Shenyang Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. (SHMC) has been involved in the production of China's first domestically-made shield machine, a major milestone in the country's infrastructure development. In mid-April, the machine was at the testing stage, marking a significant step forward for the company. “Finally, I can see a complete machine made from parts I helped produce,” said Lao Zhao, one of the workers involved in the project. He added that many of the components were shipped directly to the client and rarely seen assembled as a whole. Despite the progress, 70% of the parts still need to be imported, highlighting the challenges the company faces in achieving full self-reliance. During a visit to the SHMC assembly plant, reporters observed over 10 workers, including Lao Zhao, carefully handling massive circular components—some measuring up to 11.38 meters in diameter and nearly 3 meters in height. Workers climbed ladders to reach the top, showing the complexity of the assembly process. “This is just the first of tens of thousands of parts that make up a shield machine,” said Wang Nissin, deputy chief engineer at SHMC. As he pointed, the reporter saw several large machines scattered across the plant. A shield machine typically consists of nine main components, with the cutting head being the largest and most critical part. It’s responsible for breaking through soil and is considered the core of the entire system. However, even with local manufacturing capabilities, some high-precision parts must still be imported. “We can produce the body and some parts, but the cutting head and other key components are still imported,” Wang explained. The cutting head alone is the most expensive part of the machine. The assembly process takes around three months. Currently, only about 20 workers are on-site, as the project is still in the early stages of assembly. “At this point, we only need two shifts,” Wang said. “But once the final assembly begins, we’ll need three shifts to keep up.” Given the complexity of the machine and the fact that it’s the first of its kind in Shenyang, experts from Germany and France have also been brought in to assist. Although the first Shenyang-made shield machine wasn’t used in the local subway project, it will soon be deployed for the Wuhan cross-river tunnel. “The machine required by the Shenyang Metro is of the same series, but with a smaller cutting head designed for different soil conditions,” Wang explained. The Shenyang Metro version only needs a 6.9-meter diameter, compared to the larger model being tested now. The development of the shield machine with independent intellectual property rights has led to a “good quality and low price” reputation. While a 6.4-meter diameter shield machine costs around $5 million, it’s significantly cheaper than imported alternatives. “This is one of the main reasons we invested in R&D for our own technology,” said an official involved in the project. Previously, SHMC’s double-input and double-output coal-fired units had a 1/3 price advantage over imported models. Last year, these products captured 70% of the domestic market, pushing foreign competitors out of the market. This success shows that China is making strides in developing advanced, cost-effective engineering equipment.

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