Background
ZoomLion New Material Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ZoomLion, originated from the German company m-tec, founded in 1978. As a world leader in dry mix mortar materials and equipment, ZoomLion New Materials offers comprehensive building material solutions, including new decorative materials, production equipment, logistics systems, construction equipment, and formulation technologies.
ZoomLion New Materials provides a wide range of products such as tile adhesives, putty powder, masonry mortar, plastering mortar, waterproof mortar, decorative mortar, self-leveling mortar, caulking agents, interface agents, insulation mortar, grouting materials, and ultra-high-performance concrete, offering systematic solutions for construction and repair projects.
In today’s competitive landscape, the integration of information technology into product R&D is essential for driving innovation. The digitization of R&D data has become a core competitive advantage for modern enterprises. ZoomLion New Materials embarked on building a digital R&D platform to achieve the following goals:
- Implement paperless R&D data management and standardize data processes, achieving digital transformation.
- Collect and analyze data throughout the product development process to accelerate technological innovation.
- Simplify workflows to improve R&D efficiency.
Challenges Faced by ZoomLion
The primary challenges ZoomLion New Materials faced in managing its R&D data included the lack of unified management and reuse of historical data, time-consuming and complex paper-based record keeping, repeated experiments, and the absence of a complete, refined management system for experiments and equipment. This made it difficult to capture experimental data and observations in real time.
Our Solutions
Neotrident Technology implemented a comprehensive digital R&D platform for ZoomLion, which includes the iLabPower R&D Project Management System (PM), Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), Material Management System (CIMS), and Laboratory Instrument Management System (IM). This platform is centered around ELN and integrates various related systems. Key project updates are communicated to team members through OA email, integrated portals, and a unified identity platform, allowing users to access multiple systems with a single account. A file server was also established to provide R&D staff with easy access to test results, reducing data silos.
Results & Benefits
Standardized Project Management
The iLabPower Project Management system enables managers to track the real-time progress of all projects, make timely adjustments, and review weekly reports, problems, and summary statistics. This ensures project direction is corrected as needed. Updates are automatically sent through OA email, allowing for instant project information updates.
Improved Experimental Recording
The standardized experimental templates ensure that records are complete and consistent, significantly reducing the time spent on repetitive or similar entries. The iLabPower mobile app’s voice input feature allows real-time recording of experimental procedures and observations, while automated product price estimation during formulation helps users instantly assess the value of formulations. Quick registration and a unified, structured format for formulation data management further streamline the process. Additionally, a formulation table library was created to manage R&D results and ensure seamless transfer to production.
Enhanced Reagent Management and Safety
The iLabPower CIMS tracks the complete lifecycle of reagents, from storage to usage and return, with strict approval mechanisms to ensure safety. This has improved efficiency, reduced reagent costs, and made experimental material management safer. The system also features a self-service reagent claiming system for commonly used, non-hazardous reagents, further boosting lab efficiency.
Streamlined Instrument Management
An instrument database allows direct importation of instrument information into experimental records, significantly reducing the need for manual input. Inventory management systems provide real-time access to reagent and material inventories, helping prevent expired materials and reducing waste-related costs.
