Gansu takes the lead to make shield TBM

Gansu province completed the Huanghe-1 shield tunnel boring machine on March 26 and machine officially rolled off the production line at the Gansu Construction Equipment Manufacturing Co. The machine is the first of its kind built in the western region of China, according to experts.

The Huanghe-1 shield tunnel boring machine will be transported to Hefei city, in East China's Anhui province to serve its metro project.

Huanghe-1 shield tunnel boring machine is 89 meter in height and made by Gansu Construction Equipment Manufacturing Co. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Shield tunnel boring machines (shield TBM) are widely used to excavate tunnels. It is colloquially known as the "aircraft carrier" in the field of equipment manufacturing of engineering machinery, due to its large size.

The Huanghe-1 shield tunnel boring machine was produced by Gansu Construction Equipment Manufacturing Co, a subsidiary of the Gansu Construction Investment Group Corporation, which is headquartered in Lanzhou city, Gansu province. Instead of purchasing foreign technologies and then producing domestically like other companies, Gansu Construction Corporation made the machine with completely independent intellectual property.

According to a production line manager, it took the company five years to finish the machine; all procedures were in strict accordance with standards of the International Standardization Organization (ISO).

Gansu Construction Equipment Manufacturing Co. holds the ceremony to make the completion of Huanghe-1 shield tunnel boring machine. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Huanghe-1 shield tunnel boring machine is 89 meters in height. The shield TBM gets its name from its ability to significantly improve the efficiency of tunnel construction due to its advantages of fast and safe evacuation, no disturbance to its surroundings and operating regardless of weather conditions.

Gansu province has made substantial headway in developing equipment manufacturing in recent years, thanks to its "One Road, One Belt" industrial development layout.

The province obtains four industrial parks so far, including Lanzhou Pengjiawan, in the city of Lanzhou, where Huanghe-1 was made. Various machineries made in Gansu have won reputation in both the domestic and foreign markets, especially in wind power equipment and technology, which enjoys a leading international reputation.

 Edited by Jacob Hooson