Chilean LPG Giant Lipigas Conducts Factory Audit at Wuxi Zhongyi, Focusing on G1.6 Smart Gas Meter Cooperation

Wuxi, China — November 12, 2026 — A delegation from Empresas Lipigas S.A., Chile's leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution company, visited Wuxi Zhongyi Smart Technology Co., Ltd. for a factory audit on November 12. The delegation included Verónica Bravo Espinoza, Deputy Manager of Procurement and Supplier Management, and Carlos Villegas, Deputy Technical Manager of Operations and Distribution. The audit was coordinated and accompanied by electrical engineers and auditors from TÜV Rheinland Qingdao, and focused on the technical, manufacturing, metrology, quality, and system integration capabilities for the G1.6 smart gas meter — a critical step for Wuxi Zhongyi to enter Lipigas's supplier system.

South American LPG Leader Sources from China

Founded in 1950 and listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange, Empresas Lipigas S.A. operates across Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. As of the end of 2023, the company held a 34.6% market share in Chile's LPG sector, operating 13 storage, transport, and filling plants, along with 30 distribution and sales centers, with a service network stretching from Arica in the north to Punta Arenas in the south. In recent years, while consolidating its core LPG business, Lipigas has continued to expand into natural gas, electricity, and new energy sectors, raising higher requirements for the intelligence level and metering accuracy of its measurement equipment.

The audit was organized and coordinated by TÜV Rheinland Qingdao, with auditors accompanying the delegation throughout to provide independent third-party verification for Lipigas's G1.6 smart gas meter supplier selection. According to sources, Lipigas representatives were unfamiliar with local transportation in Shanghai, so Wuxi Zhongyi arranged a dedicated vehicle at 7:00 a.m. to pick up the Chilean clients from their Shanghai hotel and transport them directly to the Wuxi factory.

Audit Covers Technical, Manufacturing, and Certification Dimensions

According to the agenda confirmed by both parties, the audit focused on: reviewing the main technical characteristics of the G1.6 diaphragm gas meter, including flow range, operating pressure, accuracy, repeatability, and material compatibility, and assessing its suitability for LPG service; reviewing manufacturing assembly processes, calibration, leak testing, metering and final inspection procedures, and verifying serial number traceability and quality control records; reviewing calibration/test benches and applicable reference standards; reviewing the applicability of current certifications to the proposed G1.6 model and discussing potential certification/verification routes required for the Chilean market.

On the smart configuration side, both parties conducted demonstrations and discussions on NB-IoT/LoRaWAN communication, APIs, platforms, batteries, alarms, and remote shut-off valves, as well as the communication frequency bands and technical compatibility for deployment in Chile. Market research indicates that LPWAN protocols, particularly LoRaWAN and NB-IoT, are gaining dominance in Latin American smart metering applications, driven by utility-led pilot programs and distributor bundling strategies in countries including Chile.

Full-Chain On-Site Demonstration Under Review

During the audit day, Wuxi Zhongyi presented the complete manufacturing chain from incoming materials to finished product dispatch according to the planned schedule.

In the incoming material and warehousing segment, the client toured the warehouse and reviewed incoming inspection records, non-conformance reports, material requisition forms, and material return forms to understand material control practices. In the core process demonstration, the technical lead conducted on-site operations and explained process standards for key procedures including diaphragm error curves, motor valve leak testing, gluing, upper and lower casing pressing, airtightness testing and water inspection, and meter calibration. The client also visited the SMT workshop to review the AOI PCBA inspection process, fixtures, and production work instructions.

In the electronics and assembly segment, the team demonstrated firmware programming, RF and power consumption testing, conformal coating spraying, circuit board assembly, number writing and casing/labeling, and boxing/packing with barcode scanning. Laboratory equipment demonstrations and office environment introductions were conducted in parallel.

In the system and documentation review segment, Wuxi Zhongyi showcased its production management system, ERP, barcode management system, project management system, network drive, and SVN and other IT tools.

During the meeting room session, representatives from both sides held a relaxed yet serious project kickoff meeting. Mr. Jeff Zou, Chairman of Wuxi Zhongyi Smart Technology, delivered a speech in Spanish, warmly welcoming the Chilean visitors and expressing the hope that the client would help improve factory production and process details through this audit.

Pilot Batch Moving Forward

According to the agenda, both parties summarized observations, open issues, and next steps at the closing meeting. Lipigas's interest in the pilot batch scale will be followed by discussions on minimum order quantity, delivery time, and commercial configuration based on the audit conclusions. For Wuxi Zhongyi, this visit served as both a comprehensive test of its G1.6 smart gas meter technical strength and manufacturing level, and an important opportunity to expand into the South American LPG metering market. Wuxi Zhongyi stated that it will continue to improve product certification and localization adaptation to provide reliable metering solutions for Lipigas's deployment in Chile and the broader Latin American market.

About Wuxi Zhongyi

Wuxi Zhongyi is an enterprise specializing in the research, development, and manufacturing of gas metering instruments. Its products cover diaphragm gas meters, smart steel-shell/aluminum-shell gas meters, and supporting management systems. The company possesses complete manufacturing capabilities ranging from SMT placement, diaphragm assembly, calibration and testing, to complete meter integration.

About Empresas Lipigas S.A.

Founded in 1950, Empresas Lipigas is a leading LPG distribution company listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange in Chile, operating across Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. In 2023, it held a 34.6% market share in Chile and continues to expand into natural gas, electricity, and new energy sectors.

https://www.zhongyismart.com Wuxi Zhongyi Smart Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on R&D and production of smart water meters, energy meters and gas meters. Our products are available in over 90 countries across the globe. Feel free to contact Zhongyi Intelligent for inquiries about smart water meters, electricity meters and gas meters.