automated production line does  have this manual buffer - the robotic arm will  file the parts for you,  the consistency of the parts themselves directly determines the overall assembly yield. The experience we have accumulated through trial  error is that in order to ensure that every part meets the standard stably, we cannot rely on the on-site experience of experienced technicians to save the situation. We must transform implicit manual experience  standardized paper-based processes that can be implemented

1. FAI first article inspection. Every batch is put  production, every time the tool is changed, the first piece is fully inspected  confirmed to be qualified before batch production can proceed, blocking the risk of errors in the entire batch  the source;

2. SPC process statistical control. Periodic sampling of key dimensions, monitoring the trend of size drift, compensating for offset caused by tool wear  thermal deformation in advance,  discovering out of tolerance only after all parts are completed;

3. Control the entire process of ECN version changes. Drawing iteration does  rely on chat messages  verbal communication. After completing the process of change orders, new version drawings, old version cancellations,  work in progress inventory, accidents of mixing old  new version materials have basically disappeared.

These requirements may sound like industry common sense, but there are actually very few factories that can implement them one by one. Huiwen Zhizao passed the IATF16949 automotive industry quality system certification at the beginning of 2025, which is equivalent to forcing us to put every control on paper documents with automotive grade standards - the first full-size report, inter process sampling records, batch traceability cards. Without any one, production is  considered complete. The 13 Zeiss CMM machines we have configured, along with over 50 various testing equipment, have never been set up to support the situation, but to ensure that every batch of parts is traceable  traceable.

We have seen too many projects repeatedly reporting errors on the final assembly line. Tracing the root cause is  a problem with the final assembly process, but rather the high dimensional dispersion between upstream parts batches,  the process has never truly solidified.

3、 Prototype to small batch, the four most prone obstacles to falling

'making a prototype that can run smoothly' to 'making a hundred mass-produced machines with consistent performance', it's  just about increasing the order quantity. We have accompanied a large number of clients in NPI import,  in summary, the four obstacles that are most prone to setbacks are:

1. Drawing hurdle. After passing all the motion simulations, it was discovered during production that there were problems with the drawing design: either the thin wall thickness was too small, the tolerances were contradictory,  tool interference was  detected in advance. Eventually, rework was carried out  the cost skyrocketed. DFM pre review is to eliminate these issues in advance before production. Our process is to conduct a process review on all drawings, including whether they can be done, how to do it,  suggestions for optimization. We will explain this clearly to the customer during the quotation stage,  never wait until the parts are put on the machine tool to initiate disputes.

2. Process hurdle. The prototype relied on temporary fixtures  conservative parameters to produce qualified parts,  the core process parameters did  settle  solidify; Once the batch is enlarged, the consistency of the parts immediately loses control.

3. Check for obstacles. Only conducting final inspection, without first article inspection, inter process inspection,  a complete batch traceability plan, it is impossible to find the root cause of any problems.

4. Supporting barriers. Finding one company for sample production  switching to another for mass production, incomplete handover of process documents, is equivalent to trial  error of the entire project  scratch.

This fourth hurdle is the most regrettable. Every time we change suppliers, we have to start over  scratch for drawing interpretation, tooling design, process debugging,  first article verification, which can take at least a few weeks. It is also easy for performance inconsistencies to occur between previous  subsequent batches of parts. We complete the delivery handover  sampling to small  medium-sized batches in the same factory area. The process parameters  testing records are directly used as they are,  customers do  need to go through a second mass production ramp up - old customers basically do  change factories when repurchasing,  this is the core reason.

4、 High degree of freedom components such as dexterous hands are shifting the industry  "buying loose parts" to "buying sub components"

Public information shows that Xiaopeng IRON has 21 degrees of freedom with one hand. A nimble hand is composed of hundreds  even thousands of small precision parts, mixed with various materials such as metal  engineering plastics,  layered with tolerance chains, making it extremely difficult to control.

If these components are only purchased as loose parts, the whole machine factory will have to assemble hundreds  thousands of small parts one by one, match tolerances,  troubleshoot interferences, occupying a large amount of assembly  testing resources. More  more customers are adopting a more efficient approach: entrusting the entire sub component to an outsourcing factory - after the parts are processed, the outsourcing factory first completes pre assembly  basic functional verification in the factory,  then delivers them in the form of modular sub components. The whole machine factory only needs to do upper level assembly, intercepting part level matching problems as much as possible within the supplier's factory area.

This requires a much higher level of capability  the outsourcing factory:  only must they be proficient in CNC machining, but they also need to have a site  professional team for component assembly, debugging,  verification. Our factory now undertakes the pre assembly  delivery of various robot sub components such as dexterous hands. The parts go through three coordinate inspection before being assembled,  then undergo full verification. The complete size report is delivered with the goods - the customer does  receive a package of scattered parts, but mature modules that can be directly installed.

5、 As soon as the batch is ready, we need to calculate the cost of the process route in advance

In the prototype development stage, using pure CNC to cut  process the entire billet is the fastest iterative solution with flexible drawing modification  no need for mold opening. But once the order volume increases, if we continue to use pure CNC technology, the cost of each piece cannot be reduced at all - one piece per processing time, most of the materials become chips, which wastes too much.

After entering the small  medium-sized batch stage, the composite process of die casting/liquid forging+CNC precision milling is a more cost-effective choice: the blank is formed near net shape, the large shape  thin-walled features are formed in one go,  the key mating surfaces such as bearing holes  sealing surfaces can be handed over to CNC precision repair. Liquid forging has a dense structure  can be processed by T6 heat treatment  welding. Its cost is 30% -60% lower than pure CNC machining, making it an ideal choice for making thick walled load-bearing components.

The key is to layout in advance,  we cannot wait until we have done a large quantity before thinking about changing the composite process. Our approach is to evaluate the subsequent mass production route with the customer in advance during the sampling stage. When designing the prototype structure, we should take  account the constraints of mold forming appropriately,  leave a draft angle if necessary to avoid local thick wall material accumulation; The prototype is first quickly verified using pure CNC,  after the structure is finalized, the blank is converted to die casting  liquid forging for forming. The key mating surfaces are then CNC refined. This is the smoothest transition  does  require major structural changes after finalization. We have 15 die-casting machines with specifications of 160T-800T, as well as 400T  1600T liquid forging equipment. 161 five axis machining centers are responsible for the precision machining process, connecting the entire process  blank forming to precision machining in the factory - saving time for outsourcing  transportation, as well as additional costs for intermediate links. Our quotation is itemized by process, including the amount of materials, processing,  surface treatment. Every penny spent by the customer is clearly stated.

6、 Before quoting, we usually align 5 things with the customer first

1. Clarify the stage of the project: NPI trial production, small-scale ramp up,  mature mass production? What is the approximate batch rhythm for the follow-up? This directly determines the choice of process route.

2. Align key mating surfaces  testing benchmarks: Clearly  uniformly mark design benchmarks, processing benchmarks,  testing benchmarks on the drawings, which can avoid detours in both quotation  processing.

3. Clarify the requirements for inspection  traceability: whether FAI first article report, three-dimensional full-size inspection, batch material traceability are required, clarify in advance to avoid subsequent disputes.

4. Confirm whether the sampling  mass production are undertaken by the same factory: it would be best if they could be undertaken by the same factory; If it is necessary to change factories, it should be clearly agreed in advance on how to transfer the process documents  how to reconfirm the first article.

5. Determine delivery form: Should it be delivered as individual parts  pre assembled sub components? If it is the latter, confirm the assembly scope  verification standards in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the core process automation rate of the production line reach 80% mean that all parts need to be self-made?

at all. This statistic refers to the overall assembly process of the entire machine, with a focus on assembly  calibration,  does  cover the processing  manufacturing of all upstream components. A large number of precision structural components that require rapid iteration still require the support of professional external supply chains.

Q: What are the key factors to consider when selecting outsourcing factories during the trial production stage?

Prioritize four core competencies: whether there is DFM drawing review ability; Can we output solidified process documents to truly implement FAI first article inspection  process testing; Is there a complete full process control for drawing version changes; Can we achieve a smooth transition  sampling to small-scale production within the same factory. The equipment list  quotation certainly need to be considered, but they cannot be used as the sole basis for judgment.

Q: Why is it  recommended to frequently change processing plants for small batch projects?

Every time we change suppliers, we have to redo the drawing interpretation, tooling design, process debugging,  first article verification. The time cost is substantial,  there is also a risk of losing process details. It is also easy for performance inconsistencies to occur between previous  subsequent batches of parts. During the climbing phase of NPI, changing suppliers particularly delays the project pace.

Q: Why are high degree of freedom components such as dexterous hands more suitable for modular outsourcing delivery?

The dexterous hand has a large number of parts, mixed materials,  complex tolerance chains. Handing over parts processing to outsourcing factories  pre assembly within the factory, a large number of parts matching  interference issues can be intercepted in advance at the supplier's end; The whole machine factory only needs to do upper level integration,  the pressure of final assembly  debugging will be much lower.

Q: What stages can Huiwen Zhizao cooperate with in project coverage?

Huiwen Zhizao is a full industry chain service provider for high-end robots, providing hardware component services that integrate design, intelligent manufacturing,  assembly -  DFM drawing review, prototype single piece sampling, multiple iterations, NPI new product introduction, to small  medium-sized mass production ramp up, the entire process can be undertaken; It can  only process precision CNC parts, but also deliver pre assembled finished products of robot sub components such as dexterous hands.

Humanoid robots are moving  the stage of prototype development to large-scale automated production lines,  the exam questions for the supply chain have been updated: the assessment of outsourcing factories has been upgraded  "whether they can make qualified samples" to "whether they have the collaborative ability of the entire manufacturing system". In recent years, Huiwen Zhizao has only focused on one thing: to solidly develop the hardware components of robots. On the quality side, we operate according to the IATF16949 automotive grade quality system, with 13 Zeiss three coordinate machines strictly controlling quality. We have implemented a complete set of FAI first article inspection, SPC process control,  batch traceability, with data available for each part; On the cost side, we accompany customers to calculate the production process account during the sampling stage. We have our own equipment for die-casting, liquid forging,  five axis CNC,  the itemized quotation is transparent  open, without any intermediate price increases; On the delivery end,  sampling to small batch production, the entire process is handed over to the same factory. The process does  require re debugging,  production scheduling is independently controllable. The ramp up of mass production will never hinder customers.

Finally, three reference sentences for R&D  procurement selection: whether the part process can be fully cured, whether the transition  sampling to climbing can be done in the same factory,  whether the testing, change,  traceability mechanisms have been truly implemented. Automated assembly is a leap in the capabilities of the entire machine factory, while the maturity of the upstream component supply chain is the underlying cornerstone for the smooth operation of mass production. Welcome to provide drawing consultation. You can send 2D drawings, 3D models,  related technical requirements to obtain DFM process evaluation  itemized quotations.