Hit 100 Million Again: Nike, In Jiangsu Taicang To Create A Global Unmanned Intelligent Logistics!

Nike adds $100 million in Taicang to build global leading logistics warehousing

In November 26th, the Taicang municipal government and Nike sports (China) Co., Ltd. signed an agreement on a full-automatic library project. Nike will invest 100 million US dollars in Taicang to build the world's leading high level full-automatic warehouse and storage facilities to meet the needs of business development.

It is reported that Nike's warehouse and rack integrated automatic library is an intelligent large-scale logistics storage facility, which can realize automatic operation in warehouse, improve production efficiency by three times, enhance the storage and distribution capabilities of enterprises, and lay a solid foundation for Nike's sustainable development in China.

　　 Since investing in Taicang in 1996 to establish its first company in China, Nike has continuously deepened cooperation with Taicang, expanded investment, set up production bases, set up headquarters in China and built world-class logistics centers, which has made important contributions to Taicang's economic and social development. At the beginning of this year, the three phase project of Nike China, which invested 100 million US dollars, was invested in the Taicang hi tech Zone. The construction area was expanded by 30% to 260 thousand square meters, which greatly improved the cargo handling capacity of the logistics center.

As the world's leading sports shoes, clothing and equipment company, Nike has been deeply cultivating the Chinese market for decades. China has become one of its most important product manufacturing bases, one of the fastest growing sales regions and the second largest market in the world after the United States. Since investing in Taicang in 1996 to establish its first company in China, Nike has continuously deepened cooperation with Taicang, expanded investment, set up production bases, set up headquarters in China and built world-class logistics centers, which has made important contributions to Taicang's economic and social development. At the beginning of this year, the three phase project of Nike China, which invested 100 million US dollars, was invested in the Taicang hi tech Zone. The construction area was expanded by 30% to 260 thousand square meters, which greatly improved the cargo handling capacity of the logistics center.

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Adidas suddenly announces closing of intelligent factory

What is the future manufacturing plant?

Many people can imagine that in the future, automatic machines will replace factories and produce 24 hours of high efficiency.

This intelligent factory sounds perfect, but it's not easy to practice. Adidas recently announced the closure of intelligent factories in Europe and America. 。

Adidas announced that it will close its two high-tech "robot factory" Speedfactory in Bach, Germany, and the city of Atlanta, Germany, by April 2020. At the end of this year, it will use Speedfactory technology to work with two Asian suppliers to produce sports shoes and other products.

Adidas confirmed the above information and said that it has accumulated experience in the new production methods developed in Ansbacher and Atlanta factories. In the future, with the combination of suppliers and related technologies, Speedfactory shoes will provide more changes, and expand the scope of available products to further shorten the development and production delivery cycle, so that the company can continue to respond quickly to the needs of consumers.

　　 In 2016, Adidas, in cooperation with Oechsler Motion, a German automation company, opened the first high-tech robot factory in Bach, Germany, Speedfactory, and manufactured footwear products through the fully automated robot factory known as "fast factory". But now the plant will be closed in 2020. The company said that it had achieved its goal but might not have achieved the desired result.

Speedfactory is currently the fully automated factory representing Adidas's top technology, but the production of these two factories is very small. Compared with Adidas's annual output of 400 million pairs of sports shoes, Speedfactory's annual output is only 1 million pairs.

　　 Adidas spokesman Claudia Lange said that at present, more than 90% of Adidas's manufacturing is completed in Asia, and the introduction of Speedfactory automatic production line to Asia, closer to suppliers, is very natural. "This is not for financial considerations, but for organizational structure."

Martin Shankland, head of Adidas global operations, said that by using the tested production process in Speedfactory, it can not only produce running shoes in a short time, but also produce models of other product categories, and the company will continue to improve and test manufacturing processes in adiLab of Scheinfeld, Germany. Adidas will also continue to work with Ansbacher, the operator of Atlanta Speedfactories, in other manufacturing areas, such as the use of Boost technology to produce soles, football soles and 4D printing soles.

A Adidas supply chain enterprise executive told the first financial reporter: "Adidas's main manufacturing base is in the Asia Pacific region, so from the point of view of production, the scale production of new technology will take some time, but in Europe it is impossible to achieve effective production." He believes that Adidas moved the factory to Asia to prove that it will start large-scale production of new technology in its market place, and that if new Asian factories use 3D printing technology, it will also meet its environmental needs to further reduce its carbon emissions.

Not only is running shoes, but many products of German manufacturing industry have begun to use 3D printing technology, such as aircraft engine, auto parts and so on. As long as there are customized products, 3D printing technology will become a trend. 3D printing technology is seen as changing the disruptive technology of the 12 trillion manufacturing industry in the world, but its prospect of scale is still uncertain.

Hewlett-Packard Company, CEO Dion Weisler, who has been ambitious in 3D printing and predicted to subvert manufacturing in 5 to 10 years, has officially resigned this month. Weisler is a firm believer in 3D printing technology. His resignation has raised doubts about whether the 3D printing technology can really cater for the manufacturing needs.

First financial reporter understands that HP is also Adidas's partner in global 3D printing. Adidas's automatic printing production technology, to large-scale spread, there is still a certain degree of risk and unknown. Adidas did not announce the reasons for the closure of the Speedfactory plant, but speculation was not related to the Speedfactory factory's failure to meet mass production. The two factories could only produce some shoes and sole products, and could not produce rubber soles.