At the beginning of 2026, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), together with seven other government authorities, jointly released the Implementation Guidelines for the “AI + Manufacturing” Initiative, creating significant policy momentum for the intelligent transformation of the mould and tooling industry.

On January 27, the first expanded director meeting of 2026 of the Digitalization and Informatization Committee of the China Die & Mould Industry Association (CDMIA), together with a seminar on next-generation intelligent technologies for the mould industry, was held at Kaihua Mould.

The event brought together industry association representatives, smart manufacturing experts, leading mould manufacturers, and digital solution providers to discuss practical pathways for integrating artificial intelligence across the entire mould manufacturing value chain.

The meeting highlighted that over the past decade, the committee has laid a solid foundation for industry-wide digitalization. Looking ahead, the focus will shift toward building multi-level “AI +” application scenarios across key areas such as product design, intelligent production, supply chain management, and business operations. These standardized and replicable scenarios are expected to provide clear implementation references, particularly for small and medium-sized mould enterprises.

Participants also emphasized the importance of establishing industry-wide mechanisms for knowledge-based data sharing and fostering collaborative ecosystems led by specialized segment leaders.

Experts at the meeting outlined China's national strategy for deep integration of AI and manufacturing, stressing the strategic importance of AI-enabled industrial capabilities. In response to the characteristics of discrete mould manufacturing, several key recommendations were proposed, including prioritizing high-value application scenarios, strengthening innovation in core industrial software and equipment, building high-quality industry data sets, and leveraging leading enterprises to drive SME adoption through standards and best practices.

Enterprise-level case studies formed a central part of the discussion. Several companies shared real-world applications of AI in mould design, process planning, production scheduling, and trial mould testing.

Mr. Daniel Liang presented Kaihua's transformation journey. Through AI-based production scheduling and automation upgrades, manpower on a single production line was reduced from 20 operators to just 2, while overall equipment effectiveness reached 98%. Kaihua has also independently developed multiple intelligent agents covering core manufacturing processes, enabling full-process visualization and refined management.

During the open discussion session, participants reached broad consensus on several action priorities, including focusing on “small models + intelligent agents” for high-impact niche scenarios, exploring parallel models combining private cloud deployment with industry platforms to balance data security and collaboration, and strengthening data governance as the foundation for effective AI applications.

The meeting concluded with a clear roadmap for the committee's next phase, including the development of tiered “AI +” implementation roadmaps for enterprises, the release of practical application scenario guidelines, and the establishment of trusted industry data sets. Participants also toured Kaihua's digital and intelligent manufacturing facility.

This meeting marks a critical shift for the mould industry, from conceptual exploration to scenario-based implementation. Moving forward, CDMIA will continue to work with industry stakeholders to accelerate the deep integration of AI and mould manufacturing.

Kaihua Mould will remain committed to advancing digitalization and intelligent manufacturing, contributing practical solutions, management expertise, and talent development to support coordinated progress across the global mould industry value chain.

(Portions of this article are sourced from the official publication of the China Die & Mould Industry Association.)