Source: Global Times
Reporter Zhang Ni
The "2021 Top 50 Global Construction Machinery Manufacturers" list recently released by the Organizing Committee of the Global Construction Machinery Top 50 Summit shows that during the epidemic period, the sales of the 11 Chinese manufacturers on the list increased against the trend, and the ranking surpassed the United States for the first time, rising from the third in the world to the first in the world. According to the data released by Off-Highway Research, a global authoritative research organization, in 2020, Sany Group sold a total of 98,705 excavators, accounting for 15% of the global excavator market, and won the global sales championship for the first time. This is also the first time in the history of the excavator industry that a Chinese brand has stood on top of the world. From foreign excavator brands occupying more than 90% of the Chinese market, to the current dominance of domestic brands, what has China's construction machinery manufacturing experienced? How does the industry break through the core technology "card neck" problem? The Global Times reporter recently walked into the intelligent factory of relevant enterprises, felt the development of the industry in the front line, and held dialogues with enterprises and industry experts.
Automatic sorting robots for lighthouse factories
Game with foreign brands
Walking into the excavator production workshop of Sany Heavy Machinery in Shanghai Lingang Industrial Park, hundreds of robots are busy cutting, welding, painting and other work. On average, an excavator rolls off the production line in 7 minutes per production line. At the bright and tidy Sany Heavy Industry Changsha Industrial Park No. 18 Lighthouse Factory, you can see green plants and fish ponds as soon as you enter the door. Here, eight production processes are concentrated in one plant. Logistics and distribution adopts automatic three-dimensional distribution mode, large tonnage parts are automatically transported from the underground transportation channel, and lighter parts are hoisted from the air. Compared to traditional factories, the staff here is reduced by 67%, and the production capacity has been doubled.
"In the sales volume of Sany excavators in 2020, the domestic market accounts for nearly 90%. This is mainly due to China's first control of the domestic epidemic and economic recovery", Xiang Wenbo, president of Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., said in an interview with the Global Times reporter, on the one hand, the Chinese government has introduced measures such as "six guarantees and six stability" in recent years to increase investment in infrastructure construction, which has created a great market demand for the construction machinery industry. On the other hand, China's aging has accelerated the process of replacing labor by machines. The labor force in China's traditional infrastructure industry is decreasing, and in terms of alternative labor, excavators as industrial robots also cater to market demand.
In the 1960s, China began to develop excavators independently, starting almost at the same time as Japan, but due to the weak industrial base, industrial development has always been lagging behind. Compared with foreign brands, the domestic machine at that time was like "industrial waste", and the technology, technology, performance and quality were all backward. Until 2011, in the domestic excavator market, foreign brands such as Japan and the United States still accounted for more than 90% of the share. In today's domestic market, Chinese brands have accounted for about 75% of the share, and most of the products of construction machinery, such as excavators and aerial work platforms, have been fully replaced by imports, and the proportion of exports is increasing year by year.
"Why can China's construction machinery industry rise? First of all, the domestic supporting capacity has formed a system as a whole. Second, the large amount of domestic engineering gives construction machinery a lot of opportunities to display its capabilities, and it is a good training ground. Third, compared with foreign brands, The cost performance of Chinese machinery is higher." Bai Ming, a researcher at the Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce of China, said in an interview with the Global Times reporter that after years of market and technology accumulation, the overall strength of China's construction machinery industry has been significantly improved and strengthened. "Even without the time lag brought about by China's economic recovery after the epidemic, it is only a matter of time before China's machinery manufacturing sales exceed foreign brands."
The intelligent manufacturing production line in the No. 18 lighthouse factory of Sany Heavy Industry Changsha Industrial Park
Break through the "card neck"
According to reports, at present, the domestic construction machinery supply chain system can already meet the needs of the main engine factory, to a certain extent, to solve the previous core components "card neck" problem. "In terms of hardware, cylinders, hydraulic presses, and engines have always been the core components of the neck of the construction machinery industry, and now these core components have been independently developed and produced." According to Hu Qi, general manager of Sany Heavy Machinery Excavation Company, the most powerful component of the excavator that was stuck in the past was the hydraulic press. Especially around 2015, American hydraulic press manufacturers restricted the supply of domestic manufacturers in various ways. How many excavators were produced in the Chinese market before 2011 depended on how many products were invested in the Chinese market by the two major international cylinder factories at that time. "Later, we spent about 5 years independently researching and developing, and finally made the hydraulic press, and all kinds of cylinders can also be produced by ourselves."
Jiang Qingbin, deputy general manager of Sany Pumping Company, said that the pump truck field is also facing the problem of "stuck neck". The boom of the pump truck should be lifted up to 86 meters, requiring the steel used to be light in quality and strong in strength, otherwise it is easy to break. "In the past, we used to buy imported steel, which was very expensive. Now we buy ordinary steel on the market, and after our own special processing, it becomes a high-strength steel plate. ”
Before 2019, more than 70% of the chassis of Sany pump trucks used foreign brand products such as Dongfeng, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Sany pump trucks now use 75% of their own chassis technology. "The epidemic has disrupted the market, and we need to pay the full amount 6 months in advance to buy the chassis of some foreign brands, and can only be supplied after 6 months, which is a very long cycle." We boldly introduced our own storage chassis technology. Jiang Qingbin explained that the core technology of the chassis lies first in the engine. The higher the machining accuracy of the engine, the lower the fuel consumption and noise. Hydraulic parts are also very important. If the processing accuracy of hydraulic parts is not enough, it will be very shaky when hitting the pump, like prostrating. Originally hit this position, but ended up 5 meters away. "Japanese companies have a very good technology in this regard, but now we can also produce it ourselves."
According to Jiang Qingbin, in the excavator products such as big digging, middle digging and small digging, there is no difference in technology and quality between Chinese brands and the world's leading brands. The advantage of Chinese brands is that the service response speed is fast, and the advantage of foreign brands is that the technology has been precipitated for a longer time and there are more old customers. However, the super-large excavator is currently a short board for Chinese enterprises. For example, a Japanese brand can achieve 800 tons, which is a bucket of 42 cubic meters of soil, which is equivalent to a large room. But now the country can only achieve 200 tons. The profit margin of the super-large excavator is relatively large, and it is widely used in scenarios such as mines. In addition, due to engine performance and other reasons, Chinese companies need longer technical precipitation in other super-large machinery such as large tonnage pump trucks.
Digital transformation, either turning the boat over or turning over
While breaking through the "card neck" problem, China's construction machinery industry is also seeking digital transformation. The Global Times reporter saw on the big screen of the Sany intelligent factory that the screen monitored the production status and production data of various equipment in real time. The prototype of Sany's digital transformation began in 2007. At that time, the company's excavator production line began to use welding robots. After using the robot, the excavator after-sales problem dropped by 3/4 and the service life quadrupled. Liang Wengen, chairman of Sany Group, once said that in the face of the digitalization of construction machinery and manufacturing, Sany Group either "overturned" or "turned over". He believes that the construction machinery industry has encountered two major opportunities: one is the historical opportunity for the Chinese nation to usher in the great rejuvenation, and the other is the industrial opportunity for the arrival of the industrial 4.0 era. These two intersections determine that there will definitely be a drastic change in the construction machinery industry, and the support point of this upheaval is digital transformation.
"At present, we are just a Local Chinese enterprise, not yet a world-class enterprise, and sales in the international market account for only about 20% of the Group. In the future, we hope to truly become a world brand recognized by international consumers. Xiang Wenbo expressed his hope that after three or five years of efforts, he would rebuild a "Trinity Heavy Industry" overseas.
Jiang Qingbin believes that the obstacle to the internationalization of China's construction machinery enterprises is mainly due to the low brand recognition. Just as Huawei's mobile phone sales surpass apple may take a few years, because its previous technology accumulation lasted for more than 20 years. The same is true of the construction machinery industry. "I believe that after years of technology accumulation, the international recognition of Chinese brands will usher in an explosive period after the gestation period."
"After years of development, construction machinery has developed from the initial bulldozer, roller and old crane to many professional machinery and multi-functional machinery. Only from the perspective of the development of the construction machinery industry itself, the industrial layout has been basically completed, and more will be developed in the direction of specialization in the future. For example, Bai Ming said that especially construction machinery will be combined with other industries to produce more special products. For example, it cooperates with coal companies to jointly develop corresponding mining products; and combines with fire fighting agencies to develop products that respond to the fire protection needs of high floors. With the improvement of people's living standards, the future construction machinery may also enter more families, and more micro-small machinery will appear to meet the needs of family garden planting.