The first drone off the composite materials automated production line at the Geely Technology General Aviation Manufacturing Base. [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]
The launch ceremony for China's first composite materials automated production line for general aviation aircraft was held in the Geely Technology General Aviation Manufacturing Base in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WHDZ) on Oct 27.
The event was attended by government officials from Hubei province, Wuhan, and the development zone.
The automated production line reportedly will save more than 60 percent on labor costs, and can produce more than 1,000 industrial drones with a wingspan of over four meters annually.
The Geely Technology General Aviation Manufacturing Base in WHDZ occupies a total area of 267,000 square meters and integrates research, production, assembly, testing and delivery of aviation products, such as manned city aircraft and drones.
Xiu Zhihao, chief executive officer of Geely Technology Group Co, said that the base will continue to leverage the company's supply and manufacturing chain advantages and make full use of abundant supplier resources, and that Geely will provide a new growth engine for Wuhan's industrial upgrade and high-quality development.
Since 2017, Geely has made significant headway in the general aviation business, and has now formed a "products + services + software" aviation industrial layout. The business has also overlapped with other industries to form diverse consumption and application scenarios in aerial mapping, emergency aid, and public security.
