In Xiangshan's Damei Bay, along Jinhai Avenue heading south, a research institute is taking shape. It encompasses a pilot test and incubation base, a science and technology square, a comprehensive testing building, a research institute, and an international exchange and exhibition center. This will become the innovation source for the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute, empowering and enabling the high-quality development of Ningbo's manufacturing industry.

Although it doesn't yet have formal office space, since its establishment in 2018, the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute has been building and serving simultaneously, continuously sparking collaborations with Ningbo's manufacturing enterprises. It has served over 100 companies and solved hundreds of industry-specific technical problems.

Now, with the completion and commissioning of the Phase 1 pilot test and incubation base, this "national team" for mechanical equipment research and development will accelerate the release of its innovation potential. By producing one research result after another, creating something from nothing and improving existing technologies, it will comprehensively enhance innovation capabilities and transformation efficiency. With numerous new technologies and products, it will help Ningbo's manufacturing industry reach new heights.

Diagnosis and Treatment: Solving Hundreds of Industry-Specific Technical Problems

The enterprises that benefit the most have the strongest voice when it comes to the strength of the institute's innovative R&D capabilities. Located in Xinqiao Town, Zhejiang Jiwang Forging Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the first batch of enterprises to cooperate with the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute.

“ “Previously, our bucket teeth used a casting process. Although it is easy to shape when processing products with complex shapes, with the continuous improvement of environmental protection requirements, the environmental management costs generated by the casting process are also rising. At its peak, the cost of environmental management accounted for one-third of the total cost of the product.” A relevant person in charge of Zhejiang Jiwang Forging Technology Co., Ltd., said that considering the cost, they had also considered using a forging process, but the difficulty of one-time forming was relatively high, and the process improvement was stuck in a bottleneck period.

“After a chance encounter with the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute, we found that their research and development field coincided with our direction of process improvement, so both sides hit it off immediately.” He didn't expect that, not long after, the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute solved the problem of one-time forming of forged bucket teeth by changing the process parameters of bucket tooth manufacturing. The product life has been increased by at least 2 times, and the relevant Technical Index has exceeded national standards.

After tasting the sweetness, Jiwang Technology is currently planning to set up a new company jointly with the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute, focusing on the research and development and innovation of new mining cutting teeth. It is expected to be established as early as the beginning of next year.

In fact, the story of Jiwang Technology and the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute's strong alliance is not unique in Ningbo. As the only domestic unit whose main business is the basic commonality technology research of the equipment manufacturing industry, the China Machinery Science Research Institute is the "national team" for mechanical equipment research and development, with profound accumulation in material processing and forming, mechanics, etc.

Since its establishment, the research team of the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute has visited small and medium-sized enterprises in Xiangshan's knitting, wind power generation, casting mold, and auto parts industries to provide diagnoses and treatment, solving hundreds of technical problems point-to-point.

A mold factory in Xiangshan had a problem where parts kept getting stuck during processing, a problem that had existed for three years without a solution. The Southern Center research team went to the scene and found that it was a contradiction caused by the machine being too precise and the parts being too rough, and immediately proposed a solution. Another machinery company encountered scratches during the assembly of aluminum alloy parts and steel shafts. After expert "consultation," they changed to a liquid nitrogen cold-shrink shaft assembly method, which immediately took effect.

“As an industrial technology research institute, our specialty is how to perfectly integrate technology and manufacturing.” Long Weimin, director of the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute, told reporters that in the eyes of many enterprises, they have become a "clinic." As long as enterprises have problems with technical equipment, they will immediately seek the "doctors" at the center for consultation.

  Focus on Innovation: Cultivate 10 High-Growth Enterprises within Five Years

While serving enterprises, the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute is also ready to industrialize its innovative technologies. Currently, the institute has gathered more than 150 scientific research personnel. They will be initially divided into 12 teams to carry out comprehensive innovation in the fields of high-end machine tool equipment, core functional components, CNC tools, functional materials, and coated tools.

Among them, the "CNC tool" project team has made qualitative leaps in strength and toughness through continuous optimization of high-quality polycrystalline cubic boron nitride and composite sheet materials (PcBN). This tool can process hard-to-machine materials such as quenched steel and high-hardness cast iron that previously could only be processed by grinding, and can also adapt to high-speed precision machining of cast iron, exhibiting excellent performance such as turning instead of grinding, stable processing, long tool life, and high processing accuracy. According to the plan, the team will establish a company as early as the beginning of next year, striving to achieve scale production next year, an output value of 50 million yuan within three years, and an IPO within five years.

Not only the "CNC tool" project, but also in the field of manganese steel knives, traditional manganese steel knives can plow 300 mu of land with one blade change, but the blade change is time-consuming, which greatly affects work efficiency. The R&D team, by applying diamond brazing to the blade surface, can plow 2000 mu of land with one blade change, more than twice the lifespan of similar foreign tools, and the overall technology is at the international leading level.

In addition, the "high-strength, high-toughness, low-friction material for additive manufacturing" developed by Dr. Zhang Lei's team at the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute has also achieved a major technological breakthrough and can be widely used in aerospace, military industry and nuclear power, power electrics, electromechanical equipment, refrigeration, glasses, drilling and mining, tool manufacturing, and other fields.

“According to the plan, we will incubate 10 high-tech, high-growth, and high-profit excellent enterprises within five years.” Long Weimin is full of confidence in the future.

Gathering Wisdom and Attracting Talent: Building a Technological Innovation Source

Innovation is the key to winning the initiative, winning advantages, and winning the future. Practice has proved that the scientific and technological innovation "tree planting project" using the co-construction of industrial technology research institutes as a lever has become an important support for Ningbo to cultivate advantages and promote high-quality development. In recent years, a group of major institutes and research institutions have focused on globally leading technologies, increased efforts in mechanism innovation and talent cultivation, and comprehensively improved scientific and technological innovation capabilities, results transformation efficiency, and technical service levels, effectively promoting Ningbo's economic transformation and development.

“Although the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute is still in its initial stage of construction, it has already achieved initial results in scientific and technological innovation and results transformation. At present, we have successfully obtained more than 30 patents.” In Long Weimin's view, as a nationally advanced manufacturing base, Ningbo's manufacturing industry has a complete range of categories, a solid foundation, and a broad stage, which is the main reason why the Southern Center of the China Machinery Science Research Institute chose Ningbo. With the completion and commissioning of the Phase 1 pilot test and incubation base, cooperation between the two sides will become even closer.

According to the plan, the Southern Center of the China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology will further enhance the institute's ability to be self-reliant and contribute to Ningbo's scientific and technological innovation. After the completion of the second phase, including the construction of the Science and Technology Plaza, the comprehensive testing building, the research institute, and the expert building, the Southern Center of the China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology will be put into use in October 2022, simultaneously with the Beijing Huairou National Innovation Center, forming a development pattern of "Huairou in the north and Xiangshan in the south."

“In the future, we will also build projects such as the International Exchange and Display Center and the second phase of the pilot test and incubation base. Upon completion of the entire project, we will have 500 researchers,” said Long Weimin. At the same time, the Southern Center of the China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology will use the industry to attract talent and let talent lead the industry, maximizing the value of innovation resources in Ningbo. It strives to cultivate one listed company within the next five years and build an internationally renowned and domestically first-class applied technology research institution for the equipment manufacturing industry by striving to create a national-level innovation platform. This will help Ningbo's manufacturing industry accelerate its progress towards high-quality development.”

(Reprinted from Ningbo Daily, November 30, 2021, front page)