Mr. Yang Wenxiong, General Manager of Synergie Machinery, was interviewed by ACT International for its special 2023 outlook report.

The Q&A-style interview focused on the outlook and transformation of China’s manufacturing industry in 2023 against the backdrop of 2022 events. For Synergie, 2022 was a challenging year of growth, in which we pursued development amid stability and innovation amid progress. For 2023, we aim to fulfill our aspirations and live up to the times.

Q: As China-US trade frictions persist and the U.S. government imposes restrictions on China’s semiconductor and electronics industries, Chinese manufacturers are under pressure. What challenges and opportunities has the pandemic brought to enterprises? How do you view industry changes in the new year?

Although the pandemic is fading, I believe China-US trade frictions will continue. The U.S. government’s restrictions on China’s semiconductor and electronics sectors go far beyond its claimed security concerns and reflect over-politicization. Fortunately, our government has long planned strategically. The 14th Five-Year Plan clearly outlines the goal to advance the sophistication of the manufacturing industrial base, modernize the industrial chain, and enhance economic quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness.

Under national guidance, many factories are transforming from “traditional manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing,” with digitalization supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in overcoming challenges.

As a Shenzhen-based intelligent equipment manufacturer, Synergie actively responds to national initiatives by focusing on intelligent cleaning technologies. Our recent innovations, including intelligent nozzle cleaning and sorting systems and intelligent stencil cleaning and inspection machines, serve China’s manufacturing sector.

In the new year, we will continue to develop new intelligent cleaning and inspection technologies. We are ready to work with industry partners to deliver better products and services and jointly set new benchmarks for China’s intelligent manufacturing.

Q: In the intelligent upgrading of production, enterprises need to achieve interconnection and data collection across equipment to improve efficiency, visibility, and flexibility. What can Synergie provide in this regard?

Data is a fundamental element of smart factories. To achieve efficient coordination across stations, data interconnection is essential alongside standardized workflows to boost productivity and yield. Massive data is generated at every stage of manufacturing.

Take SMT assembly as an example: nozzle mounting volume, scrap types and counts, maintenance records, vacuum performance, and end-face images were often underutilized due to equipment limitations.

Synergie has continuously developed intelligent nozzle management technologies. Through intelligent cleaning and inspection, we help customers significantly reduce material waste in SMT assembly. No manual contact with nozzles is required, and data such as images and maintenance logs can be seamlessly integrated into customers’ MES systems, enabling effective nozzle management and greatly improved mounting efficiency.

Q: Electronics products are becoming smarter, more compact, and produced in smaller, more varied batches. This demands higher automation and stronger process capabilities. How does Synergie respond?

In the labor-intensive era, manufacturers relied on detailed work instructions and manual operation to ensure consistent quality. With the rise of smart factories and rising costs, managers must balance technology and labor.

Synergie’s management team recognized this early. Since 2015, we have built a team focused on automation control. In 2017, we intensified R&D in visual inspection and upgraded conventional cleaning technologies.

Our Series 209 and 211 intelligent nozzle cleaning and inspection machines use advanced vision algorithms to automatically handle micro nozzles below 0201 that are difficult to inspect manually, improving assembly yield and reducing waste.

In 2022, we extended our technology to stencil management with the launch of our intelligent stencil cleaning and inspection machine. It efficiently cleans and inspects high-precision, fine-pitch stencils, enabling scientific control of the SMT printing process and enhancing quality.

Profile

Yang Wenxiong holds a Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Nanotechnology from City University of Hong Kong. He previously served as a Senior Engineer at DEK China R&D and an Engineer at Universal Instruments China R&D. He has extensive project and equipment development experience in the U.S. and U.K. and over 20 years in the electronics manufacturing industry. He currently serves as Business Development Manager at Shenzhen Synergie Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd., overseeing product strategy, R&D, and market launch.

Closing Remarks

From a professional to an entrepreneur, Mr. Yang Wenxiong has deeply rooted himself in the automation industry with passion and determination. His product positioning, strategic planning, and insights into China’s manufacturing are built on decades of industry experience. We wish China’s manufacturing sector continued growth, scaling new heights and reaching new horizons in the future.