Football icon and Arsenal legend Robert Pirès recently stepped into the future of home comfort during his visit to the TCL Air Conditioner Guangzhou Smart Manufacturing Base. The exclusive factory tour highlighted TCL’s leadership in intelligent manufacturing, AI-powered innovation, and sustainable healthy air solutions.
Over the past five years, TCL Air Conditioner has produced more than 100 million air conditioners, exporting products to over 160 countries and regions. The visit gave Pirès a firsthand look at how advanced technology and precision manufacturing are reshaping the future of home appliances.
AI Healthy Sleep Technology Impresses Pirès
One of the biggest highlights of the visit was the TCL FreshIN 3.0 Ultra AI Healthy Sleep Air Conditioner, the flagship model within TCL’s premium Smart Blue Wing range.
The unit combines millimeter-wave radar technology, a dual-circulation fresh air system, and AI voice control to create a personalised sleep environment. Its AI SleepEye system monitors body movement and temperature changes throughout the night, automatically adjusting temperature and airflow while learning users’ sleeping habits to create customised comfort.
The FreshIN 3.0 Ultra also introduces up to 60m³/h of fresh outdoor air while continuously purifying indoor air, helping create a healthier living environment.
Pirès, who understands the importance of recovery after years as a professional footballer, praised the innovation.
“After intense training and matches, both body and mind are exhausted. A quiet and cozy home space is what you need most. This air conditioner continuously brings in fresh outdoor air, eliminating the feeling of stuffiness indoors. It’s far more than just a machine; it’s like a dedicated sleep butler.”
He also tested the offline AI voice assistant by activating the fresh air mode with a simple voice command, experiencing TCL’s smart technology firsthand.
Champion-Level Testing for Champion-Level Performance
Beyond intelligent features, Pirès explored TCL Air Conditioner’s strict quality control procedures.
Inside the Comfort Lab and Noise Lab, he witnessed air conditioners operating reliably in simulated Antarctic conditions as low as -30°C while producing as little as 16 decibels of noise.
Comparing the process to elite football preparation, Pirès noted that both sporting success and manufacturing excellence require relentless attention to detail and an uncompromising commitment to quality.
One Air Conditioner Produced Every Seven Seconds
The manufacturing base itself proved equally impressive.
Built with an investment of nearly RMB 2 billion (approximately USD 275 million), the Guangzhou facility spans around 50 acres and includes three fully automated “lights-out” factories, 15 advanced laboratories, and 10 smart production lines.
Powered by an AI Big Data Supercomputing Center capable of 30 quadrillion calculations per second, the facility can manufacture one finished air conditioner every seven seconds, contributing to an annual production capacity of eight million units at the site alone.
Pirès toured the AI-powered production lines, ultra-high-precision heat exchanger facility, and intelligent manufacturing systems before expressing his admiration.
“It is absolutely mind-blowing! I never imagined that home appliance manufacturing could be this intelligent and standardised. The products are packed with futuristic technology, making this factory tour an exceptionally stunning experience.”
Building the Next Generation of Healthy Air Solutions
The visit also highlighted TCL Air Conditioner’s long-term vision.
With a global annual production capacity of 38 million units and ranking among the world’s top two exporters of air conditioners, TCL is now pursuing its strategy to “Reinvent a New TCL Air Conditioner in Five Years.”
The company aims to evolve beyond manufacturing air conditioners into becoming a provider of complete smart air ecosystems and full-scenario healthy air solutions.
By combining AI innovation, intelligent manufacturing, and sustainable technology, TCL Air Conditioner continues to position itself as a global leader dedicated to delivering healthier, smarter, and more energy-efficient living environments for consumers worldwide.
