KAIYUAN

What KAIYUAN does

Tangshan Kaiyuan Automatic Welding Equipment Co., Ltd. (KAIYUAN) is a Chinese industrial automation company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Tangshan, Hebei Province. It is a member enterprise of the Tangshan Kaiyuan Group (唐山开元集团), a diversified industrial conglomerate with roots tracing to a 1971 electronics equipment factory. The company designs and manufactures automated welding equipment and robotic welding systems, self-described as China's largest welding equipment enterprise, ranked top 3 in Asia and top 10 globally, with 18 consecutive years of industry leadership as of 2014.

KAIYUAN's product portfolio spans six core categories: submerged arc welders, resistance welders, cutting machines, automated welding equipment (including narrow-gap welding, plasma welding, full-position pipe welding, and gas-electric vertical welding systems), robots and systems, and welding positioners and auxiliary equipment. The company also offers specialized product lines including G.T.T.-certified membrane-type LNG ship welding equipment (replacing imported alternatives in marine LNG construction), MICROBO portable welding robots for field deployment, and integrated digital workshop solutions. Its proprietary KIDDS (Kaiyuan Intelligent Data-based Driving System) technology reads 3D CAD models and 2D drawings to automatically generate welding trajectories and parameters without manual robot teaching, with 100% simulation-accurate program reproduction.

The business model is direct enterprise sales of high-ticket industrial equipment and customized robotic welding production lines, supplemented by a regional dealer network (notably in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region) and international subsidiaries in India and Germany. End customers span construction machinery, automotive, shipbuilding and marine engineering, high-speed rail, steel structures, boilers and pressure vessels, coal mining equipment, and agricultural machinery manufacturers. The 1994 Panasonic joint venture (Tangshan Panasonic Industrial Robot Co., Ltd., Panasonic majority) represents the largest share of group revenue and provides core welding technology and components. Technology partnerships include Kobe Steel (robot technology, 3rd five-year renewal in 2016) and academic collaboration with Southwest Jiaotong University. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time equipment sales; no recurring or subscription pricing is disclosed.

Name

KAIYUAN

Legal name

唐山开元自动焊接装备有限公司

Website

https://autoweld.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tangshan Kaiyuan Automatic Welding Equipment Co., Ltd. (KAIYUAN), founded 1993 in Tangshan, China, designs and manufactures automated welding equipment and robotic welding systems — including arc welding robots, resistance welders, submerged arc welders, and digital workshop solutions — for enterprise customers in shipbuilding, automotive, construction machinery, railway, and pressure vessel industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Welding Equipment and Automation

NAICS

Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing (333992), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding, Joining & Soldering Equipment (Arc, Resistance, Friction, Brazing) (IMAHADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Welding & Plasma Power Supplies (Industrial welders, cutting power sources) (IMAGADAI), Welding, Fabrication & Field Machining Services (On-site) (IMAIACAD)

Keywords

• Automated welding equipment
• Robotic welding systems
• Submerged arc welding
• Resistance welding machines
• Welding automation solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Tangshan

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Automated Welding Equipment and Systems: Sale of automated welding equipment, robotic systems, cutting systems, and intelligent manufacturing systems. Products include submerged arc welding machines, resistance welding machines, cutting machines, automated welding equipment, robots and systems, and welding positioners
2. Customized Robotic Systems and Integration: Design and manufacturing of customized robotic welding systems and production lines for specific industry applications including shipbuilding, construction machinery, automotive, and pressure vessels

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tangshan Kaiyuan Automatic Welding Equipment Co., Ltd. (唐山开元自动焊接装备有限公司) designs and manufactures automated welding equipment and robotic welding systems for industrial customers. The company offers six core product categories: submerged arc welders, resistance welders, cutting machines, automated welding equipment, robots and systems, and welding positioners/auxiliary equipment. It also delivers integrated digital workshop solutions combining robotic welding, automated material handling, and manufacturing management systems. Products serve shipbuilding, automotive, construction machinery, steel structures, pressure vessels, coal mining, and other heavy industries.

Product overview

KAIYUAN (唐山开元自动焊接装备有限公司) is a comprehensive automated welding equipment manufacturer offering six core product categories: 埋弧焊机 (Submerged Arc Welders), 电阻焊机 (Resistance Welders), 切割机 (Cutting Machines), 自动化焊接装备 (Automated Welding Equipment), 机器人及系统 (Robots and Systems), and 焊接辅机 (Welding Positioners and Auxiliary Equipment). The company provides complete automated welding solutions spanning single machines, specialized automation equipment (narrow-gap welding, plasma welding, full-position pipe welding, gas-electric vertical welding), robotic welding systems (arc welding, resistance spot welding, submerged arc welding), and digital workshop integrations. Specialized offerings include the 薄膜型LNG船用焊接系列 for LNG ship construction and MICROBO portable robots for field deployment. Product portfolio serves industries including shipbuilding, automotive, construction machinery, steel structures, pressure vessels, coal mining, and agricultural machinery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Submerged Arc Welder (埋弧焊机) Submerged arc welding machines for high-efficiency heavy plate welding, including gantry-type, T-type, cantilever-type, and pipeline-specific models for industrial customers in heavy fabrication industries.
• Resistance Welder (电阻焊机) Resistance welding equipment including spot welders, projection welders, and seam welders for automotive and appliance manufacturing customers.
• Cutting Machine (切割机) Cutting machines for profile cutting, pipe intersection cutting, and saddle-shaped cutting operations in steel fabrication.
• Automated Welding Equipment (自动化焊接装备) Comprehensive range of automated arc welding equipment and production lines including tube/cylinder welding machines, special welding equipment (gantry, T-type, cantilever, box-section), narrow-gap welding systems, plasma welding, full-position pipe welding, gas-electric vertical welding, and specialized resistance welding automation lines for automotive seating, oil tanks, heat exchangers, and other applications.
• Robots and Systems (机器人及系统) Robotic welding systems including medium-thick plate intelligent flexible welding production lines, arc welding robot systems for small to large structural parts, submerged arc welding robot systems, resistance welding robot systems for automotive body/seats, and digital workshop solutions.
• Welding Positioners and Auxiliary Equipment (焊接辅机) Welding positioners and auxiliary equipment including KP/KPG table-type positioners (450kg-40t), KPL L-type positioners, KPR head-tail positioners, KPST single-rotation positioners, KPT horizontal turntables, KTS self-adjusting roller frames, KM manipulators, and special engineering machinery positioners.
• Membrane-Type LNG Ship Welding Product Series (薄膜型LNG船用焊接系列) Specialized welding equipment for liquefied natural gas ship construction, including Invar alloy plate spot welders, seam welders for Invar tubes, flange stud auto TIG welders, and related series. All products certified by French G.T.T. for membrane LNG carrier construction, fully replacing imported equipment.
• MICROBO Series Portable Robots (MICROBO系列机器人) Portable, fully automated welding robots for construction steel, bridges, shipbuilding, and general machinery. Features easy handling, installation, and operation with high intelligence, quality, and efficiency; multiple units can be deployed simultaneously.
• Digital Workshop (数字化车间) Intelligent digital manufacturing workshop solutions including standard-section smart flexible manufacturing cells, axle smart flexible manufacturing workshops, and digital pipe processing workshops, integrating robotic welding systems, material handling, and manufacturing management information systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Continuous leadership in China's welding equipment industry for 18 consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CRRC Tangshan (中车唐山机车车辆有限公司)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Joint organizer of the 2018 International High-Speed Railway Advanced Welding Technology Symposium. CRRC Tangshan is a major customer and strategic partner for railway welding applications. Both parties collaborated on the symposium with Southwest Jiaotong University.
• Southwest Jiaotong University (西南交通大学)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-organizer of the 2018 International High-Speed Railway Advanced Welding Technology Symposium, contributing academic research and expertise in materials science and welding technology.
• Kobe Steel (株式会社神户制钢所)coreTechnology or Integration · 13 December 2016Technology cooperation agreement between Tangshan Kaiyuan Robot System Co., Ltd. and Kobe Steel, renewed in December 2016 for the third five-year cooperation period. Kobe Steel provides robot technology for Kaiyuan's robotics business. Both parties signed the cooperation contract and repair/maintenance delegation agreement.
• Japan Panasonic Welding Systems (松下焊接系统)coreTechnology or Integration · 10 October 2015Main technology partner for arc welding robots (TAWERS series), laser welding systems (LAPRISS), and intelligent welding cloud management (iWeldCloud). Panasonic provides core welding technology and components to the joint venture.
• Panasonic (松下电器)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Panasonic joint venture - Tangshan Panasonic Industrial Robot Co., Ltd. (唐山松下产业机器有限公司) established in 1994. Panasonic holds majority stake while Kaiyuan holds minority. The joint venture produces welding machines, robots, and laser systems. It is Kaiyuan's flagship brand and represents the largest share of group revenue.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Miller Electric Manufacturing (ITW): US-based welding equipment manufacturer (Illinois Tool Works subsidiary) producing arc welding, MIG/TIG, resistance welding, and automated welding systems. Directly competes with KAIYUAN in welding power sources and automation solutions for industrial customers.
• KUKA AG: German industrial robotics and automation solutions provider with dedicated welding robot cells and systems. KUKA directly competes with KAIYUAN in automotive body-in-white and general welding automation applications.
• ESAB Corporation: US-based global welding and cutting equipment manufacturer offering arc welding, automation, and cutting systems. Following the acquisition of Cloos Schweisstechnik, ESAB is a direct competitor to KAIYUAN in robotic welding automation for heavy industry.
• Fronius International: Austria-based global leader in arc welding, resistance spot welding, and solar energy. Fronius is a direct competitor to KAIYUAN across arc welding power sources and robotic welding systems, serving similar automotive and heavy industry customers.
• Lincoln Electric Holdings: US-based global welding products and solutions provider covering arc welding, resistance welding, cutting, and automated welding systems. Directly competes with KAIYUAN across nearly all welding equipment categories and end markets.
• Fanuc Corporation: Japanese industrial robotics and CNC manufacturer with a major arc welding robot business. Fanuc competes with KAIYUAN in high-volume automotive welding and increasingly in heavy industry automation.
• Panasonic Welding Systems: Japanese welding technology provider and core partner/JV counterparty of KAIYUAN through Tangshan Panasonic. Panasonic Welding Systems offers TAWERS robots, LAPRISS laser welding, and iWeldCloud — overlapping with KAIYUAN's product portfolio globally.
• Yaskawa Electric (Motoman Robotics): Japanese industrial robotics and motion control giant with extensive arc welding robot systems (Motoman). Yaskawa competes with KAIYUAN's robot welding systems across automotive, heavy industry, and general manufacturing customers.
• ABB Robotics: Swiss-Swedish multinational offering industrial robots with strong welding applications portfolio including arc welding cells and integrated software. ABB competes with KAIYUAN in factory automation and welding robotics globally.

Regional players

• Shenzhen Aotai Technology: Chinese domestic welding equipment manufacturer specializing in arc welding and cutting equipment. Aotai is a direct regional competitor to KAIYUAN in the Chinese market for standard welding products.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KAIYUAN