Smart manufacturing drives development of toy industry in Chenghai, Shantou city

Toys are displayed at a cultural and tourism industrial park in Chenghai district of Shantou city, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

During the 20th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), which was held in late May 2024, 18 robots made from building blocks performing the Yingge Dance, a form of folk dance popular in south China's Guangdong Province, caught the attention of spectators.

"We try to infuse more technological and cultural elements into the toys, add new luster to the Yingge Dance, an intangible cultural heritage, and explore a path for the toy industry to transform from being able to manufacture to intelligent manufacturing," said Chen Ruifeng, president of Guangdong Qunyu Interactive Technology Co., Ltd., which developed the building block robots displayed at the 20th ICIF.

The company, located in Chenghai district, Shantou city, Guangdong, has created a range of smart mecha products using building blocks. By combining smart programming with building blocks, users can design customized movements for the mecha products through programming, enabling personalized interaction, Chen explained.

The toy industry in Chenghai began to flourish in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 21st century, Chenghai has embraced new technologies such as numerical control machine tools and fully-automated numerical control injection molding machines to further develop the toy industry. As a result, Chenghai has established itself as a well-known production and export base for gift toys, gaining recognition both domestically and internationally.

"In recent years, the toy industry in Chenghai has undergone a digital transformation," said Lin Kuan, chief engineer of the bureau of industry and information technology of Chenghai district. Through the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Chenghai has upgraded its industrial chain, evolving from a toy manufacturer to a producer of high-quality toys, and ultimately achieving smart toy manufacturing.

Six years ago, Xie Weichun, a veteran in the toy industry with almost 20 years of experience, faced a significant crisis. She encountered challenges in recruiting employees and ensuring product quality within the traditional manual manufacturing processes.

Guangdong Yuxing Technology Industrial Co., Ltd., founded by Xie, establishes "movable building blocks are more fun" as its theme. Acknowledging that each set of building blocks requires a significant amount of manual labor, Xie was determined to tackle this challenge. With a strong resolve, she set out to enhance the automation and intelligent production of building blocks.

In 2018, Guangdong Yuxing Technology Industrial Co., Ltd. collaborated with Shantou Gooders Precision Technology Co., Ltd. to establish an automated smart production line.

The automated smart production line operates around the clock, resulting in the reduction of production costs by over 40 percent. With the implementation of smart manufacturing, the company has expanded its toy product sales to 29 European countries, leading to consistent revenue growth.

Today, the toy industry in Chenghai is experiencing a widespread shift towards intelligentization and digitalization.

Shantou is actively supporting this transition by organizing events where companies can access the latest technologies and innovative solutions. This has boosted the digitalization of the industry, particularly in the areas of building blocks and Rubik's cubes, which have realized smart manufacturing.

Moreover, more than 100 toy enterprises in Chenghai have undergone a digital transformation this year, resulting in a 30 percent increase in production efficiency and a significant improvement in the overall digitalization level of the industry cluster.

Chenghai accounts for nearly half of the national production of plastic toys. It boasts the highest number of toy brands and authorized patents in the country.