Over the past decade, Chinese construction machinery enterprises have grown rapidly in fierce market competition. Local brands have gained higher market recognition than international brands in most sub-sectors. The breakthrough of Shanghai Jintai in the field of dual-wheel trench cutters is the best evidence. The birth of the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter was the first to break the monopoly of international brands in this field, and its significant cost-effectiveness, service response speed, and low-cost operating efficiency brought by its unique process design have given this product vitality from the very beginning.

  A symbol of equipment enterprise strength

  Since the early 1980s, the diaphragm wall technique has been introduced into China and has been widely used in foundation engineering. With the in-depth development of underground space, the corresponding support equipment has evolved from simple mechanical drilling rigs to today's wide variety of electromechanical-hydraulic integrated piling machinery.
  At present, in China, the technology for constructing diaphragm walls in soft soil layers has developed well, but in hard strata such as gravel or rock, the construction technology for diaphragm walls is still in its preliminary stage. Commonly used equipment for diaphragm wall construction includes hydraulic grabs, rotary drilling rigs, and dual-wheel trench cutters. Among them, the dual-wheel trench cutter has the highest efficiency and is also the most expensive. The dual-wheel trench cutter is suitable for large-depth excavation operations, featuring strong cutting force, good stability, high efficiency, and low risk. It can effectively control construction settlement and is far superior to other equipment in terms of trench depth, trenching speed, and vertical accuracy. At the same time, its low construction noise can effectively reduce environmental impact.

  The dual-wheel trench cutter is the most technologically advanced high-end equipment in today's diaphragm wall construction equipment. Only a few professional enterprises such as Germany's BAUER, Italy's CASAGRAND, and Italy's SOILMEC have the R&D and production capabilities. For the vast number of Chinese construction companies, imported dual-wheel trench cutters are astonishingly expensive, with a market price of about 45-50 million yuan and a market rental price as high as 40,000 yuan/day. Although extremely high construction efficiency reduces overall costs, the high price still makes many domestic construction companies sigh in despair. Because of this, whether a company owns a dual-wheel trench cutter has become one of the symbols of measuring the strength of a construction enterprise.

  "If a construction company has a dual-wheel trench cutter, it means the company has reached the top level in the industry and can undertake many high-difficulty and high-requirement projects. Without Shanghai Jintai's SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter, we would not have won the Nanchang Metro project," said Guo Jianzhi, a senior engineer at Jiangxi Geological Engineering Group Corporation.

  During the feasibility analysis of the project construction, Jiangxi Geological Engineering Group Corporation had made calculations: if imported dual-wheel trench cutters were used, the overall construction cost could not be reduced, and the entire project would definitely be a loss. But if Shanghai Jintai's product were used, the construction cost could be reduced by two-thirds, which was the confidence for the company to take on the Nanchang Metro project.

  Independent innovation mastering core technology

  Shanghai Jintai Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd. is a well-known domestic enterprise that was the first to enter the research and development of underground construction machinery in China. Its series of products such as multifunctional drilling rigs, diaphragm wall hydraulic grabs, and multi-axis drilling machines have received favorable market responses and met the construction needs of different projects. Shanghai Jintai regards technological innovation as the core competitiveness of enterprise development. In recent years, it has continuously launched equipment products with special construction methods to the market, solving technical problems in many national key projects. The SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter is another major breakthrough for Shanghai Jintai.

  According to reports, the SX40 adopts a modular design. The trench cutter's function is an extension of the Jintai SG60 grab's function, allowing quick conversion between grab and trenching functions, making it a multifunctional device. In terms of operating costs, main machine energy consumption, equipment price, maintenance response, and transportation costs, the SX40 is significantly lower than imported equipment. In addition, the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter has strong stratum adaptability and powerful milling head torque, capable of meeting more than 80% of domestic diaphragm wall construction projects.

  Data shows that the dual-wheel trench cutter project is one of the key topics of the "12th Five-Year National Science and Technology Support Program" project "Key Technology Research and Industrialization of Building Construction Equipment." Lin Jian, general manager of Shanghai Jintai, said that many domestic enterprises are trying to develop dual-wheel trench cutters, but they encounter many technical bottlenecks in the R&D process. The sealing technology of the milling wheel is one of the core technologies, ensuring that the sealing performance of the milling wheel remains consistent during underground construction. The SX40 adopts a dual sealing technology combining floating seals with static and dynamic pressure compensation devices to maintain the balance of mud pressure inside and outside the milling head, effectively solving the problem of internal mud leakage. In addition, one of the SX40's patented technologies, the sawing-type cutting device, cleverly completes the milling of the blind area between the two milling wheels through two methods: uniform sawing and impact sawing. According to sources from Shanghai Jintai's R&D department, during the development of the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter, a total of 7 patented technologies were generated, including 2 invention patents and 5 utility model patents. Particularly noteworthy is that the SX40 innovatively adopts a unique air-lift reverse circulation process in its slag discharge design, which differs from the pump-lift slag discharge of similar foreign equipment and reduces construction costs to a greater extent.

  In terms of price, the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter has a significant advantage. The market price of the SX40 is only one-third of that of foreign equipment, greatly reducing the construction costs of Chinese construction enterprises. Since its launch, the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter has been successfully applied in several key projects such as the Hangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, the Nanchang Metro Line 2 river-crossing tunnel, and the Guangzhou Metro Kengkou Hub. Shanghai Jintai's courage in independent innovation and pioneering trials, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the SX40, have been highly praised by owners.

  Holographic service creating value for customers

  Jiangxi Geological Engineering Group Corporation is a loyal partner of Shanghai Jintai, with a cooperation history of more than ten years. Jiangxi Geological Engineering Group Corporation owns more than ten sets of Shanghai Jintai's piling equipment. It is not only the first customer of the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter but also participated in the actual testing process of the SX40, making indispensable contributions to the successful launch of the product.

  Under the operation of Jiangxi Geological Engineering Group Corporation, the dual-wheel trench cutter demonstrated its prowess for the first time in the construction of the Nanchang Metro. It is understood that due to the long interval of the Nanchang Rail Transit Line 2 river-crossing tunnel, an intermediate ventilation shaft needed to be set up in the tunnel to enhance air circulation within the tunnel space. The project is a five-story underground double-column three-span structure with open excavation. In addition to the rail transit ventilation shaft function, municipal facilities will also be built. The enclosure structure of the project adopts an 80 cm diaphragm wall structure with a wall depth of 34 meters, of which the bottom 20 meters are in rock strata. The construction is difficult, and the construction safety signs and quality requirements are high. If the traditional percussion drilling method were used, the efficiency would be extremely low, the noise would be high, and the overall cost would be very high. If foreign dual-wheel trench cutter products were used, the high cost would make it impossible for the construction party to bear. Now, the advent of the SX40 has successfully solved this problem, and in actual construction, all working indicators of the equipment are satisfactory.

  Guo Jianzhi is very familiar with the performance of the SX40. Guo Jianzhi has also used international brand dual-wheel trench cutters. He believes that the SX40's work efficiency is basically equivalent to that of international brands, but it has a significant advantage in cost. According to calculations, the monthly comprehensive use cost of a set of international brand dual-wheel trench cutters is about 3 million yuan, while the monthly use cost of the SX40 is only about 1 million yuan. This greatly enhances the market competitiveness of enterprises. Guo Jianzhi said that taking the Nanchang Metro project as an example, the previous construction cost per cubic meter reached more than 3,000 yuan, but now it can be controlled below 2,000 yuan. Such a significant reduction in cost is a happy event for construction companies, developers, and taxpayers alike.

  In addition, Shanghai Jintai's after-sales service response is also superior to foreign brands. Unlike many road machinery, the piling machinery market is characterized by "small batch, customized" features, which places higher demands on technical services. Shanghai Jintai's "holographic service" model is second to none in the industry. The so-called "holographic service" means that on the basis of traditional "7*24 all-weather" after-sales service, the service concept of "realizing customers' wishes" is further advanced and implanted into the entire process from market to marketing. Jintai's marketing team provides customers with a loyal, considerate, meticulous, and seamless butler-style service experience, from pre-sales technical consultation, investment analysis, and in-sales construction plans, hardware configuration, financing procedures, to after-sales maintenance and emergency response. Today's customers' value orientation of pursuing cost-effectiveness and higher efficiency provides a broad space for Jintai's "holographic service" to unfold.

  Lin Jian, general manager of Shanghai Jintai, once said: "Jintai's advantage lies not only in providing the market with mechanically excellent products but also in providing customers with professional construction technical services, maximizing customer satisfaction with construction efficiency and cost control, and truly helping customers realize value... This is our advantage and an important magic weapon that distinguishes us from competitors."

  Guo Jianzhi has deep experience with this. He said: "The two most important points of after-sales service are timely service and reasonable prices. Shanghai Jintai performs much better than international brands in these two aspects. International brands not only have high parts prices but also, because there is no spare parts warehouse, many parts need to be imported from abroad. Replacing a part may take one or two months, which is an unbearable loss for construction companies. Shanghai Jintai, as a local brand, can generally solve problems within one or two days."

  Years of cooperation have forged a deep friendship. Guo Jianzhi is deeply impressed by Shanghai Jintai's innovative spirit and solid work style. He believes that the SX40 dual-wheel trench cutter is the first to break the monopoly of foreign technology and prices, representing a major progress for Chinese enterprises in the field of underground piling equipment. With the dual advantages of price and service, regaining market share occupied by international brands is just around the corner.