Xiaomi Scales Smart Manufacturing At Wuhan Hub, Peak Capacity 7 Mln Ac Units Annually
WUHAN, March 28 (Bernama) -- In the quiet halls of Xiaomi’s Smart Home Appliances Factory in Wuhan, robots glide along gleaming floors assembling high-end air conditioners, while only a handful of humans oversee operations.
More akin to a modern university campus than a traditional industrial plant, the complex is clean, highly organised and largely autonomous, offering a glimpse into the future of smart manufacturing. Here, every 6.5 seconds, a fully assembled air conditioner rolls off the line.
The rapid production cycle highlights the depth of automation and system coordination across manufacturing, inspection, and logistics processes, which are integrated to maximise efficiency and ensure consistent product quality.
Located in the East Lake High-Tech Development Zone in Hubei province, the facility is Xiaomi’s first self-built smart home appliances factory and the company’s third large-scale smart manufacturing base after its smartphone factory and electric vehicle (EV) super factory.
Covering more than 500,000 square metres and backed by a total investment of RMB2.5 billion, the complex began construction of its first phase on Dec 18, 2024, and officially commenced operations on Oct 28, 2025.
It brings together research and development (R&D), manufacturing, testing, and logistics within a single, integrated ecosystem.
In a recent media programme, Xiaomi opened the factory to representatives from Southeast Asia, offering a closer look at its innovations across smart home solutions, R&D and manufacturing processes.
Bernama, which was part of the visit, observed that the facility houses six core workshops, covering heat exchangers, electronics, injection moulding, sheet metal stamping, as well as indoor and outdoor air-conditioner assembly.
Key production lines operate on full automation, especially in the injection moulding and stamping workshops, where component precision is maintained within ±0.05 millimetres, comparable to hair-thin machining accuracy.
To streamline materials movement, the factory deploys a three-dimensional intelligent logistics system that links all six workshops to the finished goods warehouse via a 4.2-kilometre overhead rail network.
About 80 per cent of internal logistics is handled by this aerial system, while 161 autonomous mobile robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) vision and LiDAR technology ferry components across the factory floor.
At peak capacity, the facility can produce up to seven million air-conditioning units annually, with an estimated annual output value of approximately RMB14 billion.
The facility currently produces wall-mounted and floor-standing air conditioners, as well as residential central air-conditioning systems.
Its first product off the line was the Mijia Central Air Conditioner Dual Fan Pro, launched in mainland China in December 2025.
Bernama also observed that Xiaomi has integrated AI-powered visual inspection systems across critical production stages, capable of detecting micron-level defects using ultra-high-resolution imaging exceeding 100 megapixels.
Additional validation and reliability checks are conducted at the Smart Home Appliances Testing Centre, a 7,000-square-metre facility housing 46 specialised laboratories that bring together R&D, manufacturing and validation within a single end-to-end system.
The centre delivers comprehensive quality assurance for product performance and reliability through rigorous testing. Key facilities, such as the 10HP Ultra-Low Temperature Heat Pump Enthalpy Laboratory, can simulate extreme conditions, from heat as high as 70°C to cold as low as -65°C, to assess product durability and operational reliability.
According to Xiaomi, the Wuhan facility is part of its broader “Human × Car × Home” ecosystem strategy, which integrates smartphones, smart home appliances and electric vehicles.
Its founder, chairman, and chief executive officer, Lei Jun, said the company plans to invest RMB200 billion in R&D between 2026 and 2030.
“RMB200 billion is not a small amount, but we must make a major commitment and spend it where it matters most, continuing to break through in core foundational technologies such as chips, operating systems and AI,” he said.
Xiaomi’s R&D investment reached about RMB32-33 billion in 2025 and is expected to rise to around RMB40 billion in 2026.
Based on its recently released fourth-quarter financial report, the company recorded RMB457.3 billion in total revenue for 2025, reflecting a 25 per cent year-on-year increase. Adjusted net profit rose by 43.8 per cent year-on-year to RMB39.2 billion, the highest level on record.
Revenue from the smart EV, AI and other new initiatives segment surged 223.8 per cent year-on-year to RM106.1 billion, surpassing the RMB100 billion mark for the first time. The segment also achieved positive full-year operating income for the first time, achieving a historic breakthrough.
The smart large-home appliances business sustained strong growth, with revenue rising 23.1 per cent year-on-year, fueled by record-high shipments of air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines.
The Wuhan smart appliance factory also supports Xiaomi’s global expansion in the smart home segment, with its appliances now available in four regions across 14 countries, allowing more users to experience a fully interconnected smart living ecosystem.
The Wuhan smart appliance factory also powers Xiaomi’s global expansion in the smart home segment, with its appliances now available in four regions across 14 countries, allowing more users to experience a fully interconnected smart living ecosystem.
-- BERNAMA
