As a technology-driven high-tech enterprise, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent Co., Ltd. specializes in high-end intelligent control of pneumatic valves. The company provides comprehensive smart valve positioner solutions based on nozzle-flapper technology to customers in industries such as oil, chemicals, coal chemicals, metallurgy, power, papermaking, and pharmaceuticals, as well as to valve manufacturers, thereby achieving domestic substitution.

From an early age, Liu Xi consistently excelled academically. In 1983, he was admitted to Huazhong University of Science and Technology with the second-highest score in the entire county, and in 1987 he was directly recommended for graduate studies as the top student in his class. During his graduate program, in addition to focusing on microelectronics, he also took elective courses in automation, laying a solid technical foundation that later guided his career choice toward the automation field. After graduation, he joined a state-owned enterprise under the Provincial Department of Information Industry, where he devoted more than two decades to the fields of industrial automation and artificial intelligence, accumulating extensive technical expertise. He led teams in developing a range of automated systems, including a distributed control system for synthetic crystal production, a distributed control system for power plant boilers, an intelligent gas-emission management system for coal mines, a comprehensive performance-testing system for high-voltage circuit breakers, and a nano-photocatalytic water-treatment device, among others. These projects earned multiple national-level “New Product” awards, while Liu himself was honored with the Second Prize for Provincial Scientific and Technological Progress, the Ministry of Electronics’ Outstanding Young Scientist Award, and the State Council Special Allowance for Experts. Notably, under his leadership, the distributed control system for synthetic crystal production achieved a market share of 85%, ranking first in its niche segment—demonstrating both his exceptional technical prowess and his skill as a marketing expert.

In 2010, Liu Xi undertook a fact-finding and study tour across North America—specifically the United States and Canada—in search of entrepreneurial opportunities. During his time in the U.S., he hosted a colleague from China who was engaged in marketing petrochemical instrumentation. Through their conversation, Liu keenly recognized the potential of high-end, intelligent control systems for pneumatic valves. Given the high technical barriers to entry, this segment remained largely untapped in China, with domestic capabilities lagging far behind those of developed countries in Europe and North America. At the same time, Liu came to realize that “domestic substitution” in the industrial sector would represent a golden period of growth over the next decade. Coupled with the project’s high technological barriers, promising industry trends, and a sizable market, it clearly met all the key criteria for a viable startup venture.

While brimming with excitement, Liu Xi calmly devoted more than two years to preliminary technical validation and key‑technology outreach. Once the technology proved feasible, the question arose: Should he establish a company in the United States, or return to China to start up? He wrestled with the decision, and many friends even advised him to set up shop in the U.S. Yet at the crucial moment, his deep sense of national pride ultimately tipped the scales. “If I were to launch a U.S.–based company,” Liu said, “from a purely financial standpoint, that would certainly be an attractive option. But in the end, it would simply add another imported brand to the market—while Chinese brands would remain conspicuously absent, with no one stepping in to fill the gap. Given this reality, why not create a high‑end, smart valve positioner that is truly made in China, build a homegrown Chinese brand, and address this critical industry shortfall? As a pioneer of ‘domestic substitution,’ let me take on the mantle.”

Driven by his dreams and aspirations, Liu Xi boarded a flight back to China and, in 2012, founded Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent Co., Ltd., dedicating the company to the R&D and manufacturing of intelligent valve positioners. During his first year back home, Liu Xi worked tirelessly to gain a deep understanding of the market and to lay out a strategic plan for the company’s future growth and expansion. As a high-caliber overseas-trained professional who returned to start a business in China, Liu Xi and his company have received extensive entrepreneurial support and awards from the Ministry of Science and Technology as well as provincial, municipal, and district-level authorities. In 2013, his project “R&D of Intelligent Valve Positioners Based on Nozzle-Flapper Technology” was selected for funding under the Innovation Fund of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Provincial Department of Science and Technology; in 2018, his project “High-End Intelligent Valve Positioner Powered by an Industrial Cloud Platform” was included in the 3551 Optics Valley Talent Program, and Liu Xi was honored with the title of “Optics Valley 3551 Innovative Talent” in the 11th cohort.

From the United States to China, from New York to Wuhan, the entrepreneurial journey has been marked by both hardship and joy. With the dream of “transforming China’s backward industrial landscape,” Liu Xi has persevered, steadily advancing step by step toward the future.

Deploying smart manufacturing to strengthen China’s industrial sector

The smart valve positioner is a type of valve positioner that is based on microprocessor technology, employs digital techniques for data processing, decision-making, and bidirectional communication, and functions as an intelligent process-control instrument. It is capable of automatically detecting the zero point, full-scale range, friction coefficient, and control parameters of the associated control valve without any manual adjustment. With the rapid advancement of computer technology, electronic technology, communication technology, and intelligent predictive diagnostic technology, market demand for smart valve positioners has been steadily increasing. As a critical component of industrial automation, the smart valve positioner plays an indispensable role. However, this class of smart products features a high technological barrier, with key core technologies remaining firmly in the hands of foreign firms, leaving China’s smart valve-positioner technology relatively underdeveloped. Consequently, many critical processes in China’s industrial process control are subject to technological constraints imposed by foreign entities, which severely hinders the country’s drive toward greater automation and intelligence in industry and, more broadly, impedes safe production and technological progress.

“A drop of water, over time, gathers to form the vast ocean; a pebble, moved again and again, eventually becomes Mount Tai.” Through years of dedicated research, from fleeting flashes of inspiration to the blazing flame of wisdom, Liu Xi has finally opened the door to a whole new world. More than two decades of accumulation and refinement have laid a solid foundation for his development of intelligent valve positioners, while also igniting in him a passionate drive and unwavering hope to contribute to the rise of China’s industrial prowess.

Accumulation is indeed valuable, but diligence is even more so. The true value of diligence lies in one’s unwavering focus on one’s work. Since its founding in 2012, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent has, under the leadership of Liu Xi, remained steadfastly committed to the R&D of intelligent valve positioners—day in and day out, year after year—devoting all its energy and attention to a single pursuit and a single role. In 2013, the company’s self-developed Model A V1.0 made its debut at the Wugang Oxygen Plant, successfully replacing four German-made SAMSON intelligent valve positioners. To date, these four positioners have been in safe operation for nearly seven years, with not a single production-related accident occurring.

In 2017, Wugang experienced the only external-grid power outage in its history since the plant’s inception, resulting in backflow of spray water into the secondary cooling system of the Cold Rolling Mill. All 43 American FISHER positioners and valves were rendered inoperable, and an urgent request for assistance from FISHER yielded the response that a replacement would take more than 50 days. With the plant forced to halt production due to the incident and daily losses reaching as high as one million yuan, the mill swiftly turned to Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent for emergency support, hoping to avert a catastrophic downturn. Upon receiving Wugang’s request, Liu Xi personally led a team to the site, leveraging his exceptional technical expertise to diagnose the problem on-site and develop a retrofit plan. Initially, five positioners were replaced for performance testing; custom mounting brackets were fabricated around the clock, and the installation was successfully completed within three days, with test results fully meeting the mill’s process requirements. Subsequently, Wugang placed an urgent order for the remaining 38 units, completing the entire retrofit in just two weeks. This ensured safe production, minimized losses from the outage, and reduced retrofit costs by two-thirds. Wugang highly commended Tuoyou’s professional commitment to “domestic substitution” and its meticulous, detail-oriented technical approach.

It is precisely because of our dreams, sense of responsibility, pioneering spirit, and unwavering determination to overcome challenges that Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent has finally emerged as a leading player in the industry. At the end of 2018, Yue Dian Jinghai Power Generation Co., Ltd. procured 34 positioners to replace ABB positioners for damper control in its 660 MW units, achieving one year of flawless operation. By the end of 2019, the company placed another order for 34 positioners, once again successfully substituting ABB products and maintaining stable performance. In early 2020, TORLEO Tuoyou positioners were deployed on the steam turbine side of a 1,000 MW generating unit to replace SIEMENS equipment, controlling FISHER valves with outstanding results. This marked the first domestic project to replace imported equipment with domestically produced solutions in the largest power-generating units—a milestone that fulfilled the dream of every Tuoyou employee and became a source of pride for the entire team.

Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent finds itself in a dynamic era of vigorous competition and relentless progress, boldly stepping forward as a pioneer, trailblazer, and dedicated contributor at the forefront of its industry. In 2019, the company was honored by the Ministry of Commerce with the “Integrity Enterprise” certificate for its ethical business practices and was recognized as a national Quality 3.15 Trusted Commitment Unit. Its founder, Liu Xi, was further acclaimed as one of China’s Top Ten Artisan Figures, symbolizing that the tree of their shared vision is now laden with abundant fruits.

Open your eyes and gaze afar at the long river; in innovative contemplation, a radiant light emerges.

“The Way evolves with each passing day, and so too must art; novelty is the very essence of vitality—without it, there is death.” On the journey toward the industrial rejuvenation of a great nation, Liu Xi has relentlessly pursued innovation, driven by an unrelenting spirit of creativity and a pioneering approach that forges new paths. Under his leadership, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligence has overcome countless obstacles and forged ahead with unwavering determination.

Liu Xi stated that intelligent valve positioners are the core business and entry-level product of Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligence. Looking ahead, the company plans to integrate IoT technologies across all critical nodes in industrial pipelines—such as intelligent valve control, pipeline flow monitoring, pipeline safety surveillance, and pump operation safety monitoring—and, leveraging cloud computing and big data, establish an Industrial Pipeline IoT Big Data Center. He emphasized that only by establishing its entry-level products as industry leaders and building a recognized brand—with extensive application scenarios throughout the industrial sector—will the company be able to vigorously develop a “China Pipeline IoT Big Data Center,” break through the current ceiling of the multi-billion-dollar intelligent valve positioner market, and enter the trillion-dollar industrial pipeline IoT value chain. He is keenly aware that talent is the key to realizing this vision. To that end, in addition to fostering industry–university–research collaboration with academic institutions, he has made talent development and team building top priorities under his direct oversight.

In addition to a steadfast focus on innovation, quality is another area that Top-You Intelligent places great emphasis on. Quality is the foundation of all our work and the prerequisite for building a strong corporate capability; only high-quality products can enable a company to establish a solid foothold in the market. Looking ahead, Top-You Intelligent will continue to prioritize innovative R&D aimed at delivering high-quality, intelligent products as the cornerstone of our corporate development, with successive upgrades and iterations of our product portfolio. Currently, the fourth-generation smart valve positioner—now in the stage of small-batch pilot production—has also seen increased investment in brand promotion. In 2019, the company entered into a strategic partnership with China Central Television (CCTV), resulting in the TORLEO smart valve positioner being selected as a featured brand for CCTV’s “Credit China” promotional campaign.

Meanwhile, Tuoyou Intelligent places great emphasis on upgrading its product portfolio and extending its industrial chain. The company has established a comprehensive and extensive marketing network, assembled an efficient team of professional sales and after-sales service personnel, and developed a robust marketing and service system. It is committed to building a Chinese-branded smart valve positioner and continuously enhancing the value of its products and the industry as a whole.