From raw material feeding and boiling to molding and final packaging, the entire fruit juice gummy production line runs smoothly under the monitoring of digital systems. AI cameras in the workshop detect safety hazards in real time, automatically triggering an immediate shutdown and alert when a risk is detected. Insect-attracting lamps equipped with smart cameras automatically capture images, detect and identify pest activity, and generate heat-map alerts. This kind of digitally enabled, intelligent production is a daily reality at Hsu Fu Chi's automated workshop in Dongguan.

As one of Dongguan's traditional industries with a competitive edge, the food and beverage sector has grown into an industrial cluster valued at over 100 billion yuan, with more than 200 food industry enterprises above the designated size.

In Dongguan, AI is now deeply involved in the entire candy production process. Automatic material feeding, ingredient mixing, boiling, online measurement, and packaging throughout the production process help reduce human error and variability in operations. Sensors are deployed across stages such as ingredient mixing, boiling, flavoring, molding, and packaging, enabling visibility throughout the production process and providing a verifiable basis for product traceability.

The confectionery sector is not the only industry benefiting from digital and intelligent transformation. Grain and edible oil processing companies are also seeing gains. Tailiang Rice has implemented a sales-driven intelligent production scheduling system, cutting scheduling time by more than half and increasing labor productivity by over 15%.

Source:PEARL

从一颗糖的AI密码看东莞千亿元食品产业的数智蝶变

一颗果汁软糖，从原料投料、熬煮成型再到封装打包，整条生产线在数字系统的监测下有序运转；车间内AI摄像头实时捕捉安全隐患，一旦出现风险立刻停机预警；诱虫灯搭载智能相机自动采集图像，自动检测识别虫情、生成热力预警……在东莞徐福记自动化生产车间内，这样的数智生产场景，每天都在真实上演着。

作为东莞优势传统产业，食品饮料行业已成长为千亿元级产业集群，集聚规上食品工业企业超200家。

在东莞，一颗糖的全流程生产，已经实现了人工智能的深度参与。全流程自动投料、自动配料、自动熬煮、在线计量和自动包装，减少人为差错和操作波动；配料、熬煮、调味、成型、包装等工段，都布设了传感器，生产全过程可视化，产品溯源有据可查。

不止糖果赛道，粮油加工企业同样尝到数智化的甜头。太粮米业搭建“以销定产”智能排产系统，排产耗时缩短一半以上，劳动生产效率提升15%以上。

策划、统筹 | 唐波
文 | 记者 余宝珠
图 | 记者 王俊伟
海报、视频包装 | 叶何湘
译 | 黄健新
英文审校 | 曾敏