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China Doubles Production Efficiency of J-20 Stealth Fighter Components Using Lights-Out Factory
A Chengdu plant using autonomous vehicles and AI-driven machinery now produces the skeleton of a J-20 in near darkness with little human intervention. The advance removes the need for lighting and cuts energy consumption and operational costs. Song Ge, head of the factory’s digital manufacturing centre, said the fifth-generation warplane contains thousands of unique components.
May 12, 5:00 AM·1m read1 source
South China Morning PostAudio version
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China has more than doubled the production efficiency of stealth fighter components in a dark factory where autonomous vehicles and AI-driven machinery operate nearly 24 hours a day, South China Morning Post reported. The process once required employees to monitor its round-the-clock operations.
The plant can now produce the skeleton of an aircraft in near darkness, according to the official Science and Technology Daily.
Dark factories are facilities designed to operate with little to no human intervention. Dark factories remove the need for lighting. They cut energy consumption and operational costs. The lights-out factory now produces components for the J-20 fighter jet.
The J-20 is also known as the Mighty Dragon. It is seen as China’s answer to the American F-22 Raptor. The J-20 is a fifth-generation warplane designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Chengdu Aircraft Corporation is a subsidiary of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China.
The J-20 was declared combat-ready in 2018. Mass production of the J-20 began in 2020. The J-20 contained thousands of unique components, Song Ge, head of the Chengdu factory’s digital manufacturing centre, told Science and Technology Daily.
“The J-20 contained thousands of unique components.”
