Recently, reporters visited the production workshops of several rare earth enterprises in the Baotou Rare Earth High-tech Zone, where the once bustling scenes of manual inspections have been replaced by the precise operation of intelligent equipment. From AI quality inspection robots identifying defects in real time to smart monitoring systems simultaneously collecting equipment data, a comprehensive intelligent monitoring system covering the entire rare earth processing workflow is gradually taking shape, propelling the "Rare Earth Capital" from "manufacturing" to "smart manufacturing" at an accelerated pace.

The rare earth processing stage demands extremely high precision and safety standards, while traditional manual monitoring suffers from low efficiency, significant data deviations, and delayed risk prevention. Today, the deep integration of technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence with processing equipment is driving industrial transformation. In the workshop of Wolong Electric Drive (Baotou) Permanent Magnet Motor Co., Ltd., a fully automated testing system acts like a "precision butler," performing real-time performance tests on permanent magnet motors and synchronizing data to the control center. This not only resolves the issue of inconsistent manual testing data but also enhances production efficiency by 25%, with an annual testing capacity matching 14 million kilowatts of production output.

Precision monitoring is the core driver of intelligent upgrades. The vibrating rod level switch independently developed by Jiwei Automation has achieved stable application in key processes of rare earth separation and smelting. Its dual-tube nested structure and damping detection algorithm enable accurate identification of lightweight rare earth powder with densities as low as 0.02 g/cm³, ensuring continuous operation for over 10,000 hours in extreme conditions of high temperature, humidity, and dense dust, overcoming the industry challenge of imported equipment detection failures. Yongzhen Magnetic Materials' AI-powered intelligent quality inspection robot employs high-speed photoelectric detection to reduce both inspection errors and labor costs for magnetic steel products by over 80%, achieving ppm-level real-time control.

Policy support injects strong momentum into the intelligent upgrading of equipment. Baotou City introduced specialized policies for the digital transformation of the rare earth industry chain, providing precise support in areas such as equipment renovation, network upgrades, and "cloud-based data utilization." The High-tech Zone allocated定向资金 totaling hundreds of millions for digital transformation, with 107 projects included in the municipal transformation project database. The digital transformation rate among industrial enterprises above the designated size reached 73%. The intelligent factory project invested in by Jinlong Rare Earth, costing 23.84 million yuan, achieved a 29% reduction in production and transfer time through an intelligent equipment monitoring system, while reducing material misplacement and safety incident rates to zero. Annual cost savings exceeded 280,000 yuan, and the project also received nearly 3 million yuan in policy subsidies.

Enterprises collaborate to transform, forming industrial cluster effects. Service providers such as Caijiang Intelligence have tailored end-to-end digital solutions for Tianhe Magnetic Materials, establishing an integrated monitoring platform through an equipment management system to achieve real-time linkage of production, quality, and warehousing data. Antai North Technology has built the industry's first fully automated intelligent production line, becoming a benchmark factory with both AAA-level "Two Integrations" and three-tier smart manufacturing certifications through intelligent equipment monitoring and AI-precise control. As of now, six enterprises in the high-tech zone have been recognized as exemplary models of digital transformation by the autonomous region, while five have been rated as advanced-level smart factories.

"The intelligent upgrade of equipment monitoring is reshaping the competitive landscape of the rare earth industry." A relevant official from the Industrial and Information Technology Bureau of the Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Zone stated that leveraging the foundation of the Wan Zhaoyuan industrial park network, the zone is promoting the expansion of intelligent monitoring from single-point applications to full industrial chain coverage. In the future, with the widespread application of more domestically produced intelligent monitoring equipment, the rare earth industry will further break through efficiency and quality bottlenecks, steadily advancing from "world-class reserves" to "world-class industry.".