3 Years to “High-Tech Enterprise” & Selection as “Foundational Smart Factory”: Tonton Sportswear Accelerates Intelligent Manufacturing via “AI+” to Enable 24-Hour Shipping

Source: Hubei Daily | Originally published at https://news.hubeidaily.net on April 10, 2026

Hubei Daily (Correspondent: Huang Yun) – “We needed 3,000 quick-dry sports jerseys before 1st of May, and we’re already looking at the samples today.” On the afternoon of April 8, the head of a middle school in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, immediately signed an order with Tonton Sportswear and even pre-booked a subsequent large order of 10,000 pieces. From the initial request to the finalised shipment, the process took less than 24 hours.

This “lightning response” that amazed the client is a direct result of “Tonton Speed” – the byproduct of Tonton Sportswear. empowering traditional manufacturing with “AI+”.

As an established enterprise that relocated back from Guangdong, 90% of Tonton Sportswear’s products are exported overseas, with an annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan. This March, Tonton anchored its strategy on “mid-to-high-end custom children’s sports apparel” to expand into the domestic market. They utilised a “breathable” cooling fabric developed by Wuhan Textile University, turning it into the company’s flagship “hero product.”

In the product design phase, AI has become the designer’s “right-hand man.” Designer Liu Yang demonstrated that by inputting keywords like “basketball jersey” and “quick-dry fabric,” the system generates a style in 20 seconds and presents a 3D try-on effect in 10 seconds, drastically shortening the design cycle.

“We have constructed a database of over 2,000 fabric types and 600 accessories. AI can precisely match production requirements. By linking four hanging production lines with 200 smart devices, our monthly capacity exceeds 300,000 pieces, saving 5 million yuan in labor costs annually,” explained Yang Liping, a company representative.

Within the workshop, the company’s independently developed digital printing custom production line is a rarity in China.

• Unique Digital IDs: From AI design to shipping, every garment and fabric piece has a unique digital “ID.”
• Rapid Delivery: The intelligent production line can complete delivery within 24 hours at its fastest.
• Sorting Efficiency: Using a system of red, yellow, and green indicator lights combined with barcode scanning, just two people can complete a daily task of 3,000 items – a 10x increase in efficiency over traditional methods.

On the sales end, the company relies on a MES (Manufacturing Execution System) to achieve full-process visualization. Once an order is placed, customers can track production stages and courier numbers in real-time. Scanning a code retrieves renderings and sizing info, making the entire process visible and traceable.

Chairman Hu Xinzhen shared future developments:

• Body Measurement Software: New technology can now capture precise measurements from a photo for personalized customisation.
• Video Integration: They are currently developing QR codes for fabric pieces that will allow customers to view live “clips” or videos of their specific garment going through the printing and production phases.

In just two years, the company was recognized as a High-Tech Enterprise, and in three years, it was shortlisted for the 2026 Municipal Foundational Smart Factory accreditation. Moving from a traditional factory to an “AI+” intelligent enterprise, the “Tonton Experience” has become a blueprint for the transformation of traditional industries.