In the history of China's scientific and technological development, the word "stuck neck" has always made people's hearts tight. In the past, many key technologies were firmly controlled by foreign companies, and China could only look forward to these areas. Taking the shield machine as an example, this high-tech equipment used for tunneling and underground space excavation was once monopolized by the United States, Japan, Germany, France and other countries. In 1996, China had to buy two second-hand shield machines from Germany for 700 million yuan in order to build the Qinling Tunnel. Although these two machines improved engineering efficiency, many problems were exposed during use, and maintenance costs were high, and German engineers even pulled up a cordon at the maintenance site to prohibit Chinese from approaching. These experiences have made Chinese deeply appreciate the humiliation of not having core technology.
However, over time, China has made great strides in the field of shield machines. On September 29, 2020, the 1,000th domestic shield machine "China Railway No. 1000" officially rolled off the assembly line. From scratch, from weak to strong, China's shield machine has occupied 90% of the domestic market share in just a few years, and the international market share is as high as 70%. This road of counterattack has both hard work and brilliant achievements.
But what is puzzling is that the price of China's shield machine is only one-tenth of that of foreign brands. This pricing strategy sparked a lot of discussion: why not raise the price a little and sell it at such a low price? Is this really in line with the laws of the market? Is it true that the quality of China's shield machine is inferior to that of foreign brands? These are questions that make one want to find out.
As a machine specially designed to excavate tunnels, the shield machine has a very high technical content. The cutterhead at the front end continuously cuts through the underground rock and discharges it to the outside through the internal equipment, and the assembled segments can also support the tunnel wall, greatly improving the efficiency of the project and reducing the risk of safety accidents. In 1996, when China was building the Qinling Tunnel, it first encountered this high-tech equipment, but it also paid a high price. The second-hand shield machines sold to us in Germany are not only ridiculously expensive, but also have frequent problems in the process of use. The high maintenance costs and arrogant attitude of the German engineers made the Chinese feel humiliated.
The experience pierced the hearts of Chinese engineers. In order to no longer be controlled by others, China decided to develop its own shield machine. In 2002, the state included the domestic shield machine project in the 863 plan and became a national key project. China Railway Group set up a project team of 18 people and began the arduous road of research and development. The structure of the shield machine is complex, with more than 30,000 precision parts, involving mechanical, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and other fields. The project team had no technical guidance, so everything had to start from scratch. In order to figure out the cutterhead cutter of the shield machine, the project team spent 5 years, and everyone forgot to sleep and eat.
In 2006, in order to speed up the research and development process, the state imported 130 shield machines from abroad. Finally, in 2008, China Railway No. 1, the first composite EPB shield machine independently developed by China, was successfully rolled off the assembly line. This move broke the monopoly of foreign brands. Although the domestic shield machine came out, many projects still chose to use foreign brands at that time, believing that the domestic shield machine was inferior to imported brands in terms of stability and comprehensive performance.
It was not until 2012 that the construction of Chengdu Metro Line 2 and Line 4 started, and the China Railway team persuaded the construction team to complete the tunnel project by adopting the 1+1 mode of simultaneous construction of domestic shield machines and imported shield machines. In the 10-month actual combat test, the domestic shield machine performed excellently, even surpassing the imported brand, and has since become famous. In September 2020, China's 1,000th shield machine officially rolled off the production line. China Railway Equipment also acquired the German mining machinery company Wirther Company, self-developed host bearings, and realized the localization of core components. By the end of 2023, China's shield machines accounted for 70% of the global market share.
So, why is the price of China's shield machine only one-tenth of that of foreign brands? Actually, it's a strategy. Due to the monopoly position of foreign brands, the price is ridiculously high. In order to open up the market, China's emerging brands must adopt a low-price strategy. This low price not only attracts the attention of customers, but also makes them dare to try new products. At the same time, China's low-cost labor and large-scale production capacity also make the production cost of the shield machine relatively low. Although the price is low, the domestic shield machine is not inferior to foreign brands in terms of quality and performance. In fact, with its excellent performance and reliable quality, the domestic shield machine has won the trust and favor of more and more international customers.
In 2019, a Japanese construction company ordered two EPBs from China for the construction of the Singapore MRT. The incident has caused a lot of discussion in Japan and Singapore, and many people do not understand why a shield machine manufacturing powerhouse like Japan would purchase equipment from China. However, it has been proven that the technology and quality of China's shield machines have reached the international leading level. Among China's six major shield machine manufacturers, China Railway Equipment alone has an order volume of 868 units, and its sales volume ranked first in the world for two consecutive years in 2017 and 2018.
The rise of China's shield machine is not accidental, but the result of the joint efforts of countless scientific researchers and engineers. After years of technical research and continuous innovation, the domestic shield machine project launched in 2002 finally ushered in the birth of the first shield machine with independent intellectual property rights in 2008. This landmark event marks a key step forward for China's shield machine industry. However, market competition is never smooth sailing. Although China's shield machine has made a huge breakthrough in technology, it still faces many challenges in the early stage of market promotion. Many project leaders are skeptical of domestic shield machines, believing that their stability and comprehensive performance are not as good as those of imported brands. In order to break this bias, the China Railway team decided to prove the strength of the domestic shield machine in a real project. In 2012, Chengdu Metro Line 2 and Line 4 started, and the China Railway team put forward a bold plan: the 1+1 mode of synchronous construction of domestic shield machines and imported shield machines. In the 10-month actual combat test, the domestic shield machine performed excellently, even surpassing the imported brand. This successful case has made the domestic shield machine famous in one fell swoop and won wide recognition in the industry.
In September 2020, China's 1,000th shield machine officially rolled off the assembly line, which is not only an important milestone in the development of China's shield machine industry, but also a symbol of the rise of China's manufacturing industry. China Railway Equipment Co., Ltd. has also realized the localization of core components through the acquisition of Wirther, a German mining machinery company, and further improved the technical level and market competitiveness of domestic shield machines. The success of China's shield machine in the international market is inseparable from the strategy of price war. The price of domestic shield machines is only one-tenth of that of foreign brands, and this very competitive pricing has allowed Chinese shield machines to quickly occupy the global market. By the end of 2023, China's shield machines will account for 70% of the global market share, becoming a veritable industry hegemon.
Although some have questioned the sustainability of this low-price strategy, it has been proven that China's shield machines have gained a firm foothold in the international market due to their excellent quality and performance. Low price does not mean low quality, and China's shield machine is not inferior to foreign brands in terms of technological innovation and quality control. On the contrary, it is this low-price strategy that enables more countries and regions to enjoy high-quality equipment and services at a lower cost, thus promoting the rapid development of global infrastructure construction. The rise of China's shield machine is a microcosm of the continuous progress of China's manufacturing industry. From the introduction of technology to independent research and development, from passive acceptance to active innovation, China has proved the importance of "rejuvenating the country through science and technology" with practical actions. In this war without gunpowder, Chinese engineers and scientific researchers have broken the monopoly of foreign brands with wisdom and sweat and won the respect of the international market.
As the Book of Rites says: "If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools." "The success of China's shield machine industry is inseparable from the strong support of the state and the unremitting efforts of scientific researchers. Through continuous technological innovation and market exploration, China has not only made breakthroughs in the field of shield machines, but also provided valuable experience for the development of other high-tech industries. Although the low-price strategy sacrifices some profits in the short term, in the long run, this practice has won a broad market for China's shield machine and established a good international image for China's manufacturing. With the continuous progress of technology and the gradual maturity of the market, the international competitiveness of China's shield machine will be further enhanced.
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