# UBTECH opens humanoid robot plant with 10,000-unit capacity *The Liuzhou facility runs an assembly cadence of one machine every 10 minutes, deploying digital twins and autonomous transport across automotive production lines.* **Published:** September 16, 2026 **By:** Xiuying Luo **Section:** Robotics & Automation — China **Format:** Breaking **Confidence:** high **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/ubtech-opens-humanoid-robot-plant-10-000-unit-capacity-294 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - UBTECH opened a 14,000-square-meter smart factory designed for over 10,000 humanoids annually - Factory achieves a takt time of one completed robot every 10 minutes - Validation phase runs through Dec. 31, 2026 before full volume ramp in 2027 ![Workers assemble humanoid robots along a production line inside the UBTECH Robotics smart factory in southern China. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-09-16-20e70fadf27a.webp) *Workers assemble humanoid robots along a production line inside the UBTECH Robotics smart factory in southern China. (AI-generated image)* UBTECH Robotics opened a dedicated humanoid robot smart factory in southern China on Sept. 15, 2026, establishing an annual manufacturing capacity of 10,000 units to supply commercial assembly lines. The manufacturing complex is located in the Northern Ecological New District of Liuzhou, Guangxi. The facility spans 14,000 square meters with a ceiling height of 13.8 meters, according to municipal planning records. The plant represents the first manufacturing site worldwide designed to produce more than 10,000 industrial humanoid robots annually. At full cadence, the main line rolls out one completed machine every 10 minutes. The facility focuses on two core hardware lines. It builds the Walker S series of bipedal industrial robots alongside the Cruzr series of wheeled intelligent mobile bases, the company said in an operational briefing. UBTECH designed the Liuzhou workshop around a closed-loop concept where robots build robots. Wheeled Cruzr Y1 and Cruzr S2 machines navigate the plant floor to unload incoming freight, manage intermediate racking and move parts bins. Automated guided vehicles and driverless electric forklifts handle heavy subassemblies between processing zones. Collaborative articulated arms work beside human assemblers, holding structural frames and positioning internal electrical harnesses on 360-degree rotating workbenches. Mechanical assembly requires driving more than 2,000 precision screws across 50 distinct hardware specifications for each robot body. Automated torque stations feed each fastener and record tightening data to ensure structural tolerances across 52 joints. Siemens Digital Industries Software built the digital manufacturing foundation for the plant. The engineering company deployed its Plant Simulation platform to construct a digital twin — a computer model that mirrors physical machinery — before installing hardware. The digital twin simulates material flows from raw component receiving through final packaging. Simulating operations inside software reduced physical line calibration expenses and allowed rapid hardware retooling, according to project engineers. Factory operations rely on a proprietary manufacturing execution system called Yanshee MOM. Co-developed with Siemens, the software assigns serial numbers to every actuator, gearbox and sensor to track component quality across the hardware lifecycle. The Liuzhou line organizes manufacturing into 24 distinct assembly stages. Completed robots undergo 77 individual quality inspection checkpoints and 41 functional operational trials before technicians clear them for commercial packaging. Every assembled humanoid completes four hours of continuous dynamic testing on the factory floor. Machines walk through an optical lighting tunnel where automated vision systems check body seams, joint seals and outer composite finishes. The factory produces the Walker S2, an industrial humanoid measuring 1.76 meters tall with a carrying capacity of 15 kilograms. The bipedal robot features 52 degrees of freedom — independent axes of physical motion — and a rotating waist. The Walker S2 uses fifth-generation dexterous hands capable of sub-millimeter positioning precision, UBTECH said. The hand mechanism withstood more than 80,000 continuous manipulation cycles during factory qualification tests without mechanical failure. The humanoid also integrates an autonomous battery swapping system, allowing the machine to replace exhausted battery packs at docking stations. This power mechanism supports continuous 24-hour factory shift work without extended charging interruptions. Chinese automotive manufacturers are serving as the primary commercial deployment base for the Walker fleet. Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor has tested Walker robots on production lines for visual quality inspection, emblem placement and fluid filling. Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle brand owned by Geely Automobile, trialed the Walker S Lite at its Ningbo plant. The robot completed three weeks of continuous parcel and tote handling alongside human assembly staff. NIO and BYD have also introduced Walker series units into smart manufacturing facilities. The automakers use the bipedal platforms to move components between automated guided vehicles and assembly line workstations. Foxconn integrated Walker units into its manufacturing operations under an industrial automation agreement signed in 2025. The contract manufacturer tests the machines for automated parts feeding at its smartphone assembly complex in Zhengzhou. UBTECH delivered 1,079 full-size industrial humanoid robots during 2025. In the first half of 2026, the company sold 921 full-size embodied units, generating 590 million yuan ($83 million) in robotics revenue. Commercial deployment in Liuzhou aims to drive down humanoid manufacturing expenses through standardized batch assembly. Establishing a 10,000-unit facility allows UBTECH to lower unit costs for key components, including harmonic speed reducers and frameless torque motors. China's dense supply chain for precision electric motors and sensors gives the company an advantage in procurement speed. Domestic component access enables lower assembly overhead than manual pilot production lines operated by western robotics developers. UBTECH and the Liuzhou municipal government did not disclose the total capital expenditure invested to build and equip the 14,000-square-meter facility. The factory will ramp operating speeds through Dec. 31, 2026, before reaching its targeted annual delivery cadence of 10,000 industrial humanoids in 2027. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | UBTECH humanoid mass manufacturing | LG and Hyundai test competing logistics robots, no commercial 10,000-unit biped line | UBTECH scales domestic supply chain, cuts BOM costs for local auto plants | Fanuc and Yaskawa retain industrial arm lead but lack commercial biped volume | Humanoid unit costs fall toward $25,000 threshold as scale production begins | ## In this story - **Companies:** UBTECH Robotics - **Tickers:** 9880.HK - **Exposed:** Siemens, Foxconn, Dongfeng Motor, Geely Automobile - **Policy:** Economic Security - **Impact:** Supply Chain, Capex, Cost Structure ## Primary sources 1. hkexnews.hk 2. chinadaily.com.cn 3. chinaagv.com 4. robots-daily.com 5. sina.com.cn --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "UBTECH opens humanoid robot plant with 10,000-unit capacity," September 16, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/ubtech-opens-humanoid-robot-plant-10-000-unit-capacity-294