On April 21, 2026 (German local time), Mr. Liu Xiaoping, General Manager of Shanghai Qiaotian Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Qiaotian Intelligent”), led a senior management team to visit the headquarters of ECKOLD, a global enterprise specializing in sheet metal cold forming and joining technology, in Germany. 

This is the first high-level return visit after the two sides officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shanghai in November 2025, marking that their cooperation in the field of automotive automated manufacturing has moved from strategic planning to substantial business implementation.

Founded in 1936, ECKOLD has nearly 90 years of technological accumulation in sheet metal cold forming and joining technologies (such as press riveting, self-piercing riveting, etc.). It has been a technical supplier to European automakers including Daimler-Benz and Volkswagen Audi for more than 30 years.

Accompanied by Mr. Wei, Chairman of ECKOLD Group, and Mr. Patric Daske, General Manager, the Qiaotian Intelligent team visited ECKOLD’s modern production workshops, robotic workstations and supporting facilities. The on-site demonstration of the servo motor press riveting system, high-flexibility self-piercing riveting system and ECKOLD Visualization platform intuitively showed its capabilities in smoke-free, low-noise cold joining technology and digital production management.

In the subsequent business meeting, the two teams held in-depth discussions on current demand and project opportunities in the European and German quick change disc markets. Mr. Jia Wei, Director of Automotive Industry of Qiaotian Intelligent, and Mr. Yin Chaoxin, Product Manager, introduced Qiaotian’s product portfolio including quick change devices, industrial connectors, zero-point positioning systems and magnetic mold change systems, and provided targeted product training for ECKOLD’s sales and service teams on site.

The ECKOLD team spoke highly of Qiaotian Intelligent’s R&D efficiency and product manufacturing standards. The two sides share the same customer service philosophy: rapid response and efficient problem-solving. Through this collaboration, ECKOLD’s local European channels and customer resources will complement Qiaotian’s R&D and manufacturing strengths in robotic end-effectors, jointly delivering more competitive automated flexible solutions for European automakers.

During this trip, the Qiaotian team also visited the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen Factory together with ECKOLD. Witnessing Mercedes-Benz’s high-end manufacturing and professional management further strengthened their confidence to serve European customers with top-tier service and product performance.

“We feel very assured and honored to cooperate with an experienced and pragmatic industry leader like ECKOLD,” said Mr. Liu Xiaoping, General Manager of Qiaotian Intelligent. “This is not only ECKOLD’s trust in Qiaotian’s products, but also recognition of China’s manufacturing strength from the European industrial market. Going forward, we will continue to deliver excellent quality and serve global automotive customers together with ECKOLD. We sincerely thank the ECKOLD team for their warm hospitality and strong support.”

From the strategic signing in Shanghai to business docking and customer visits in Germany, the partnership between Qiaotian Intelligent and ECKOLD is advancing steadily. Against the trend of industrial automation upgrading, the deep strategic cooperation between the Chinese and German enterprises will provide more reliable technical support for flexible and efficient automotive manufacturing.

About ECKOLD

Founded in 1936, Germany’s ECKOLD is a leader in sheet metal cold forming and joining technology, famous for its automation equipment, surface forming tools and innovative solutions. It operates in more than 100 countries and has maintained long-term cooperation with top global automakers for over 30 years.