Shenyang Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. (Heavy) has been involved in the development of China's first shield machine, and in mid-April, the unit reached the testing phase. “I finally get to see a complete machine made from parts I helped produce,” said Lao Zhao with excitement. Previously, the components they manufactured were shipped to the client company and assembled there—many people never got to see the final product. Currently, 70% of the parts used in the shield machine still need to be imported. During a visit to the assembly plant, reporters observed more than 10 workers, including Lao Zhao, working on large circular components that were over 11.38 meters in diameter and nearly 3 meters tall. Some workers climbed ladders to reach the top of these massive pieces. “This is just one of tens of thousands of parts that make up the first Shenyang-made shield machine,” said Wang Nissin, deputy chief engineer at the Heavy Shield Office. As he pointed, the reporter saw three massive machines spread across the factory floor. A shield machine typically consists of nine major 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. Some of the finer parts are located near the cutting head, such as the disc shield. “Although Shenyang can now manufacture some parts like the body, many precision components still have to be imported, making up about 70% of the entire machine,” said Wang Gong. This includes the cutting head itself, which is the most expensive component of the shield machine. Assembling the shield machine takes around three months. Although the first batch of parts was large and numerous, only more than 20 assemblers were seen on-site. Wang explained that this is just an early stage, where the workload is lighter, requiring only two shifts. In later stages, when full assembly begins, three shifts will be needed. Because of the high-precision nature of the components and the fact that this is Shenyang’s first time assembling a shield machine, German and French experts from the cooperating companies have also been sent to assist. “If all the parts are in place, formal assembly takes about two and a half months, plus another half month for commissioning, making a total of three months before it can be shipped,” Wang said. “But this machine is still in the first half of the process, and we’re expected to start testing within a month.” Interestingly, the first Shenyang-made shield machine won’t be used in the Shenyang Metro project but will instead be deployed in the Wuhan river-crossing tunnel project. “The shield machine required by the Shenyang Metro is of the same series, but differs in the size of the cutting head based on soil conditions,” said Wang. The machine used in Shenyang Metro only needs a diameter of about 6.9 meters. With independent intellectual property rights, Shenyang Heavy Machinery has managed to create a product that is both high-quality and cost-effective. Despite the high cost of manufacturing a 6.4-meter diameter shield machine at around $5 million, sales remain strong. “Compared to imported models, $5 million is much cheaper,” said an official involved in the project. This cost advantage is one of the main reasons why the company is pushing forward with its own intellectual property development. Previously, similar equipment produced by Heavy had a price difference of about one-third compared to imported models. Last year, these machines captured 70% of the domestic market, while foreign products were gradually phased out.

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