Revolutionizing Production: Smarter Domestic Machine Tools
AI-Driven Intelligent Manufacturing Upgrades
Entering the exhibition hall, the crowds bustled, the hum of machine tools hummed, and a series of spectacular "industrial shows" unfolded.
At the Huazhong CNC booth, a staff member instantly activated the intelligent CNC system with the command "Start Intelligent Programming." Within seconds, the imported model appeared on the screen, its response speed and output quality astonishing.
This is the Huazhong Model 10 Intelligent CNC System, the world's first next-generation intelligent CNC system integrating an AI chip and a large AI model. As the world's first intelligent CNC system with autonomous learning capabilities, its release marks a major breakthrough for my country in high-end CNC systems, enabling a leap from technological "follower" to innovative "leadership."
Chen Jihong, Chairman of Huazhong CNC, told reporters, "We have endowed the system with autonomous learning capabilities and innovatively constructed a technical architecture of 'one intelligent base, two digital main lines, and three functional subsystems,' creating a new paradigm for the advanced stage of intelligent manufacturing." Currently, the system possesses intelligent decision-making capabilities equivalent to those of an engineer with two to three years of experience and can continuously evolve through data training. Its open platform supports local deployment of small enterprise models, effectively ensuring data security.
Huazhong CNC's breakthrough in intelligent systems is not an isolated case. At this exhibition, the deep integration of AI technology and the machine tool industry became a focus of industry attention. The latest products launched by numerous domestic machine tool companies vividly demonstrated the fruitful results of the upgrade from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing.
Wuhan Heavy Machine Tool Group Co., Ltd., a major production base in the heavy machine tool field, unveiled its independently developed, world-first intelligent heavy machine tool—a high-speed, high-precision intelligent heavy-duty vertical milling and turning center—during the exhibition. It also simultaneously launched its "Wuzhong Cloud" online intelligent service platform, a pioneering development in China.
Compared to traditional heavy machine tools, intelligent heavy machine tools, empowered by AI, are smarter, more stable, and more reliable. Qin Yong, General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Wuhan Heavy Machine Tool Group Co., Ltd., explained that this new product is equipped with a dynamic digital twin platform. During operation, internal sensors can detect vibration curves in various parts of the machine tool in real time, using these curves for precision compensation and feedback, further improving machine tool accuracy.
Mao Yufeng explained that with the empowerment of AI technology and the rapid development of the machine tool industry, enterprises' production efficiency and quality have rapidly improved, costs have been significantly reduced, and the coordinated development of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain has been promoted.
"The next 10 years will be a critical period for the development of intelligent Cnc Machine tools, a typical new generation of intelligent manufacturing equipment." Zhou Ji, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the National Strategic Advisory Committee for Building a Strong Manufacturing Nation, said that leveraging AI technology to promote the new industrialization process has become a core technological path for the innovative development of the manufacturing industry, and the new generation of intelligent manufacturing is a key link in this path.
New Scenarios Bring New Demands
Machine tools, known as "tools for making tools," are the core hub of the modern industrial system. Booming emerging industries, represented by the 3C electronics industry and the new energy vehicle industry, are bringing new demands and opportunities to China's domestic machine tool industry, and a number of machine tool companies are emerging in response.
Above the booth of Wuhan Huagong Laser Engineering Co., Ltd., the "Laser Intelligent Manufacturing + AI" signage stood out. The fifth-generation 3D, five-axis laser cutting intelligent equipment on display was equipped with an AI intelligent interaction system for the first time.
Deng Jiake, General Manager of Wuhan Huagong Laser Engineering Co., Ltd., told reporters that the fifth-generation 3D, 5-axis, intelligent laser cutting equipment boasts comprehensive improvements focused on high speed and high precision. With the rapid growth of new energy vehicles and the trend toward lightweighting, domestic and international automakers are experiencing a surge in demand for high-strength steel plates, which require laser cutting. This is also driving companies to accelerate their overseas expansion.
In addition, the development of emerging industries such as commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy has opened up a broader market for the machine tool industry. According to the "China Civil Aircraft Market Forecast Annual Report 2024-2043," China is expected to need 8,278 new civil passenger aircraft of various types. Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China also indicates that the low-altitude economy market will reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2025 and is expected to reach 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.
Kede CNC Co., Ltd. has successfully seized the opportunities presented by the wave of emerging industries. Kede officials explained that the company's five-axis vertical machining centers and horizontal machining centers are already being used in the production of helicopter engines and large UAV fuselage structural components. The company's new order value is expected to increase by approximately 24% year-on-year in 2024. The aerospace sector accounts for 53% of newly signed domestic orders. The repurchase rate for new orders for five-axis CNC machine tools is approximately 41%, with private enterprises accounting for approximately 74%. The company's independently developed five-axis CNC machine tools are used for machining core components such as aircraft engine blades and aircraft landing gear, and have supplied equipment to nearly 30 domestic aviation companies.
Mao Yufeng analyzed that in recent years, my country has cultivated and expanded emerging and future industries, carrying out large-scale application demonstrations of new technologies, products, and new scenarios, promoting the safe and healthy development of emerging industries such as commercial aerospace, low-altitude economy, and deep-sea technology. A mechanism for increasing investment in future industries has been established, fostering future industries such as biomanufacturing, quantum technology, embodied intelligence, and 6G. With the development of emerging and future industries, demand for high-end machine tools continues to rise, significantly shifting the demand structure in China's machine tool market and significantly increasing demand levels.
Actively Integrate into the International Industrial Chain
As a strategic and foundational industry crucial to national security and overall development, the development of the machine tool industry is crucial. For machine tool companies, seizing opportunities in technological innovation and international development, actively participating in the international industrial chain division of labor, and enhancing global competitiveness are essential for business development and are crucial for national momentum transformation.
Zhejiang Changer Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., specializing in high-end CNC broaching machines, is an industry pioneer. At this exhibition, the company showcased its intelligent precision broaching technology and complete sets of intelligent equipment. Changer Chairman Lin Lugao proudly stated that, in response to major equipment needs, the company has mastered several key broaching processes and developed five-axis and six-axis CNC broaching machines for precision mortise and tenon machining of turbine discs and compressor discs for aircraft engines and gas turbines. These machines provide high-performance industrial machine tools for the aerospace and shipbuilding industries, replacing imported equipment. Changer also aims to export domestically produced high-end equipment to the global market.
China General Technology (Group) Holding Co., Ltd., the largest central SOE exhibitor at this exhibition, showcased 29 high-end, intelligent, and green machine tool products. These included 22 machine tools, three models, four measuring instruments, and eight types of functional components, encompassing a wide range of high-quality, high-end machine tool products and full-chain intelligent manufacturing solutions. At the exhibition, General Technology Group signed contracts with clients from several key industries, with the value of letters of intent reaching nearly 500 million yuan in the first two days of the exhibition.
Chinese companies are actively "going global," while a growing number of foreign companies are choosing to "enter the market." This exhibition attracted over 800 overseas machine tool companies, including delegations from machine tool associations and trade promotion agencies from 13 countries and regions, including Germany and the United Kingdom. In recent years, major global machine tool companies such as DMG Mori Seiki, Yamazaki Mazak, and TRUMPF have established factories or expanded production capacity in China. This two-way interactive flow provides opportunities for foreign-invested enterprises to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and expand into new markets. It also compels domestic enterprises to benchmark, catch up, innovate, and develop. Through competition and cooperation, they jointly build a machine tool industry ecosystem and jointly expand into the Chinese and international markets.
"The world economy continues to advance amidst a crisscrossing of cooperation and openness with trade protectionism, free exchange with tariff barriers, and every decision is crucial." Mao Yufeng stated that he believes China will inevitably become a major hub for the global machine tool industry, an ideal investment destination, and a venue for innovative applications of technological advancement. Partnering with China means partnering with opportunities, and investing in China means investing in the future.