More "leaps over the Dragon Gate" - An On-site Observation of Shenyang Machine Tool Enterprises

Walking into the assembly shop of Zhongjie Friendship Factory, a subsidiary of Shenyang Machine Tool, a general technology company, several workers are adjusting a large high-precision gantry machining center.

    To process a large component measured in tons, the cutting tool must operate on a track over ten meters long, with each movement requiring an error of no more than ±0.01 millimeters to ensure precision. A senior official from Shenyang Machine Tool Zhongjie Friendship Factory pointed to the guide rails of the high-precision gantry machining center and said, "This is particularly challenging for a massive machine weighing over ten tons, but Shenyang Machine Tool has managed to achieve it."

     A high-precision gantry machining center is a large-scale CNC machine tool known for its high precision and efficiency, which has been widely adopted in the manufacturing industry in recent years. Shenyang Machine Tool, aiming to lead in this technological field, has focused on developing six categories of high-precision products, including gantry machining centers. Currently, the newly developed gantry machining center by Zhongjie Friendship Factory is in the installation and commissioning phase.

Workers at Shenyang Machine Tool, a general technology company, work in the workshop. Photo by Pan Yulong of Xinhua News Agency

    Machine tools are the mother machines of industry and the cornerstone of manufacturing. Recently, reporters found that Shenyang is leveraging its robust industrial foundation to vigorously promote the development of a machine tool industry cluster. One by one, these companies are focusing on 'high-end, intelligent, and green' advancements, successfully crossing new industry hurdles.

    In the production workshop of Shenyang Jingrui CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd., workers are busy and orderly. Recently, the company's latest product, a new energy vehicle parts processing machine, has attracted significant attention in the industry. "Compared to other products, our equipment is about 20% more efficient, which demonstrates our innovative capabilities," said Rong Zhijun, General Manager of Shenyang Jingrui CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd.

The picture shows the general technology Shenyang machine tool assembly workshop. (Photo provided by the interviewed enterprise)

    To gain a strong foothold in the core technology of the machine tool industry, innovation is essential. In March this year, Shenyang Makazhi Technology Co., Ltd. officially launched the 'Aerospace CNC Machine Tool Smart Factory' project. With a total investment of 290 million yuan, the project will address key challenges in the intelligent manufacturing of civil aerospace and other industries by offering customized product selection services and comprehensive industry solutions.

"We have been committed to the research and development and manufacturing of five-axis CNC machine tools, especially in the civil aviation field. The company has always adhered to the concept of 'using technology and taking international road', and continued to increase investment in research and development and deeply cultivate technological innovation," said Qin Guangcai, chairman of the company.

    At present, Shenyang's industrial machine industry has formed a cluster development pattern with prominent advantages in subtractive manufacturing, distinctive features in equal material manufacturing and accelerated promotion of additive manufacturing. In 2024, the output value of 71 industrial machine enterprises above the scale in Shenyang reached 9.75 billion yuan, up 4% year on year.

    In 2024, "Shen Da Industrial Mother Machine Cluster" was successfully promoted in the national advanced manufacturing cluster competition organized by the Ministry of        Industry and Information Technology, opening a new chapter in the construction of Liaoning industrial mother machine industry cluster.

Harnessing the momentum, Shenyang is focusing on the domestic substitution of key industrial machines for major national projects and key areas. The city aims to overcome the 'bottleneck' issues in high-end hosts, numerical control systems, and functional components. This initiative seeks to increase the self-reliance rate of industrial machines, the domestic substitution rate of core components, and the local supply rate of leading enterprises. The goal is to establish Shenyang as a significant national hub for the research and development and production of high-end industrial machines, according to an official from the Shenyang Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau. (Reporter: Yu Yitong)

Note: This news was reprinted from Xinhua News Agency.