Leading the High-Quality Development of Special Vehicles with Technological Innovation

April 9, 2024, an article titled "Cultivating Fertile Soil for New Productive Forces" was published in the China Market Regulation Newspaper. It reported on the company's adherence to a "technology-leading, differentiated" development strategy, overcoming the "bottleneck" problem of domestic insulation arm technology, multi-dimensional efforts, focusing on talent training and introduction, product quality improvement, industry standards and norms. Through the upgrading of the ERP system and the independent research and development project of AMR, the company has effectively improved the level of intelligent manufacturing, setting a model for intelligent and digital transformation within the industry.

The full text of the report is as follows:

Since ancient times, Pengcheng has been listed among the nine provinces, where ancient people have fought for thousands of years. Xuzhou, Jiangsu, has been a gathering place of heroes and outstanding figures since ancient times. Generation after generation, the people of Xuzhou have written legendary stories on the land of Huaihai.

Now, Xuzhou has become an economically vibrant land that attracts people from far and near. With the accumulation of new productive forces, Xuzhou, the "City of Construction Machinery in China," takes on heavy responsibilities with courage, aims to catch up and overtake, fights for a better life for the people, and charges towards high-quality development once again!

On March 18, reporters followed a themed interview group organized by the China Industry Newspaper Association titled "Developing New Productive Forces, Empowering High-Quality Development" into XUZHOU HANDLER SPECIAL VEHICLE CO., LTD (hereinafter referred to as HANDLER), to explore firsthand how Xuzhou is accelerating the development of new productive forces and enhancing new momentum for high-quality development.

From being "choked" to leading the industry

Products win the market, strategy determines the future.

As a high-end intelligent equipment company, HANDLER has always adhered to a "technology-leading, differentiated" development strategy since its inception, adhering to the development philosophy of "transforming traditional industries with high and new technology, promoting industry development through technological progress." It has established a business model "based on R&D innovation, centered on differentiated design customization, supported by flexible manufacturing, and ensured by meticulous service," continuously developing products with domestic leadership and international advanced levels.

"Look, the drone has 'flown' to an altitude of 150 meters." At HANDLER's Luoshan Road factory, staff demonstrated a high-altitude tethered drone firefighting vehicle developed by the company for aerial firefighting. This vehicle, developed by HANDLER's wholly-owned subsidiary Shanghai Glerman, is dedicated to solving the world's difficult problem of high-altitude firefighting.

"Firefighting and rescue in high-rise buildings are extremely difficult and are a global firefighting problem," said Yin Yaping, vice chairman and general manager of HANDLER. "Our firefighting vehicle currently has a leading capacity among similar products domestically and internationally, equipped with a generator to provide power for the drone, allowing for long-term aerial operations." Following Yin Yaping's direction, reporters saw the firefighting vehicle's front end equipped with a flight control command cabin, with bulletproof glass installed on the cabin's top and surroundings to ensure the flight controller's safety.

"The firefighting system is also specially developed for drone firefighting, and subsequent models will gradually form 180-meter and 200-meter series products. This vehicle can effectively solve the pain points of high-rise firefighting, improve the emergency rescue capability of firefighting, and protect the safety of firefighting personnel. Our mission is to make modern firefighting operations safer, more efficient, and smarter," Yin Yaping said.

How did HANDLER work to address the 'bottleneck' issue in the equipment manufacturing industry?

"The breakthrough in domestic insulation arm technology by HANDLER is the best example of addressing the 'bottleneck' issue," said Deputy General Manager Deng Haojie, who is in charge of research and development and quality work, in response to the journalist's question. "The market for domestic insulated aerial work vehicles and their key core components was previously monopolized by foreign companies. In 2018, as the trade friction between China and the United States intensified, HANDLER faced significantly increased import tariffs on equipment. To reduce reliance on foreign imported equipment and mitigate the risk of key core components being bottlenecked, the company decided to independently develop domestic insulation arms."

"We conducted extensive market research and analysis, introduced and cultivated a group of high-level talents, and collaborated with well-known domestic universities on joint technological cooperation and research. After more than 1,000 days and nights, and tens of thousands of tests, we successfully developed domestic insulation arms. HANDLER is the only enterprise in the industry to achieve domestic production of insulation arms, breaking the long-term dependence of the industry on foreign imports," Deng Haojie proudly stated.

Deng Haojie introduced to the journalist the comprehensive line pole operation vehicle developed by HANDLER. "This product integrates excavation, drilling, pole transportation, pole setting, and compaction into one. With this machine, it can complete the operation of pole setting for power industry rural distribution networks, fully mechanized, replacing traditional manual pole setting methods, significantly improving customer operational efficiency and safety."

"We also developed our independently researched and developed fifth-generation Tiananmen Huadeng maintenance platform, which can carry 2 tons, ten times that of ordinary aerial work vehicles. After the platform is deployed, it can accommodate 20 people working simultaneously, equipped with intelligent light bulb automatic cleaning technology and intelligent monitoring and command system, earning the title of 'China's First Vehicle,'" Deng Haojie enthusiastically continued. "In terms of aerial work vehicles, our company has independently developed multiple core technologies, including high-altitude complex hybrid arm technology, robotized intelligent control technology, large-span telescopic truss structure platform technology, high-performance composite material insulation arm winding and forming technology."

From multi-dimensional efforts to accumulating momentum

Developing new quality productivity focuses on "practicality," characterized by "innovation," and its essence lies in "excellence." In recent years, HAN

DLER has been steadfastly exploring new paths for the development of new quality productivity according to local conditions, making multi-dimensional efforts from the perspectives of innovation, talents, safety, standards, and quality, empowering enterprise growth.

Innovation is the key to developing new quality productivity and an important means of realizing the enterprise's development philosophy. Innovation includes not only technological and business model aspects but also management and institutional aspects.

For many years, HANDLER has adhered to the principles of GB/T19001-2016 "Quality Management System Requirements," GJB9001C-2017 "Quality Management System Requirements," "Compulsory Product Certification Implementation Rules for Automobiles" (CNCA-C11-01:2020), and "Certification Implementation Rules for Fire Protection Products" (CCCFCPRZ-30:2019), with the goal of pursuing excellence. It has built a comprehensive quality management model that involves all employees, all aspects, and all processes, effectively ensuring the quality of the company's products and forming a good market reputation.

Talent is the support for developing new quality productivity. In recent years, with the strong support of various levels of government and market supervision departments in Xuzhou City, HANDLER has been committed to creating a good environment for talent development, cultivating a large number of outstanding talents in various aspects such as enterprise management, technical research and development, and market sales, laying a talent foundation for sustainable development.

According to reports, HANDLER currently has more than 130 research and development personnel, including one leading talent in northern Jiangsu, one national labor model in the machinery industry, two members of the National Platform Standards Committee, and five high-level talents of "333" in Jiangsu Province. It has won more than 20 major product technology awards, including one second prize of national scientific and technological progress, three Jiangsu Province sientific and technological progress awards, one Jiangsu Province enterprise technology innovation award, and three sets of first major equipment products in Jiangsu Province.

Safety is the guarantee for developing new quality productivity. In recent years, under the guidance of market supervision departments, HANDLER has conscientiously implemented the main responsibility for production safety, fully equipped safety management personnel, clarified job responsibilities, further established and improved safety management systems, implemented safety responsibilities at all levels, and equipped safety directors and safety officers according to law. The management responsibilities are refined to specific positions and individuals, and corresponding training is organized to fundamentally eliminate hidden safety hazards, ensure that the main responsibility for production safety is implemented in place, and achieve zero accidents in safety production throughout the year while increasing output value.

Standards are the foundation for developing new quality productivity. As an industry leader, HANDLER not only actively formulates various standards but also formulates enterprise standards based on all the requirements of national standards, industry standards, and group standards. Following the principle that enterprise standards are higher than the above standards and cover all clauses, especially the requirements for safety and reliability, HANDLER strictly implements them and fully guarantees the safety and reliability of all products through in-house trials and tests.

Deng Haojie said, "In the research and testing of new products of aerial work vehicles in our company, we strictly follow the reliability test of 10,000 cycles of working devices as stipulated in the enterprise standards to ensure that our customers' aerial work is safer, more comfortable, and faster."

Artificial intelligence is the engine for developing new quality productivity. Currently, under the continuous empowerment of intelligent manufacturing and research and development, HANDLER's competitiveness in the technical field continues to strengthen. The company has not only formed a unique operating model based on the production characteristics of special vehicles but also realized efficiency improvement through flexible production and intelligent transformation of key processes. In addition, HANDLER has also carried out ERP system upgrades and independent research and development projects for AGV/AMR, effectively improving the level of enterprise intelligent manufacturing and setting an example for the industry's intelligent and digital transformation.

Where the water is deep, the fish leap; where the city is strong, businesses thrive. A good industrial environment and business environment are the best development assistance for enterprises. HANDLER's unwavering persistence and exploration in developing new quality productivity cannot be separated from the good business environment in Xuzhou City and a series of policies and measures to support enterprises.

Accelerating the formation of new quality productivity has become the flagship of high-quality development in Xuzhou, demanding higher standards for the business environment. To provide appropriate institutional and environmental safeguards for the development of new quality productivity, the Xuzhou Market Supervision Department, based on its market supervision functions, deeply implements the "industrial establishment and city development" strategy. Quality-led city is the guiding principle, focusing on standards measurement, certification and accreditation, inspection and testing, quality development, and intellectual property rights. The goal is to enhance enterprise quality management capabilities, innovate work mechanisms, deepen work measures, continuously carry out quality improvement actions, enhance the quality innovation competitiveness of leading enterprises, and the quality synergy capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises, cultivate competitive quality industries, and promote the high-quality development of industrial clusters in Xuzhou.

The cultivation of innovative industrial clusters is a key focus of Xuzhou Municipal Committee and Municipal Government's strategy to promote industrial development. The Xuzhou Market Supervision Department conducts in-depth research into the situation of innovation industrial clusters in various regions, conducts surveys in enterprises to understand their quality management situation, issues, and demands, and produces a high-quality "City-wide Analysis Report on the Quality Management Status of '343' Innovation Industrial Cluster Enterprises."

The report requires that each region must specify one or more industrial organizations for detailed research every year, produce a regional quality management analysis report, focus on identifying industry common problems, weak links, and quality shortcomings, and propose targeted quality improvement measures. Especially for large and medium-sized backbone enterprises, the focus is on improving the application level of excellent performance management models, enhancing the effectiveness of enterprise quality brand creation, and consolidating the foundation of enterprise quality management.

Vigorously carry out standardization and enhancement of enterprise measurement capabilities. Organize comparative analyses with advanced standards at home and abroad for key industries, regions, and products, helping companies identify gaps and find their positions, and promote the overall improvement of standard quality levels. Harness measurement technology to promote economic upgrading and efficiency improvement, providing leadership and support. Relying on measurement technology institutions, conduct annual special service actions for measurement service enterprises, closely align with the actual measurement needs of enterprises, provide precise measurement technical services, solve difficult testing problems for enterprises, and help enterprises improve their measurement management systems.

Standardize certification work. Implement the main responsibility of certified organizations, strengthen certification and inspection and testing supervision. Organize special training for responsible persons of 3C enterprises in the city, invite review experts to teach on mandatory product certification rules and detailed regulations, certification procedures, etc. Enterprise leaders sign commitments to implement the main responsibility, further solidifying the enterprise's quality main responsibility. To leverage inspection and testing institutions' technical support role in stabilizing enterprises and strengthening chains, organize enterprises to connect around the development needs of the industrial chain, promote the formation of a joint research and development technology service platform, encourage enterprises to carry out quality management system certification, and continuously promote the growth of various types of quality management system certification certificates.

Deepen the strong chain action of intellectual property rights. Continuously carry out intellectual property rights pledge financing to benefit enterprises, leverage big data to lead and support, promote the orderly flow and aggregation development of intellectual property resources. At the same time, formulate enterprise intellectual property rights advancement plans and high-value patent incubation center construction, leverage the advantages of the Xuzhou Intellectual Property Protection Center's rapid patent pre-examination, assist the Xuzhou smart manufacturing equipment industry in obtaining rapid authorization for high-quality invention patents, and promote the output of high-quality invention patents in Xuzhou.

The Xuzhou Market Supervision Department has also launched a combination of measures to promote key product quality breakthroughs, help enterprises in difficulty, and innovate quality governance models, aiming to accelerate Xuzhou's development into the main battlefield for the development of new quality productivity and the core engine for high-quality development, consolidating environmental "magnetic" attraction and core competitiveness.

Written Notes:

The rivers surge, spring tides rise, and with vigorous strides, we sail towards the "new." Compared with traditional productivity, new quality productivity incorporates entirely new qualitative elements, representing a leap in productivity levels, fundamentally advanced productivity. Aiming at the forefront of global technological progress, focusing on the great goal of comprehensively building a socialist modern country, the development of new quality productivity is not only an important driving force for promoting high-quality economic and social development in our country but also a crucial support nhancing our country's international competitiveness. It is an inevitable requirement for better meeting the needs of the people for a better life.

Those who discern trends are wise, and those who follow trends are intelligent. Nowadays, a group of representative enterprises focusing on new quality productivity has emerged everywhere, using technological innovation and industrial innovation as engines, opening up new paths, and stimulating new dynamics. HANDLER is one of them. As a journalist, I had the privilege to step into their factory workshop and personally feel the burgeoning momentum of new quality productivity, witnessing the responsibility and commitment of benchmark enterprises in Xuzhou leading the industry's high-quality development.

The development of new quality productivity is a systematic project, and creating a market-oriented, rule-of-law, and internationalized business environment is essential. Currently, it is imperative to unswervingly deepen reforms in economic systems and other related fields, accelerate the construction of an efficient, standardized, fair competition, and fully open national unified market, innovate the allocation of production factors, enabling enterprises to truly become the subjects of innovation, allowing various advanced and high-quality production factors to flow smoothly toward the development of new quality productivity, striving to create a favorable business environment, and providing institutional guarantees for the development of new quality productivity.

In recent years, the Market Supervision Department of Xuzhou City has continuously deepened reforms and consistently improved the business environment, with policies gaining momentum. From recognizing the pain points of the people, such as the difficulty in accessing services and handling affairs, to outlining the direction of reform as "letting the people make fewer trips and data travel more"; from the concept of "run once at most" to achieving "no need to run at all"… With the comprehensive and systematic deployment of digital government construction, Xuzhou has opened a new window for business environment reform, providing fertile ground for the cultivation of new quality productivity.

Through two days of research interviews, journalists deeply felt the unprecedented brilliance and vitality of today's Xuzhou. Various regions and departments, grounded in the present while looking to the future, actively support the development of strategic emerging industries and future industries, inspiring enterprises to accelerate their transformation towards digital intelligence and achieve deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy. Technological breakthroughs creating "new" and industrial upgrades enhancing "quality" are jointly shaping new quality productivity, forging a new engine for high-quality development.

With the surge of spring tides and surging momentum, Xuzhou is now stepping up efforts and forging ahead, using new quality productivity to compose the story of "spring."