On the morning of 8 July 2026, Xi'an AEH Industrial Metrology welcomed 87 undergraduates from Xidian University's School of Mechano-Electronic Engineering, studying automation and measurement and control technology. The visit formed part of their graduation placement on advanced high-speed, high-accuracy equipment, and took them from lecture-hall theory onto a working factory floor.
Twenty-nine years of precision measurement
Founded in 1997, AEH is a National High-Tech Enterprise working solely in precision measurement, and in 2023 was named among China's specialised and innovative enterprises. Three R&D centres — Xi'an, Aschaffenburg in Germany and Cholet in France — support a complete technology chain spanning embodied intelligence, blade and multi-sensor measurement, intelligent inspection cells and the EMRP quality management platform. With more than 120 intellectual property rights and close involvement in drafting standards, AEH develops across the whole chain and owns its technology outright, covering coordinate measuring machines, optical measuring machines and measurement software, delivered as integrated hardware, software and service.
In 2003, AEH won a competitive tender against the international leaders on measurement throughput and accuracy, taking the order from Xi'an Aero-Engine. It was a first in aviation, and it proved to the industry that in the most demanding application this instrument was every bit as dependable. Today, from Shenyang to Chengdu, it is standard equipment in quality control at the major aero engine manufacturers.
Inside the workshop
The students walked through AEH's production and assembly hall, following coordinate measuring machines from core component machining through to final assembly. A clean, orderly floor and a well-planned layout show what lean production actually looks like. Digital boards run live production status and order progress, so the whole process stays visible and under control.
A full workshop upgrade completed in 2025 has paid off: capacity now exceeds 3,000 machines a year, which is what makes quick delivery possible. On the supply side, the company has built an integrated network across Xi'an, Jinan, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang and Suzhou, cutting lead times on key components by more than 30%. After digitising the warehouse, material picking takes under 15 minutes and inventory turnover has improved by 35%, with ERP and barcode scanning closing the loop end to end.
The students had plenty of questions for the engineers. How do these machines hold accuracy this tight? How does the control system tie it all together? The engineers answered in plain language, turning complex mechanical principles into something the students could picture. From the metrology room to the assembly line, from the temperature and humidity controlled precision rooms to the automated warehouse, they saw how precision measurement is actually built.
Universities and industry, training people together
Precision measurement is the eye and the yardstick of advanced manufacturing. From the 3 to 5 micron tolerances on an aero engine turbine blade to the quality anchors inside EV battery modules and semiconductor packaging, measurement runs through every critical stage of modern production. AEH supplies integrated hardware, software and service to aerospace, automotive and semiconductor customers, using measurement technology to support manufacturing that matters.
A visit like this is what happens when higher education connects properly with industry. When the classroom extends onto the factory floor, and symbols on a drawing become machinery running in front of you, students get a sense of the real thing. It broadens what they understand about their subject, and it plants something too.
Accuracy defines how high you can go; young engineers define what comes next. AEH will keep working with universities, and keep supplying advanced manufacturing with both people and technology.