Status Quo and Future Development of China's Machine Tool Industry

At present, there are three main types of forces engaged in machine tool remanufacturing in China: professional machine tool remanufacturing enterprises, such as Wuhan Huazhong Automatic Control Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Huazhong Automatic Controls), which has been listed as a machine tool remanufacturing pilot enterprise by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; machine tool manufacturing enterprises, such as Chongqing Machine Tool Group and Wuhan Heavy Machine Tool Group, etc.; CNC system manufacturing enterprises, such as Siemens Automation Factory, Guangzhou CNC Equipment Co., Ltd., etc. These three types of enterprises constitute the main body of the current domestic machine tool remanufacturing. 
 
Most of my country's remanufactured machine tools, especially heavy-duty machine tools, are made to order. Due to the lack of unified product technical standards and market pricing principles, they are greatly affected by the user market. Some user units pay too much attention to cost and price input while ignoring the importance of technical solutions and the strength of manufacturers, which invisibly promotes some remanufacturing companies to only focus on their immediate interests and not be willing to do so.
Increased investment in plant equipment and other fixed assets, unwilling to hire excellent technical personnel, and occupying the market at low prices only by reducing operating costs, resulting in uneven machine tool remanufacturing market, disorderly competition. 
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In developed countries where the remanufacturing industry developed earlier, machine tool remanufacturing has been carried out for many years, and a relatively complete industrial chain has also been formed. However, the implementation time in my country is still relatively short, and most of them are maintenance and transformation of a single large and heavy machine tool, lack of process specifications, and the market is also slightly chaotic. 
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The road to industrialization
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As the only private enterprise among the current machine tool remanufacturing pilot units, Huazhong Automation has received remanufacturing orders for 23 sets of heavy and super-heavy machine tools from January to October this year, and the sales of remanufactured products account for more than 60% of the total sales. . 
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"Huazhong Automation should be regarded as one of the earliest companies engaged in machine tool remanufacturing in China. At present, the remanufacturing business has basically covered imported or domestic heavy-duty and super-heavy machine tools, machining centers and special equipment." Zhang Yaonan, general manager of Huazhong Automation, said that in January 2010 The company officially became the first batch of pilot units for remanufacturing of mechanical and electrical products of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and currently specializes in machine tools
The remanufacturing of electromechanical-hydraulic integrated machine is mainly engaged in the remanufacturing of heavy-duty machine tools and super-heavy-duty machine tools, as well as the design and manufacture of special machines that meet special processing requirements. 
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Zhang Yaonan told reporters that old machine tools generally have a residual value of more than 45% to 80%, mainly the beds, columns and bases with strong durability. Remanufacturing these main components requires a lot of steel and energy. If the main body is preserved and damaged parts are repaired or replaced, a device of equal quality or even better performance can be built as new. 
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Since most machine tool components can be refurbished, the remanufacturing cost of large machine tools is generally only about one-third of the purchase cost of new machine tools. 
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Machine tool remanufacturing not only reduces the purchase cost, but also shortens the order period. If remanufactured products can really meet the performance indicators of new products, it does not seem difficult for customers to accept them. 
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In comparison, the reason for promoting remanufacturing companies to expand in the market is much simpler, that is, profit. According to reports, the profit margin of Wuzhong's remanufacturing machine bed has exceeded that of new machine tools. 
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  what does this mean? Retrofitting an old machine is more profitable than building a new one. Therefore, for machine tool remanufacturing enterprises, an important test is the performance indicators of remanufactured products. 
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Huazhong Automation once remanufactured a 13-meter CNC gantry boring and milling machine imported from Germany in 1986 by North Heavy Industries Group Corporation. According to Zhang Delqin, deputy general manager of Huazhong Automation Controls, this CNC gantry boring and milling machine has not been overhauled since its installation. The CNC system (NC) and electrical control components of the machine tool have been aging, the failure rate is high, and the accessories are not available.
It is easy to purchase and difficult to maintain; the mechanical parts of the machine tool are severely worn, which reduces the machining accuracy of the machine tool; the hydraulic components of the hydraulic control system are damaged or worn, which makes some of the machine tools lose their use functions and cannot meet the machining accuracy of parts and the actual needs of factory production. 
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After more than three months of intense work, Huazhong Automation has completed the remanufacturing of this 13-meter CNC gantry boring and milling machine. As a result, not only the performance of the electrical control system of the machine tool and the reliability of the machine tool are improved, but also the functions that the machine tool should have and the factory precision of the machine tool are restored, and the precision requirements of the machined workpiece are met. 
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Talking about the feeling of being engaged in machine tool remanufacturing, Zhang Yaonan believes that professionalism and focus have promoted the development of the enterprise. In December last year, Huazhong Automatic Controls passed the review of the remanufacturing pilot enterprises of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, becoming the only unit that has passed the 4 pilot enterprises in the machine tool industry.
Category A, the achievement of these achievements is a recognition of the company's efforts in machine tool remanufacturing. 
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Zhang Yaonan also agrees with the view that machine tool remanufacturing will enter a period of vigorous development. Regarding the next stage of development of Huazhong Automatic Controls, he told reporters that in order to further accelerate the development of machine tool remanufacturing business, since 2009, Huazhong Automatic Controls has invested 250 million yuan and opened up a production base of more than 80 acres of machine tool remanufacturing. "At present, the main plant of the project has been
After the project is completed, it will form a production scale with an annual output value of about 180 million yuan. "
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The reporter believes that the original intention of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to establish a remanufacturing pilot enterprise is to form a demonstration role for the future machine tool remanufacturing industry. This will not only help to establish industry standards for machine tool remanufacturing in the future, but also help improve users' confidence in the use of remanufactured products. After all, the selected pilot enterprises are excellent in terms of qualifications and other aspects. 
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Second, from the perspective of product life cycle, my country is entering the peak period of scrapping and updating machine tool products. In addition, under the background of accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode and optimizing the industrial structure, the demand for high-end CNC machine tools has increased, and a number of machine tool products will inevitably be eliminated. 
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Third, since the project was established in 2009, the concept of remanufacturing has been recognized by the market. In addition, in accordance with the requirements of the planning outline, remanufacturing will continue to be a new bright spot in the development of circular economy in the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" period, and policy support will continue. As a machine tool industry, the pace of remanufacturing industrialization will accelerate.