Workers test a welding robot at Nantong Menggongchang Furniture Co in Haimen. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A group of welding robots will soon start work at Nantong Menggongchang Furniture Co in Haimen, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, after the company signed a procurement agreement with a local machinery company on March 7.

As epidemic control and prevention measures have produced positive results, many local companies resumed operations in late February. However, the furniture manufacturer was confronted with a lack of skilled workers due to traffic controls during the outbreak.

The local government learned about the company's difficulties and advised the operator to use robots instead. Relevant departments also communicated with Nantong Zhenkang Machinery Co to help.

Zhenkang, a high-tech company combining R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, has produced various robot products for construction equipment manufacturing and disposal of smoke and dust.

The company's R&D team updated an existing welding robot to meet the needs of the furniture company.

"The work efficiency of one robot is equivalent to three skilled workers. There is no limit to working time, yet the product quality is good," said Chen Xiaodong, chairman of the furniture company.

The robots are currently undergoing further adjustments and are expected to start operations within two weeks.

Nantong Menggongchang Furniture Co is a leading shopping mall furniture manufacturer. Its taxable sales revenue reached 86.82 million yuan ($12.53 million) in 2019, and that number is expected to surpass 100 million yuan this year.