Nanchang, September 30 (Xinhua) — Inside the production workshop of Jiangxi China Railway Equipment Co., Ltd., a giant with a diameter of 9.48 meters comes into view. This is an earth pressure balance shield tunneling machine named 'China Railway No. 1412.' It will soon be shipped to the railway tunnel construction site of the Sicily Phase II project in Italy, embarking on its overseas journey.

　　The interview team of the 'Remembering the Road Traveled, Forging Ahead on a New Journey' online thematic research activity recently visited Jiangxi China Railway Equipment Co., Ltd. to explore on site the growth story of the 'Nanchang-made' shield tunneling machine.

　　A shield tunneling machine, whose full name is full-face tunnel boring machine, is a powerful tool for building infrastructure projects such as subways, railways, highways and tunnels. It mainly consists of three parts: the cutterhead that digs through earth and rock, the shield body that supports and propels, and the complex rear supporting equipment, resembling the head, body and tail of a dragon — hence its reputation as the 'underground dragon.'

　　As early as the 1950s, tunnel construction in China mainly relied on manual excavation — 'steel chisels plus sledgehammers, drilling holes and then blasting.' With technological progress, today's tunnel construction has become more efficient, easier and safer with the help of shield tunneling machines. However, building such a steel 'pangolin' that bores through mountains and goes underground is by no means easy.

　　The production and manufacturing of shield tunneling machines involve many and complex disciplines and technologies, integrating geology, civil engineering, machinery, mechanics, hydraulics, electrical engineering, control and measurement. It is one of the important criteria for judging a country's strength in equipment manufacturing. However, this high-end technology was once mastered only by Western countries such as the United States and Germany.

　　According to reports, 'Research on Key Technologies of Tunnel Boring Machines' was included in the '863 Program' in 2002. After years of technological breakthroughs and experimental exploration, in 2008 China's first composite shield tunneling machine with independent intellectual property rights officially rolled off the production line, breaking the foreign technology monopoly and realizing the dream of Chinese people building their own shields. This machine was named 'China Railway No. 1.'

　　From nothing to something, starting from '1,' China's shield tunneling machine research, development and manufacturing have advanced by leaps and bounds, achieving a transformation from 'bringing in' to 'going global.' In the wave of technological change, Jiangxi China Railway Equipment Co., Ltd. has also become a dazzling wave.

　　It is reported that Jiangxi China Railway Equipment Co., Ltd. was established in 2021. More than a year later, the first batch of three 'Nanchang-made' shield tunneling machines from Jiangxi China Railway officially rolled off the production line, injecting new momentum into the construction of Nanchang's subway projects and effectively raising the level of high-end equipment manufacturing in Jiangxi Province.

　　In recent years, Jiangxi China Railway has been committed to promoting 'made in Nanchang, used in Nanchang,' while also accelerating the pace of 'Nanchang-made' products going national and abroad.

　　The 'China Railway No. 1412' earth pressure balance shield tunneling machine has passed acceptance by the Italian client and will subsequently be disassembled and packaged and sent to its destination. The machine has a total length of about 251 meters and weighs 2,300 tons, and it took only a little more than three months from production to rolling off the line.

　　It is worth noting that due to the complexity and diversity of construction conditions, each shield tunneling machine has its own 'unique features' and needs to be 'tailor-made' according to the soil layer, burial depth, settlement and other requirements of the construction area.

　　To meet relevant requirements, 'China Railway No. 1412' has added customized new technologies including explosion-proof design, intelligent maintenance, synchronous bottom arch casting and green energy saving, which not only greatly improve the machine's work efficiency, service life and construction safety, but also comply with relevant foreign regulations and standards.

　　It is understood that Jiangxi China Railway will also establish a scientific research strategic alliance with East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang Rail Transit Group and other units in the future to jointly carry out talent training and technological innovation and work together to enhance the hard-core strength of 'Jiangxi Manufacturing.'