Focus on Packaging Thinning Technology! ExxonMobil Deepens Strategic Cooperation with Harbin Boshi

Recently, global energy and chemical giant ExxonMobil and China's leading intelligent manufacturing enterprise Harbin Boshi Automation Co., Ltd. held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Harbin, marking a new stage of collaboration in the fields of intelligentization and sustainable development in the petrochemical industry. This cooperation, driven by technological innovation to promote industrial upgrading, focuses on packaging thinning technology, intelligent equipment optimization, and the development of one-stop solutions. It aims to assist petrochemical companies in achieving multiple goals including plastic reduction and carbon emission cuts, cost optimization, and production efficiency improvement, thereby providing a benchmark example for the industry's green transformation.

As one of the world's largest chemical companies, ExxonMobil boasts a century of technological accumulation in the field of polymer material research and development. Its star polymers, known for their excellent puncture resistance, tensile strength, and processing performance, have become the benchmark for high-end packaging materials globally. Meanwhile, Harbin Boshi is a leading enterprise in China for post-processing automation equipment in the petrochemical industry. Its intelligent packaging and palletizing systems are widely used by industry giants such as Sinopec, PetroChina, and Wanhua Chemical, covering fields like powder materials, rubber, and fertilizers, maintaining a leading position in the domestic market. The collaboration between the two companies is not only a deep integration of material innovation and equipment upgrading but also provides a full-process solution for customers through the coordination of upstream and downstream in the industrial chain, from material design and equipment adaptation to production optimization.

It is worth noting that the ExxonMobil Huizhou Chemical Complex will officially commence production in July 2025. Its annual output of 1.6 million tons of ethylene and supporting high-performance polymer capacity will provide strong production and technological support for the cooperation between both parties. This globally leading chemical base forms a technological closed loop with Harbin Boshi’s intelligent equipment, making integrated innovation of "materials-equipment-application" possible.

Three Major Breakthroughs: Technology Empowering Sustainable Development

One-stop Palletized Packaging Solution: A Dual Revolution in Efficiency and Carbon Reduction

Addressing the pain points of traditional PE heavy-duty bags, FFS (Form-Fill-Seal), and cold stretch sleeve packaging solutions, ExxonMobil has developed a customized heavy-duty bag solution tailored to Harbin Boshi's automation system through formula optimization and process upgrades. This solution achieves full automation integration of the packaging process by enhancing material performance and coordinating equipment design, reducing manual intervention while significantly improving packaging stability and logistics efficiency. According to measured data, the new solution can reduce packaging damage rates by over 30%, saving customers considerable rework costs.

Packaging Down-Gauging Technology: The Core Engine for Plastic Reduction and Carbon Emission Reduction

Based on the ExxonMobil™ Tough+ polyethylene heavy-duty bag solution, practical applications have achieved a reduction in film thickness by 13%-25%, a decrease in plastic usage by 11%-23%, and approximately 20% potential cost savings. This breakthrough is attributed to the innovative application of ExxonMobil’s metallocene catalyst technology, which enables precise control of polymer molecular structure, allowing for material lightweighting while maintaining high strength.

Cross-domain innovation: From singular collaboration to ecological co-construction

In addition to the existing fields of chemicals, building materials, and food, both parties plan to expand into new areas such as packaging for new energy materials and circular economy scenarios. For example, the combination of ExxonMobil's Vistamaxx™ high-performance polymers with Harbin Boshi's intelligent sorting equipment can develop efficient packaging systems suitable for power battery recycling; meanwhile, the technical accumulation in the non-woven fabric field provides differentiated competitiveness for high-end markets such as medical and hygiene with solutions for highly fluffy and soft fabrics. This technological spillover effect not only broadens the business boundaries but also promotes the extension of the industrial chain towards high value-added segments.

Jiang Guozhi, Polyethylene Customer and Application Development Manager for ExxonMobil North Asia, stated: "Packaging lightweighting is a key pathway for the petrochemical industry to achieve the 'dual-carbon' goals. We look forward to further amplifying the technological synergy between both parties through the commissioning of the Huizhou Chemical Complex and replicating successful experiences in more fields." Gong Haitao, Assistant General Manager of Harbin Boshi, emphasized: "The integration of intelligent manufacturing and green production will drive the manufacturing industry to shift from 'efficiency first' to 'efficiency and sustainability balanced' transformation."

This collaboration is not only a “strong alliance” between two enterprises, but also a model of deep integration between a global corporation and local Chinese innovation. Driven by both the “dual carbon” goals and industrial upgrading, the cooperative model between ExxonMobil and Harbin Boshi may reshape the competitive landscape of the petrochemical industry and provide a “Chinese solution” for the sustainable development of global manufacturing.