SIRIO’s Ma’anshan Facility: Intelligent Manufacturing Drives Emerging Trends in Health and Wellness

Source: China Quality News Network

Journalist: Yan Dong

At SIRIO’s Ma’anshan production facility in Anhui, robotic arms glide effortlessly along the production lines, precisely feeding raw materials into the manufacturing process. Conveyor belts transport finished products smoothly to automated packing and dispatch stations, while Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) navigate the warehouse with precision, delivering items to their designated locations. The entire facility operates in perfect sync, showcasing a fully integrated and intelligent manufacturing system.

Exterior view of the Ma’anshan facility

01 Intelligent Manufacturing: Streamlining Production to Enable Precise Delivery

“At SIRIO, innovation fuels our progress, and technology powers our production,” noted Zhang Shuncheng, Asia-Pacific Manufacturing Director. “The Phase II production line now operates with fully automated warehousing and unmanned delivery, representing a breakthrough in intelligent logistics and a departure from conventional models.”

According to him, SIRIO’s Phase II project features a fully automated, multi-level warehouse spanning 45000 square meters, with 51000 storage locations. Outfitted with 17 advanced rail guided vehicles and 26 intelligent AGVs, it serves as a flagship model of smart, digitalized warehousing in East China’s health and wellness sector. He added, “By using unmanned vehicles for all material and product transfers, the warehouse achieves fully autonomous operations, delivering major gains in automation and enhancing the company’s supply chain capabilities.”

Pang Liang, Head of Product Manufacturing at SIRIO’s Ma’anshan facility, noted that the company began mapping out its smart factory blueprint as early as 2021. Following extensive early-stage preparation and sustained investment in intelligent upgrades, the facility has now achieved full integration between its physical operations and information systems. “With Phase III now under construction, we’re incorporating a comprehensive information system that will help elevate the Ma’anshan base into a flagship smart factory for the health and wellness sector,” he said.

02 R&D-Driven Excellence: Advancing Innovation to Set New Industry Standards

Recognized as a leading CDMO in the nutritional health food industry, SIRIO continues to view R&D excellence as a cornerstone of its market leadership. Cui Shaohua, Head of the Product Technology and Innovation division, shared his perspective on advancing innovation through R&D.

As Cui Shaohua explained, SIRIO has consistently prioritized R&D as a driver of growth, committing substantial resources to product and technology innovation and building a comprehensive, expert-led research team. The company operates R&D centers across key locations, including Shanghai, Shantou, and Ma’anshan in China, California in the U.S., and Pritzwalk in Germany. He highlighted that this proactive commitment to R&D continues to secure SIRIO’s standing as a major player in the health and nutrition sector.

He added that drawing on SIRIO’s extensive expertise, the dosage form innovation team is actively pioneering new solutions designed to address the evolving needs of various distribution channels, a wide range of clients, and sophisticated formulation requirements. A key highlight is SIRIO’s breakthrough in plant-based softgel development, which satisfies targeted customer needs while advancing safety and sustainability. Gummies represent another frontier. Infusing them with stable nutrients is not only innovative but also a complex technical feat.

According to Cui Shaohua, SIRIO’s R&D organization is built on an integrated structure that spans key areas such as product technology and innovation, packaging innovation, regulatory and scientific affairs, nutrition and health science, safety and quality research, and ingredient innovation. This setup enables effective cross-department collaboration. As early as 2021, SIRIO had already formed a multidisciplinary team of experts in regulation, standardization, product design, and testing.

Looking to the future, Cui Shaohua emphasized that SIRIO is committed to accelerating R&D investment, expanding its expert teams, and continuously innovating in technologies and dosage forms to lead the industry forward. In parallel, the company will strengthen partnerships with clients to co-create new growth paths and unlock potential in the global health market.

03 Quality First: Reinforcing Quality Standards to Ensure Product Excellence

Committed to excellence in the R&D, manufacturing, and distribution of nutritional health products, SIRIO has always placed quality at the heart of its operations. Wu Jinjin, Quality Lead at the Ma’anshan site, noted that a robust and fully integrated quality management system is already in place.

“Our quality management system covers every stage of the product lifecycle, starting from the construction planning and layout of our facilities to the careful selection of production equipment,” said Wu Jinjin. She further explained that SIRIO’s quality management extends to supplier onboarding, material standardization, formula screening, production oversight, supply assurance, and after-sales service, all contributing to its reputation for excellence.

Wu Jinjin also shared that the Ma’anshan facility’s testing center supports a broad range of over 2000 testing methods, with an impressive 99% self-inspection rate. In cases involving specialized formulations or requirements, the company actively pursues external research and development to continuously enhance its capabilities, safeguarding quality and accelerating product readiness for market launch. “Our quality control covers all stages, from starting materials and packaging to semi-finished and finished products, with rigorous inspection processes that guarantee market-ready quality,” said Wu Jinjin. She noted that SIRIO has integrated a widely recognized digital quality management system to reinforce system integrity. With each iteration, the company is moving toward a more sophisticated, structured approach to quality control.

“Intelligent manufacturing is crucial to enhancing efficiency and product quality, allowing us to deliver more customized and responsive solutions to our clients,” summarized Zhang Shuncheng, Asia-Pacific Manufacturing Director. “Looking ahead, we will continue to drive technological innovation, accelerate smart and digital upgrades, and push forward in improving quality, scaling output, and increasing efficiency. We are committed to playing our part in advancing high-quality economic development.”