Huazhong University of Science and Technology was the starting point of Liu Xi’s academic journey, planting the initial seeds for his expertise in microelectronics and automation. However, it was his pursuit of knowledge in North America that truly broadened his horizons. There, he was profoundly captivated by the intelligent control technologies for pneumatic valves, learned about their widespread applications in Europe and the United States, and keenly recognized the technological gap in this field back home—this realization became the seed from which his future entrepreneurial venture would grow.
　 　The Entrepreneurial Journey: Perseverance and Challenges
　　In the autumn of 2011, Liu Xi returned to his hometown of Wuhan, bringing with him a wealth of valuable experience gained abroad, and in 2012 he founded Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent Co., Ltd. His vision is to integrate cutting-edge overseas technologies into China’s smart manufacturing sector, thereby creating industrial intelligence products that truly belong to China.
　　He began by engaging in in-depth dialogue with the market, gaining a genuine understanding of each customer’s pain points and needs. Starting with flexible technical services, he tackled the toughest challenges users encountered in their applications: when imported products proved difficult to control, he spared no expense in conducting targeted R&D to find solutions. In May 2016, a valve manufactured by Japan’s Yamatake on the production line of Wugang Group’s Oxygen Company developed problems after five years of operation. Despite using imported valve positioners from various manufacturers in the company’s inventory, none could achieve precise positioning and control of the valve. Replacing the valve with a new one would take more than 50 days—an unacceptable delay for the production line. The oxygen plant turned to Tuoyou, where Liu Xi led his team to conduct on-site testing with their own positioner. They discovered that even auto-tuning failed to engage; however, the root cause was clear: degraded diaphragm performance had extended the valve’s full-stroke travel time to 55 seconds, exceeding the positioner’s standard limit of 30 seconds for that stroke. Further discussions revealed that the on-site process did not impose any specific requirements on this particular stroke duration. Liu Xi promptly arranged for his team to work through the night, modifying the control program, and by the next day the valve’s control issue was resolved, saving Wugang RMB 850,000 and providing critical relief to the customer’s production operations.
　　 Eleven Years of Perseverance: The Difficult Yet Right Path of Domestic Substitution
　　Liu Xi understands that domestic substitution is undoubtedly the next major growth opportunity—and that success hinges on unwavering commitment and continuous innovation. It is this original vision that has guided the Tuoyou team’s 11-year dedication to the path of domestic substitution, driving them forward with relentless perseverance.
　　From the very outset, Liu Xi positioned the company to focus exclusively on the niche yet specialized and innovative field of intelligent control and fault diagnosis for industrial valves—doing one small thing, but doing it exceptionally well. Guided by users’ pain points and needs, the company has committed to continuous innovation. He told the team: “Pursuing the path of domestic substitution for smart valve positioners at Tuoyou is both challenging and the right choice.” He explained that the challenge lies in the fact that the “golden age” has not yet arrived; in ten years, he believes, China’s industrial sector will enter a golden decade of domestic substitution. As for why it’s the right choice, he said: “The smart valve positioner project embodies two major trends—namely, the shift from electrical to intelligent control, and the drive for domestic substitution.” Today, the 14th Five-Year Plan has already
　　Classifying intelligent valve positioners as a “chokepoint” issue for the industry has made domestic substitution an imperative, thereby validating Liu Xi’s scientific foresight. It is precisely this unwavering conviction that has driven Liu Xi to lead the team at Tuoyou in steadfastly pursuing domestic substitution for 11 years, continuously investing in R&D to stay true to their original mission.
　　 The Spirit of Master Craftsmen in a Great Power: Proud of Independent Technological R&D
　　Making the decision to conduct in-depth research on nozzle-flapper technology was no easy task, as this field entails substantial R&D investment, long development cycles, and high technical barriers. Three major technical challenges must be addressed: low-power design, the development and manufacturing of amplifiers based on nozzle-flapper technology, and the design of adaptive control algorithms leveraging this technology.

　　Through sustained efforts, the team has finally achieved a significant breakthrough in nozzle-flapper technology. They have successfully developed an intelligent valve positioner based on this technology. This product features highly precise control, excellent durability and stability, and markedly superior resistance to moisture and oil contamination in field applications compared with piezoelectric valve technology. As a result, it has broken the long-standing technological monopoly held by foreign manufacturers, placing the technology at the forefront domestically and among the most advanced internationally.
　　A true technological revolution must be driven by independent innovation, with all research and development conducted domestically. Thanks to this spirit of craftsmanship, their products have not only been embraced by domestic markets across industries such as oil, petrochemicals, coal chemicals, metallurgy, power, new energy, and papermaking, but are also beginning to be exported to countries like Malaysia and Russia.
　　Today, Liu Xi and his team have emerged as industry leaders. Following his receipt of the State Council Allowance in 1999, Liu Xi was honored in 2017 as a Leading Innovator in China, in 2018 as a 3551 Optics Valley Innovation Talent, in 2019 as one of China’s Top Ten Craftsmen in the Economy, in 2020 as a Think Tank Expert at the Chinese Academy of Management Science, in 2022 as an Examiner for Professional Competency Assessments by the Chinese Society of Instrumentation, and in 2023 as an Examiner for Engineering Competency Assessments by the Chinese Engineers Federation. The company has been recognized as an “Invisible Champion” in its niche segment of Hubei Province’s pillar industrial sector in 2020 and as a recipient of the National Business Quality Award in 2020. In 2022, Liu Xi also spearheaded the drafting of the group standard for “Intelligent Valve Positioners.”
　　With steady progress as the guiding principle, under the leadership of Liu Xi, the company has established core values of “unity, innovation, and excellence,” earning the trust of the market and customers and enabling it to advance steadily in a competitive environment.