[Report] Visiting Hyundai Elevator's New Home in Chungju... "So Smart"

Factory Realizing 4th Industrial Revolution... Production Volume and Defect Rate at a Glance

Hyundai Elevator Chungju Smart Campus Panorama
Photo by Yoo Hyun-seok

[Chungju=Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] "Chungju Smart Campus involved a total project cost of 332 billion KRW and was created as a space implementing 4th Industrial Revolution technologies."

On the 13th, at the Hyundai Elevator headquarters located at Chungju Sandan 1-ro, Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, CEO Jo Jae-cheon explained to reporters about the Chungju Smart Campus.

Hyundai Elevator Chungju Smart Campus consists of three factory production lines including the Sheet Metal Building, Assembly Building, and TM (Hoisting Machine) Building, as well as a logistics center, research institute, office building, employee welfare facilities, and dormitory.

As CEO Jo mentioned, Chungju Smart Campus is a place that implements 4th Industrial Revolution technologies. Especially, the factory buildings toured seemed to say, "This is what a smart factory is." The first place visited was F01, the sheet metal factory. It produces elevator doors and decorative parts. Specifically, it manufactures landing doors, car doors, car walls, elevator ceilings, etc., covering an area of 3,594 pyeong (approx. 11,870 m²).

Hyundai Elevator Chungju Smart Campus Main Building Showroom Exterior.

Photo by Hyunseok Yoo

What surprised me upon entering was the cleanliness. Although it had not been long since operations started, unlike other manufacturers' factories I had visited before, there was no grease or the typical dullness of factories. More robots moving materials instead of people were seen. In contrast to typical factories where forklifts and people moved materials, this was different.

A large electronic display board showing factory operation status also caught my eye. Through this, the company’s power generation and consumption, production volume by each factory, defect rates, and more could be checked at a glance. Next, the F02 assembly factory was visited, where elevator control products are produced. It manufactures control panels, car door operators, platforms, and more. Photography is prohibited here.

This is because it produces inverters, which can be called the brain of the elevator. A company official explained, "The inverter controls speed, position, and operation," adding, "It is the most critical part, so photography is not allowed."

At the F03 TM factory, elevator hoisting products are produced. Especially, on one side, a 5-axis multi-processing machine was continuously producing parts. A company employee mentioned that the introduction of this equipment shortened processing time and improved productivity.

An electronic display board installed at the Hyundai Elevator factory within the Chungju Smart Campus. Production volume, defect rates, and more can be checked here.

Photo by Yoo Hyun-seok

Finally, we moved to the showroom in the main building. At first, I thought, how much could an elevator company’s showroom have? But upon entering, Hyundai Elevator’s showroom made me realize, "There can be so many types of elevators."

On one side, various elevators were displayed by design type. Especially, pressing a button would directly open the elevator door, emphasizing the importance of experience. Notably, there was a 'Smart Elevator' equipped with cutting-edge technology. This elevator recognizes human motion and voice. Inside, there is a smart mirror where users can enjoy various content such as elevator operation information and news.

Chungju Smart Company is a space that opens a new era for Hyundai Elevator. The company set goals to achieve 5 trillion KRW in sales, 50% overseas business ratio, and become a global top 5 company by 2030, centered on Chungju Smart Company.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.