Yihong Technology struggled to keep pace with growth at its printed circuit board, or PCB, plant. It recently implemented a factory-wide automated solution from SEER Robotics to improve storage space utilization, cross-floor logistics efficiency, and production operation modes.
Shenzhen, China-based Yihong Technology faced multiple challenges:
- High labor costs: Purely manual operations were slow to respond, labor-intensive, and prone to errors, affecting product quality and stability.
- Limited production expansion: The original plant relied entirely on manual picking and handling, resulting in low operational efficiency, which became a bottleneck constraining capacity increase.
- Insufficient storage space: The traditional warehouse layout was decentralized with low space utilization, unable to meet the storage needs for new raw materials and finished products.
The manufacturer chose SEER Robotics, which upgraded its facility with a customized, plant-wide system. The company covered the entire production process, from the raw material warehouse to the processing workshop and the finished product warehouse.
Save the date for the 2026 Robotics SummitYihong Technology picks hybrid design
Yihong Technology chose SEER Robotics’ bin/pallet mixed storage design combined with an integrated storage and distribution management system covering multiple floors and areas. Based on the spatial and process characteristics of the PCB maker’s new plant, SEER deployed three different types of robots based on the Nebula platform:
- Bin robots: Deployed in the third-floor raw material warehouse, these are responsible for raw material access and workstation replenishment, achieving automated “last meter” picking and placing at the raw material end.
- Lifting transfer robots: These mobile robots focus on cross-floor material transfer, autonomously using elevators to connect the third-floor raw material warehouse with the fourth-floor production line.
- Intelligent forklifts: These lift trucks are responsible for material transfer between the first-floor finished product warehouse and the third-floor raw material warehouse. They complete centralized storage and outbound of finished products, replenish raw material warehouse inventory, and connect the entire process.
These robots are scheduled and collaborate under the M4 Smart Logistics Management System for a flexible, efficient, and plant-wide intelligent material handling network, explained SEER Robotics.
SEER Robotics delivers results
Shanghai-based SEER Robotics said its comprehensive systems helped Yihong Technology address all of its pain points.
Mixed storage design multiplies space efficiency
To alleviate the need for storage space, the PCB manufacturer adopted an “upper bin + lower pallet” mixed storage design. Yihong Technology used bin storage shelf dividers to achieve layered storage within the same space, transforming the traditional separated warehouse layout model.
This design reduced construction costs while meeting the simultaneous needs for access to large-volume pallets and small-batch bins. Space utilization increased by over 50%, achieving “large capacity in a small space,” said SEER Robotics.
Cross-floor, multi-robot collaboration builds a global intelligent network for Yihong Technology
To handle the complex scheduling of multiple devices and floors, SEER Robotics said its M4 system provides collaborative scheduling and management capabilities.
To ensure efficient collaboration among the three types of robots on site, M4 uses a set of intelligent hybrid scheduling algorithms. When robot routes overlap or there are road traffic restrictions, the system can adjust the travel speed of multiple robots, coordinate the passage sequence, and avoid traffic congestion or deadlock.
In addition, M4 automatically connects to other automated equipment within the factory, allowing robots to complete tasks such as elevator calls and passing through air shower doors.
Based on the success of this model, Yihong Technology completely phased out manual picking and handling mode, achieving 100% automation in core logistics processes. Cross-floor material transfer time was compressed from hours to minutes, significantly improving production efficiency, SEER Robotics said.
Full-process information management and control lead digital transformation
SEER Robotics said its M4 system was integrated with Yihong Technology’s manufacturing execution system (MES). It connected production and robot data to achieve precise matching of production plans and material scheduling, making the business’ production rhythm more controllable.
Within one system, M4 accurately manages robot task status, path conditions, and various types of material information. It also updates and views inventory data in real time, effectively avoids material backlog or shortage, and achieves traceability from raw material inbound to finished product outbound. This helped Yihong Technology improve overall operational efficiency by more than 40%, said the company.
“The one-stop robot solution provided by SEER Robotics has brought Yihong Technology a comprehensive reconstruction of efficiency, space, and management models,” said SEER Robotics. “The new plant not only achieved a leap in internal logistics efficiency but also sets a new industry benchmark for smart manufacturing with modern intelligent equipment and scientific layout.”
