Intelligent assembly lines boost mass production of satellites

WUHAN, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Mechanical arms and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) operated by a digital manufacturing control system can be seen throughout a satellite production workshop in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

The facility is home to China's first intelligent production line for small satellites. Located in the Wuhan satellite industrial park, it was built by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

The production line was put into operation in 2021, producing more than 10 satellites to date.

Based on intelligent manufacturing technology, the production line has high flexibility and efficiency, and is of high quality, capable of meeting the demand for both individually produced and mass-produced small satellites.

It now has an annual output of more than 200 small satellites weighing less than 1 tonne, a storage capacity of 60 satellite parts and 60 whole satellites, and a logistics distribution automation rate of over 95 percent, which greatly improves production efficiency and quality.

The rapid development of commercial satellites and satellite constellation construction has brought high demand for mass-produced satellites.

CASIC provides customized services, including the entire satellite development and production process, mass production and testing, and services for satellite users at home and abroad.

It successfully completed the final-assembly tests of 12 satellites for the Tianmu constellation in approximately four months last year, shortening the production cycle of a single batch of satellites by more than 13.5 percent.

The successful delivery of these satellites tested the production capacity of the assembly line in full, marking its transformation from individual production to mass production, and marking the maturity of commercial space operations.

CASIC's digital assembly production line project passed review in March 2024. The new line integrates assembly, testing, warehousing and logistics, management and control, and information technology, aiming to realize the large-scale production of satellites.

Intelligent satellite production lines have effectively improved aircraft production capacities and quality control capabilities, and promoted the transformation and intelligent upgrading of aircraft.