On January 18, the German material manufacturer Covestro and the global large-scale home appliance brand Haier formally signed a cooperation agreement in Qingdao. Joint Laboratory”. As an important measure for Covestro to implement its global digital strategy, the laboratory will be dedicated to the research and development of digital solutions related to polyurethane technology in the production of home appliances, aiming to set a new benchmark for the digital transformation of the chemical industry.
Polyurethane—an ideal thermal insulation material
Polyurethane rigid foam is an ideal material for high-efficiency thermal insulation, and is widely used in refrigerator manufacturing and other fields. In the manufacturing process of refrigerators, it is required to ensure the precise amount of material injected into the shell and ensure the quality of foaming to achieve complete filling. Therefore, polyurethane and its foaming process are very important to the refrigerator manufacturing industry.
However, due to the extremely complex characterization of polyurethane in the foaming process, this material characteristic has become a major challenge for the home appliance industry to realize intelligent production. As the inventor of polyurethane, Covestro hopes to help the home appliance industry meet challenges through digital solutions.
Digital process optimization model
Through the “Haier-Covestro Digital Joint Laboratory”, the two parties will acquire production line data, online quality monitoring, data analysis and Joint research and development solutions in multiple fields such as mining and process optimization. Covestro expects to achieve continuous improvement in polyurethane foam production through data analysis and modeling, optimize foam quality, help companies reduce production costs, and bring new opportunities to the home appliance industry in the digital age.
Dr. Ulrich Liman, Global Head of R&D of Covestro Polyurethane Business Unit, said at the signing ceremony: “By co-constructing the laboratory, Covestro can give full play to its expertise in polyurethane materials and foaming. Haier can use its innovative capabilities in industrial automation and big data analysis to jointly open a new frontier for the digital transformation of the chemical industry.”
The Pioneer of Intelligent Manufacturing
COSMOPlat is the world’s first industrial Internet platform launched by Haier that introduces the user’s full-process participation experience. It can realize the transition from mass manufacturing to mass customization, reshape the industrial value chain and ecological chain, empower enterprises, users, resource parties, etc., and build a new manufacturing ecosystem that creates a win-win situation.
The relevant person in charge of Haier said: “As an open multilateral interactive co-creation and sharing ecological platform, Haier COSMOPlat’s mass customization model centered on user experience can be replicated across industries, fields, and cultures. An industrial Internet platform with global applicability. This cooperation with Covestro will undoubtedly inject the innovative power of chemical digitalization into Haier’s intelligent manufacturing development.”
Mass Customization Solutions
In recent years, various industries in China have continued to deepen digital transformation, and for the traditional chemical industry, digital transformation is also related to the development of many upstream and downstream industrial chains. In the future, Covestro and Haier will adhere to the long-term strategic partnership of mutual benefit and win-win, and continue to develop innovative products and digital solutions. With the support of the COSMOPlat platform, successful research and development results will be verified to provide personalized process solutions for other applications of polyurethane, thereby realizing mass customization of solutions.
Dr. Michael Schmidt, Head of Innovation Asia Pacific of Covestro, and Dou Zheng, Vice President of Covestro Polyurethane Business Unit China, respectively led the R&D and sales teams to attend the signing ceremony, expressing that the The new cooperation model is expected to further strengthen the all-round cooperation between Covestro and Haier. The joint laboratory is an important measure of digital R&D in Covestro’s digital strategy. The two parties jointly explore digital technology solutions related to polyurethane foam to further promote the process of intelligent manufacturing in the home appliance industry and mass customization solutions in the chemical industry.
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