"Intelligent" manufacturing under the blade, model workers and craftsmen help enterprises "carve" a new future for the mahogany industry

WOKERCN.CN, March 13, 2025, 08:26.

Recently, the reporter walked into the China (Dachong) mahogany culture Expo City Li Guoyang studio, the roar of the machine and hand-carved wood chips intertwined with the fragrance of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Labor Medal winner, Zhongshan City, Guoyang carving culture dissemination limited company art director Li Guoyang holding a carving knife, is focusing on a piece of mahogany carving flowers and birds patterns.

Wood shavings flying between, Li Guoyang said with emotion: “in the severe market environment, to participate in the trade union organization of the ‘model craftsmen to help enterprises’ activities, can help Zhongshan City, Dachong Town, the mahogany furniture industry to solve technical problems, to achieve the development of innovation, so that individuals in the industry's technical field of expertise to play, I feel a sense of accomplishment inside. My heart is full of fulfillment.” As a rooted in Zhongshan 14 years of “new Zhongshan people”, Li Guoyang experienced the rise and fall of the mahogany furniture industry, and now become Zhongshan “model craftsmen to help enterprises” special action in the key force.

工作中的厉国阳。 单位供图

Model workers and craftsmen "diagnose" the pain points of the industry

Da Chung Town has a reputation as the capital of China's mahogany industry, China's mahogany furniture production town, China's hometown of the art of mahogany carving, etc., with more than 300 mahogany furniture production enterprises, employing more than 30,000 people, with an annual output value of more than 1 billion yuan. However, in recent years, the mahogany furniture industry is facing problems such as product homogenization, rising prices of raw materials, and intensified market competition. In order to solve the problem, since 2024, Zhongshan City, Dazhong Town, the two levels of trade unions have repeatedly invited Li Guoyang and other industry gurus gathered “pulse” industry pain points, talk about the industry's high-quality development.

Talking about the current situation and development of the mahogany furniture industry, a model craftsman pointed out that “Zhongshan mahogany furniture industry has not consciously formed the spirit of craftsmanship, rough production is difficult to make product quality to reach a high level; boutique is even more lack of consumption of consumer confidence.” In addition, along with the plate furniture, the rise of European furniture, and new furniture transportation is convenient, easy to dismantle, new styles and other characteristics of the mahogany furniture market to cause a greater impact; and the town of Dazhong furniture styles are old, the market is limited to the target population, but also restricts the development of the industry.

In the help enterprise line visit, talent fault is Li Guoyang's deepest concern. According to his estimate, the industry in recent years, about 90% of the loss of carving craftsmen. “The higher cost of leasing plant, resulting in enterprises preferring quick return to the assembly line products, while ignoring the precipitation of craftsmanship. Short-sighted behaviors such as 'changing models without innovation' are draining the industry's future.”

He said, “Zhongshan mahogany has a deep cultural heritage and is fully capable of creating a high-end customized market. What we need is the boldness of 'produce that works' rather than the compromise of 'low price for sales'.” On the one hand, the need to promote intelligent manufacturing mechanization transformation, according to market demand to improve product consistency and accuracy; on the other hand, to promote the supply and demand of school and enterprise talent docking, led by the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, led by the representatives of the enterprise model craftsmen to hold a “mahogany furniture intelligent manufacturing” training courses, to carry out the relevant professional skills competitions, to cultivate a large number of talents, to transport to the enterprise, to help “mahogany furniture”. Transportation to the enterprise, help “mahogany intelligent manufacturing development”.

数智引擎驱动传统技艺新生

Since last year, Zhongshan City, give full play to the mahogany furniture manufacturing industry talent resource advantages, through the organization of model craftsmen joint technical experts and many universities to form a technical service team, to solve the enterprise development problems to promote cooperation between schools and enterprises, linkage between the relevant enterprises and the Zhongshan City Association of technicians, to jointly explore the mahogany furniture to achieve the digitalization of the path to intelligence and industrial upgrading, to create an enterprise “to order! ”, model craftsmen talent “cooking”, trade unions “delivery” of one-stop service, forming a trade union stage to help enterprises “supply and demand in both directions to” a good situation. Good situation.

In the face of the wave of intelligent manufacturing, Li Guoyang also showed an open stance. He led the innovation studio to introduce AI coloring, CNC machine tools for rough processing, the original traditional manual carving cycle shortened by one-third. He said, “AI can help sketches for 3D modeling, and CNC machine tools can help craftsmen wash the bottom impurities, so that craftsmen can focus on carving the details of the feather texture creation.” He suggested that the industry work together to promote the transformation of intelligent manufacturing mechanization, establish a pool of experts, and improve the efficiency of creation through the use of “intelligent AI technology and the establishment of a model database.”

In November 2024, Li Guoyang participated in an industrial research trip to Chaozhou City organized by the Zhongshan City Federation of Trade Unions, where craftsmen from the two places engaged in an in-depth dialogue on the inheritance of wood carving skills. “Chaozhou has embedded its workshops in ancient city scenic spots, making traditional crafts a cultural and tourism business card, which is very inspiring to Zhongshan.” He said Zhongshan should actively promote cross-border experiments between mahogany furniture and lighting industry. “Under the trend of whole-house private customization, mahogany is no longer an isolated existence. In recent years, Zhongshan's mahogany furniture industry has also tried to integrate the carving elements into the intelligent lighting system, so that the furniture can tell the cultural story in the light and shadow changes.” At present, the industry research and development of mahogany embedded porcelain table lamp series has entered the sampling stage.

In addition to the enterprise “pulse diagnosis”, Li Guoyang last year also participated in the model workers and craftsmen fighting “one hundred million project” hundred days of action, around the agricultural industry advice, help promote the construction of rural revitalization. In his view, there is a common logic between rural construction and industrial upgrading: “It is necessary to retain the vernacular texture, but also need to implant the modern design language. Just like mahogany furniture can not just do antique models, but to create a 'new Chinese style' in line with contemporary aesthetics.”

In the face of the future, Li Guoyang said, “Zhongshan is creating a ‘capital of craftsmen’, and trade unions in recent years have organized skills competitions, innovation studio alliances and other platforms to bring craftsmen from behind the scenes to the front of the stage.” He said that the spirit of craftsmanship is not to stick to tradition, but to embrace change with the heart of the ultimate, as long as the blade is still pointed at the beginning of the heart, carving is not only mahogany furniture, but also the future of an industry.

(Southern Workers Newspaper all-media reporter reputation Jianye correspondent Fang Fang)

Source：WOKERCN.CN