Under the wave of generative AI, AI servers are becoming a critical component of computing infrastructure construction.
In 2025, China's AI server market shipped nearly 500,000 units, with a market size exceeding CNY 290 billion. As domestic large model iterations accelerate significantly and parameter scales continue to break through, there is rigid demand for AI server memory and computing power; AI applications are shifting from training to inference, making inference computing a new growth engine; next-generation chip solutions represented by NVIDIA's Blackwell platform have entered a volume production phase, with GPU computing density and system power consumption rising simultaneously. AI is accelerating its penetration into physical industries such as manufacturing, finance, and healthcare, spreading AI server orders from internet giants to scenarios involving telecom operators, financial institutions, and manufacturers. This industry, initially seen merely as "chassis assembly," has now become a national strategic track, and the automated manufacturing demands it generates are only beginning to emerge.
However, true implementation of infrastructure cannot bypass manufacturing; and changes in the manufacturing sector are opening new application spaces for industrial robots.
01、The Continuous Expansion of the AI Industry Chain: Robots Entering More Manufacturing Stages
Behind the growth in market size lies increasing requirements for efficiency, precision, and flexibility across the entire manufacturing chain.
In the AI server assembly stage, components such as accelerator cards, heat sinks, power modules, and motherboards undergo rapid specification iterations, continually raising production line flexibility requirements. Assembly processes involve complex needs including precision fastening, module pressing, and heavy module handling, where electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection and repeat positioning stability directly determine yield rates. Meanwhile, processes in PCB manufacturing such as SMT loading/unloading, drilling, and AOI inspection have long faced industry challenges including thin board deformation, small pick-and-place tolerance margins, frequent product changeovers, and high risks of ESD damage from manual handling.
Against this backdrop, AI server manufacturing is emerging as a noteworthy new application market for industrial robots.
Since the explosion of AI computing power after 2023, automated demands in AI server manufacturing have gradually been released. Industrial robots are moving from early-stage demonstration applications to production stages such as PCBA segments, assembly, and material handling/loading-unloading.
Trends and Forecasts of the Robot Market Size for AI Server Complete Machines (2024-2030) (Units)
Data Source: MIR DATABANK
However, different processes impose different requirements on robots. Board handling requires balancing speed and positioning accuracy; module assembly focuses more on payload, rigidity, and working range; while complex spatial assembly and complete machine transfer correspond to distinct robot needs. Yet single-category robots often can only adapt to individual processes, forcing end-users to select multiple brands for different workstations and configure multiple debugging logic sets, significantly driving up project costs and delivery timelines.
It is precisely against this background that the value of "full-spectrum" capabilities in robot products begins to manifest.
02、Translating Pain Points into Selections: Longqi's "Full Process" Response
For manufacturing scenarios like AI servers, which feature complex processes and rapid product iteration, a "full spectrum" of robot products is not simply about adding models, but crucially about whether appropriate models can be provided for different processes.
This is also a key reason why Longqi attracted significant attention at the 26th China International Industry Fair. As a local robot body brand jointly built by Rossum Robot and Kawasaki Robotics, Guangdong Longqi Robot leverages Kawasaki's mature motion control underlying technology and Rossum's local system integration scenario experience. Focusing on pain points in the computing power manufacturing industry chain, it has constructed a full-spectrum product matrix covering SCARA and six-axis general-purpose robots, achieving model coverage for all processes in computing electronics.
For processes such as AI server module assembly, accelerator card insertion, and fastening, Longqi KLS800 and KLS1000 SCARA robots offer payload capacities of 10kg and 20kg, with arm spans of 800mm and 1000mm respectively. They feature high speed, high precision, large payload capacity, and low vibration, balancing longer working strokes with structural rigidity, suitable for assembling medium-to-heavy components like heat sinks and power modules. For needs such as multi-angle pressing, floating fastening, and complex spatial module assembly, they can be paired with six-axis robots from the same spectrum and integrated with vision and force control technologies to adapt to various assembly process requirements, enhancing production line compatibility with multi-generation server hardware and reducing retrofitting costs associated with product changeovers.
In the transfer of server complete machines and bins between workstations, Longqi heavy-payload six-axis robots can handle tasks such as transporting finished cabinets and tooling bins. Adopting a unified controller ecosystem and software architecture with the front-end precision assembly SCARA robots, they enable coordination in offline simulation, point debugging, and fault maintenance, reducing operational and maintenance differences between different robot types and lowering the factory's O&M threshold.
Beyond robot bodies, MIR睿Industrial noted that at the fair, Longqi also showcased SCARA offline simulation software and Cibot series visual point debugging tools. Bringing an integrated capability of "Body + Control Software + Process Adaptation" to the scene, it intuitively demonstrated the deployment value of full-spectrum robots in flexible manufacturing for computing power lines, attracting top computing equipment enterprises, PCB manufacturers, and automation system integrators to discuss process solutions.
Addressing ESD protection needs in computing electronics manufacturing, Longqi's full-spectrum models were specifically optimized for the computing electronics industry. Relevant models support anti-static structural modifications, meeting ESD protection requirements for PCBs, computing motherboards, and other products. Motion trajectory algorithms were optimized for high-frequency plugging/unplugging and pressing processes to reduce start-stop impact and minimize the risk of damaging precision components. Additionally, all models open standard communication protocols, allowing direct connection to MES, vision inspection, and force-controlled fastening modules, adapting to the digital production needs of computing factories. For integrators, one-stop selection from a full spectrum reduces multi-brand testing cycles; for end-user factories, a unified ecosystem brings long-term O&M advantages through common spare parts and a single engineer training system.
It can be said that with its full-spectrum product layout, Longqi covers multi-station selections with a single brand, eliminating barriers to multi-brand joint debugging.
03、PCB Manufacturing: From Handling One Board to Automating an Entire Process Chain
With the rapid development of intelligent applications like generative AI, demand for high-end PCBs in AI servers and related computing infrastructure continues to increase, further driving PCB products toward larger sizes, higher layer counts, higher densities, high-speed/high-frequency capabilities, and improved heat dissipation.
Compared to traditional PCBs, high-end boards require more processing steps and longer production chains, correspondingly increasing demand for automation equipment. Meanwhile, as board dimensions, weight, and precision requirements rise, issues regarding efficiency, stability, and flexibility in manual handling and traditional automation methods become more prominent. Consequently, robots are penetrating further into more stages of PCB production beyond just standardized handling processes.
Behind this shift are, on one hand, increasingly stringent requirements for efficiency and yield in PCB lines themselves, and on the other, specific working environments and operational characteristics of certain processes. For instance, in drilling, exposure, and etching processes, personnel are exposed to harmful chemicals for extended periods; in AOI inspection and precision positioning, manual judgment is susceptible to subjective factors; and facing repetitive operations like board loading/unloading and flipping, fatigue easily leads to errors, particularly in HDI board and FPC manufacturing, where minor human errors can result in batch scrapping.
China PCB Market Industrial Robot Adoption Volume and Future Forecast (2020-2030) (Units)
Data Source: MIR DATABANK
In recent years, although industrial robot adoption in China's PCB industry has increased annually, challenges remain in advancing intelligence: ultra-thin substrates deform easily, requiring adaptive force control for stable grasping; multi-equipment systems need unified communication protocols for coordination; and operators must transition to equipment maintenance and program optimization through tiered training.
Facing pain points in PCB production and industry process requirements, Longqi proposed targeted one-stop solutions, offering product combinations with different payloads, working ranges, and motion forms to precisely address automation pain points at key PCB workstations.
For example, in PCB handling and precise motherboard pick-and-place stations, robots must simultaneously balance motion speed, positioning accuracy, and material adaptability. For such stations, Longqi KLS400 and KLS600 SCARA robots offer 3kg and 6kg payloads respectively, with arm spans of 400mm and 600mm, repeat positioning accuracy ≤±0.015mm, and high-speed cycle times within 0.4s. Supporting ESD anti-static modifications, they are suitable for SMT loading/unloading and board receiving/docking of materials like thin PCBs, server motherboards, and carrier boards. With high motion precision and stability, they meet process needs for thin board picking/placing and precise alignment.
For thin board pick-and-place and stations with high speed and flexibility requirements, the RS007L offers a 7kg payload with a flexible wrist, emphasizing micro-force picking/placing and high-speed motion, providing adaptation for thin board handling scenarios. The CF011 targets single-station board receiving/docking applications, characterized by compact design and high-speed motion, suitable for embedded applications.
Facing the handling of large-size, multi-layer boards, the RS025S focuses on payload and body rigidity, reaching a 25kg payload, usable for transferring large-size multi-layer boards, meeting stable handling needs in PCB production.
When processes extend to palletizing stacks of boards, turnover boxes, and heavy trays, robots must first solve stable handling and cycle time issues for bulk boards. Longqi KLS25N adopts a 4-axis long-stroke design, enabling fast-cycle stacking of entire turnover boxes and interleaves; for stations requiring greater payload, the KLS35N reaches a 35kg payload, with an arm length of 1850mm and repeat accuracy of ±0.05mm, applicable to palletizing heavier trays with larger footprints.
From low-payload precise pick-and-place, to medium-heavy component assembly, to complex spatial assembly and complete machine transfer, from thin board handling, to large-size multi-layer board transfer, to heavy-duty palletizing—different robots correspond to different processes. What ultimately forms is not a single product solving a single problem, but a product portfolio covering different manufacturing stages.
This is the significance of Longqi emphasizing "full spectrum" in this instance.
Final Thoughts
From AI server complete machine assembly to high-end PCB manufacturing, the expansion of computing infrastructure is opening new application spaces for industrial robots. As product iterations accelerate and manufacturing processes become increasingly complex, market demand for robots is no longer limited to automation at single workstations, but extends to coordinated upgrades of full-process body ecosystems.
Viewed through this trend, competition among robot manufacturers is shifting from single-product performance to product spectrum and scenario adaptation capabilities. By deploying robots with different payloads and motion forms around AI server and PCB manufacturing, and combining them with control software and process applications, Longqi provides more selection space for computing power manufacturing scenarios. In the future, as the computing power industry chain continues to develop, the ability to deeply understand manufacturing processes, match diverse production line needs, and reduce integration and O&M costs of automation systems will be a critical test for robot manufacturers expanding into this emerging market.