The humanoid robot revolution is reshaping China’s industrial landscape, with suppliers across the board ramping up operations dramatically. Essential joint module components—reducers, encoders, and motors—are in high demand as factories work overtime to keep pace.
Encoders serve as the sensory backbone in robot joints, enabling precise movement. Entrepreneur Liang Chang entered this space in 2017. His company’s fortunes shifted dramatically in 2024: workforce expanded from 40 to 200 employees amid surging orders.
Production milestones tell the story. Starting with 10,000 encoders per year, output reached 40,000 this year and a whopping 300,000 last year. Annual capacity is set to hit 2 million units soon, mirroring the explosive rise in robot assembly lines.
Reducer producer Xiepo saw output climb to 500,000 last year, eyeing 1 million this year. Motors are equally hot: a leading firm notes 100-200% order surges since early 2024, with monthly humanoid robot motor needs at 1 million and yearly shipments forecasted at 2 million.
This supply chain synergy underscores China’s strategic push into advanced robotics. Policymakers and investors are betting big, anticipating humanoid robots to redefine labor markets and spur economic growth in the years ahead.
