The Dream Of South-South Aluminum Processing Science And Technology Power
"With the help and support of your unit, the supporting work of key materials such as aluminum plates was successfully completed, achieving efficient and reliable supply of materials. The group's centralized procurement business was carried out in an orderly manner, which effectively supported the scientific research and production tasks of the aerospace model, and provided It has made important contributions to building a first-class supply chain system for aerospace materials..." After the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, Guangxi Nannan Aluminum Processing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Southnan Aluminum Processing") received a research report on China's launch vehicle technology Letter of thanks from the hospital. This is the second letter of thanks that Nannan Aluminum Processing Company has received from the National Launch Vehicle Department.
Photographer: Ning Ying
On April 29, 2021, at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, the Long March 5B Yao-2 carrier rocket accurately delivered the Tianhe core module of the space station into the predetermined orbit, and the launch mission was a complete success. The Long March 5 Yiyao 2 launch vehicle uses Nannan aluminum processing, such as tank wall panels, box bottoms, honeycomb panels and other material products. It has stable performance and reliable quality, and meets the stringent requirements of the Long March series rockets. In May of the same year, Nannan Aluminum Processing received a letter of thanks from the Long March 5 launch vehicle model office - "Long March 5 Yiyao 2 Launch Vehicle Mission Thank You Letter". The letter read: "Long March 5 Yiyao 2 The successful launch of the rocket reflects your wisdom and dedication" and "In May, Guangxi Nannan Aluminum Processing Co., Ltd. worked side by side with us to vigorously promote the spirit of "two bombs and one satellite" and... Human space spirit."
Nannan Aluminum Processing is a state-owned enterprise integrating advanced manufacturing, research and development, production and operation of aluminum materials for aerospace transportation. In the field of aluminum alloy manufacturing, Nannan Aluminum Processing has overcome many "stuck neck" problems and created many firsts in the country, and some are even firsts in the world: China's "Harmony" high-speed railway sleeper beams have imported materials from Japan , Nannan Aluminum Processing developed a high-speed EMU body with sleeper profiles in only 4 months. In terms of technical indicators such as strength, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance, Surpassing foreign high-quality products, the cost is reduced by one-third. Now China's "Fuxing" EMUs and sleeper beam profiles independently developed by Nannan Aluminum Processing are being used, which has forced the price of imported profiles to drop significantly, injecting investment into the development of China's high-end iron art. "Booster"; In the hot rolling manufacturing center of Nannan Aluminum Processing, you can see the company's first domestic The roller hearth furnace production line developed and manufactured by Northeastern University and other units has a total length of 150 meters, which has greatly reduced the production cost of domestic high-end aluminum alloys; in the automotive field, Nannan Aluminum Processing Company mass-produces automotive exterior panels with the highest quality standards in the world; In the field of 3C electronics, Nannan Aluminum Processing has become the preferred supplier of well-known brand electronic equipment. In addition, Nannan Aluminum Processing has successfully manufactured the first set of high-performance cemented carbide crystallization molds for skirt-type structures in China; developed a 1.32-meter large-diameter aluminum alloy forging blank for aerospace use, supporting the forging of an alloy integral ring with a diameter of 8.7 meters. Help my country's aerospace materials... achieve major breakthroughs
Walking into the exhibition hall of Nannan Aluminum Processing and Hot Rolling Manufacturing Center, the products are widely used in aerospace, rail transit, automobiles, ships, and 3C pan-semiconductors. It can be said that the products of Nannan Aluminum Processing maximize the performance of aluminum alloy plates. Some people joke that nowadays, you can see the traces of Nannan aluminum processing products flying in the sky, running on the ground, and using them in your hands, truly realizing "going to the sky, going to the sea, and entering the earth."
"Three Pioneers">
Nannan Aluminum Processing was established in 2010 and is affiliated to Guangxi Investment Group, the largest state-owned enterprise in Guangxi and a Fortune 500 company, with a total investment of 7.3 billion yuan and world-class manufacturing equipment. The company has built a high-end aluminum alloy new material project with an annual output of 200,000 tons for air transportation. It has production lines for high-purity and high-performance aluminum alloys, hot-rolled medium-thick plates, large-scale extruded profiles, and cold-rolled automobile plates. It mainly produces 2 series and 6 series. , 7 series aluminum alloy products are widely used in aerospace, rail transit, automobiles, ships, 3C and pan-semiconductor fields.
The main product of Nannan Aluminum Processing is aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloy, as a high-performance lightweight alloy material, is one of the key new materials in my country's "Twelfth Five-Year Plan". Due to its advantages in mechanical properties, chemical properties, plasticity, etc., high-end aluminum alloys play a very important role in aviation, aerospace, high-speed rail, ships, automobiles and other fields, as well as in essential tools for work and life such as mobile phones and computers. Among them, some high-performance aluminum alloy materials are basic materials necessary for my country to safeguard national strategies and support the development of key areas.
China's aluminum industry started late and has developed slowly over the long term. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the development of my country's aluminum processing industry has ushered in a rare development opportunity. The industry has accelerated significantly. The average annual double-digit growth rate is much higher than the development rate of major foreign aluminum producing countries, making it possible in a short period of time. Developed into the world's largest producer and supplier of aluminum processing materials. In 2008, China became the world's largest consumer and producer of aluminum.
In general, China's aluminum industry has gone through a difficult journey from scratch, from small to large, and has also made proud and brilliant achievements. In the new era, my country's aluminum industry is on the road to transforming from a big country to a powerful one. What cannot be ignored is that some high-end aluminum alloy production equipment, technologies and materials in my country are still at a disadvantage, and are even in a passive situation of relying on imports.
The key core technology is whether to come, be bought, or not to buy! what to do? In line with the needs of the country and the direction of the enterprise, Nannan Aluminum Processing is one of the most representative state-owned enterprises in advanced manufacturing. In the past ten years, a notable feature of the expansion of my country's aluminum processing industry is that new projects have a high starting point for construction and large investments, and have a large number of the most advanced aluminum processing technologies and equipment in the world, such as hot continuous rolling production and the continuous introduction of CVC6 from abroad. -Advanced equipment such as high-speed cold rolling mill, wide-width high-speed aluminum foil rolling mill, large-tonnage industrial aluminum extrusion press, etc., thereby raising the hardware level of the industry to a new stage in a short period of time.
On the morning of April 20, 2017, relevant central leaders came to Nanning. This was the first time in seven years to inspect Guangxi Nannan Aluminum Processing Co., Ltd. He visited the hot-rolled plate manufacturing center, the high-end aluminum alloy new material parts area, the cold-rolled manufacturing center, the CRRC workshop, and the high-end aluminum alloy new material application field to learn about the high-performance aluminum industry in aerospace, rail transit, marine ships and other fields. development situation, and inspected the hot-rolled plate production line, primary rolling operation control room and high-speed rail carriages. Large component products such as ultra-large diameter aluminum alloy ingots, all-aluminum industrial plants, all-aluminum pedestrian bridges, all-aluminum new energy buses, etc.
During the inspection, the relevant leaders of the central government affirmed Nannan Aluminum Processing's courage in innovation and creation, pointing out that innovation is the first driving force for development, and it is necessary to strengthen the accumulation of knowledge and talents, constantly break through problems, and bravely climb to new heights; "State-owned enterprises must be the new development concept A vanguard in implementation, a vanguard in innovation-driven development, and a vanguard in the implementation of major national strategies.”
After inspection by relevant leaders of the central government, Nannan Aluminum Processing has thoroughly implemented the spirit of the important instructions of the "Three Pioneers" of state-owned enterprises from top to bottom, in accordance with the "research and development generation, trial production generation and mass production generation". Professor Zhang Xinming, a 77-year-old distinguished expert in South-South aluminum processing and chief scientist of the National Aluminum 973 Project, returned to China from studying abroad in the 1980s. Based on more than 50 years of theoretical research and precipitation, he led more than 100 masters and doctors to jointly promote the research and development of new aluminum materials. Application, unswervingly serving the country's major strategies, continuing to work hard on the "neck" link of key materials, and has successively overcome a series of key technical problems in the industry, and won the "Crown Pearl" in multiple fields of aluminum alloy materials.
As of the end of June 2023, Nannan Aluminum Processing has authorized 159 patents and compiled 5 national standards. Professor Zhang Xinming witnessed the exploration and achievements of Nannan aluminum processing on the road of independent innovation and serving the national strategic needs.
Today, the aluminum alloy materials developed and produced by Nannan Aluminum Processing have been widely used in the high-end manufacturing field of the national economy. The strategic key products focus on the global new economic track and benchmark the international advanced level: new aluminum materials for aerospace help Long March 5B Remote 2 The No. 1 carrier rocket successfully took to the sky; aviation with extremely thick plates and leather panels pushed the country's heavy equipment into the air; a key profile of rail transportation to increase the speed of high-speed EMUs; high-performance automotive panels accelerated green and light Quantify vehicle development progress. At the same time, Nannan Aluminum Processing vigorously promotes the construction of the first set of roller hearth furnaces and air cushion furnaces for high-end and high-precision aluminum manufacturing "neck" equipment, which effectively promotes the resolution of the shortcomings of complete sets of equipment for domestic high-quality aluminum plate and strip heat treatment production lines, and truly realizes Independent innovation.
Shine in space>
Industrial digitalization is an important tool to promote the fourth industrial revolution and will inevitably lead to changes in corporate management and production models. In recent years, Nannan Aluminum Processing has vigorously promoted the high-end and green development of enterprises, accelerated the digital construction of CNC prototyping, and the core competitiveness of the enterprise has been continuously improved. This "industrial brain" online connects 156 sets of high-precision intelligent equipment throughout the factory, including 188 Tens of thousands of pieces of valuable data, with rich scenarios and extensive connections, eliminate "information islands" through data on the "cloud"; focusing on core businesses such as corporate marketing, procurement, R&D, manufacturing, and quality, operational automation, intelligent management, The refined and in-depth operation of intelligent decision-making ensures strict control and rapid response in the entire production process; the digital model of "horizontal integration and vertical penetration" deepens the degree of intelligent production collaboration in South-South aluminum processing.
In the past two years, South-South Aluminum Processing has received two letters of thanks from the National Launch Vehicle Division. It is reported that on July 24 and 31, 2022, the Long March 5B Yao-3 and Yao-4 carrier rockets were ignited on time and launched in the zero window. The Wentian Experimental Module and Mengtian Experimental Module of the space station were accurately sent to the rapid meeting Docking the orbit, successfully completed the on-orbit construction task of the "T" type of China's space station, and realized the "three-step" strategy of the manned aviation project as scheduled. The Long March 5B, Yao-3 and Yao-4 launch vehicles are equipped with ultra-wide and thick plates for propellant tanks and ultra-thin skin plates for fairings. During the rocket lift-off process, the structural materials of the rocket body must withstand certain extreme tests such as pressure, temperature and vibration, which puts forward higher quality requirements for the quality control of mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy and flatness of aluminum alloy materials.
According to the arrangements of relevant national departments, Nannan aluminum processing needs to overcome the problem of high precision of aluminum alloy materials in the rocket body structure. Wide-width aluminum alloy plates are key structural materials for aerospace engineering, but they have not been able to be produced independently for a long time, which has brought constraints to the construction of major projects in our country. Faced with the difficulties of development and ensuring supply, the Nannan Aluminum Processing Aerospace Materials team refused to admit defeat: "If foreign countries can invest, we can definitely do it!"
After three months of hard work, they took root in the production line, studied repeatedly, wore out a pair of protective rubber shoes, immersed themselves in the laboratory to adjust parameters, and worked all night long one after another. After more than 700 scientific research and tests, they developed With the introduction of temperature control and rolling of ultra-wide plates, Cold work hardening process plate shape control, new deformation heat treatment and other technologies have overcome technical problems such as high-quality large-scale flat ingot preparation, efficient continuous solution quenching of thin-format plates, and new roller calendering finishing, while organizing production scientifically and efficiently. The timely delivery with guaranteed quality and quantity effectively ensured the successful launch of the Long March 5B Yao-3 and Yao-4 carrier rockets. The light of "South-South Aluminum Processing" shines in space again.
In recent years, in order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the important instructions of the "Three Pioneers" of state-owned enterprises, Nannan Aluminum Processing adheres to the principle of "innovation is the first driving force for development", continuously improves the application technology of new aluminum alloy materials, and serves major national strategies. and industrial development. Facing the frontier of aerospace development and major strategic needs, Nannan Aluminum Processing has strengthened its mission, resolutely served the country, and had the courage to innovate and make breakthroughs. It provides high-performance aluminum alloy materials for high-tech cutting-edge models such as the Long March series of launch vehicles and major aviation equipment, and contributes to China's aerospace industry. Provide material support for development.
In the exhibition hall of the Nannan Aluminum Processing and Hot Rolling Manufacturing Center, the company's various products are widely used in aerospace, rail transit, automobiles, ships, and 3C pan-semiconductors. In the aerospace field, Nannan Aluminum Processing relies on its strong R&D technology strength and independent research and development to achieve breakthroughs in efficient purification of aluminum melt, large-scale high-quality ingot casting, strong strain rolling, overall aging heat treatment, residual stress evaluation and control, etc. Key technology, developed large-scale high-performance aluminum alloy extremely thick plates for aviation, Products such as ultra-wide alloy medium-thick plates for aerospace, wide-width aluminum alloy plates for aerospace, heat-resistant aluminum alloy forgings for aerospace, etc., as well as the related performance indicators of the products reach or exceed AMS/GJB, and are well received by domestic and foreign customers. Good economic and social benefits have been achieved.
In the field of rail transit, in recent years, Nannan Aluminum has developed important stress-bearing structural materials such as sleeper beams, traction beams, and rail vehicle beams. The product has excellent comprehensive properties such as mechanics, corrosion resistance, and fatigue resistance, and is at the leading level in the domestic industry or world-class. In addition, we are the first company in China to break through the 7 series of aluminum alloy profiles, and the materials we produce have been successfully used in the "Fuxing" Chinese standard EMU.
In the automotive field, Nannan Aluminum Processing makes full use of its advantages in advanced equipment, years of talent reserves and technology accumulation, and is committed to developing aluminum alloy products that meet the lightweight needs of automobiles and promote the sustainable development of new energy vehicles in my country. In terms of product development, we have developed aluminum alloy materials with high flanging performance, low temperature rapid aging response, and high conductivity, which have been widely used in new energy vehicle hood inner and outer panels, trunk lid inner panels, and door door inner panels. , and battery pack systems.
In the research and development of aluminum alloys for marine ships, Nannan Aluminum Processing has made major breakthroughs in the preparation technology of high-performance aluminum alloy materials. All technical indicators have reached the world's advanced level, and it has become one of the few domestic companies that has passed the five major DNVGL classification societies. One of the recognized companies, CCS, ABS, BV and LR conduct testing at the same time. The aluminum alloy materials produced are mainly used in high-speed hull outer panels, decks, skeleton structures, ship superstructures, offshore helicopter platforms, offshore engineering platform living areas, etc.
In the field of 3C electronics, in 2015, Nannan Aluminum Processing took the lead in developing 5252 aluminum alloy plates and strips with excellent anodizing performance. In 2016, we independently developed new 6-series aluminum alloy materials such as 6N61, 6N13, and 6N63 that have both anodizing performance and stamping performance. In 2017, 7N21 aluminum alloy plate for 3C electronic appearance parts was developed. In 2018, our R&D team cooperated with well-known 3C brands to develop a variety of personalized customized new materials. At present, our aluminum alloy products for 3C electronic appearance parts have been widely used in terminal products such as mobile phones, tablets, and all-in-one computers of major well-known 3C electronic brands at home and abroad.
Innovative talents gather on the plateau>
At 15:15 on July 1, 2022, at the Nannan Aluminum Processing Cold Rolling Manufacturing Center, a loud "ignition" order was issued. The national major short plate equipment project (referred to as the "First Air Cushion Furnace Project") 2400 mm air cushion continuous The heat treatment production line was officially launched. This is China’s first independently developed, designed, and manufactured high-quality aluminum alloy plate and strip continuous heat treatment production line. It is also China’s first independently developed and independently produced “neck” equipment and system for aluminum alloy aviation panels and automotive panels, realizing an air cushion heating system. , cooling systems, fans and other core components, breaking through the technical bottleneck of the research and development and manufacturing of my country's core equipment air cushion continuous heat treatment furnace, and fundamentally solving the shortcomings of domestic high-quality aluminum plate and strip heat treatment production line complete sets of equipment. The realization of independent innovation has accelerated the ability to independently transform the research and development results of high-precision and high-performance aluminum alloy plate and strip products, and effectively improved my country's supply guarantee of key aluminum alloy materials in key fields such as aerospace, new energy vehicles, 3C, and pan-semiconductors. ability.
For a long time, the key production technology, process mode and control system of the air cushion furnace project have been monopolized by a few foreign companies. Domestic air cushion furnaces are imported equipment. The import price is expensive and the equipment manufacturing, installation and commissioning cycle is long. Nannan Aluminum Processing has finally filled the gap in the core key equipment for continuous heat treatment of air cushions in my country.
"The equipment is imported from abroad. Once it breaks down, foreign technicians are required to repair it, and some key data must be provided to the other party." Zhuo Yifu, deputy general manager of the Nannan Aluminum Processing Cold Rolling Manufacturing Center, said: "With the previous Compared with imported equipment, the number of rollers in domestic air cushion furnaces has been reduced from more than 230 rollers to more than 100 rollers. Don’t underestimate this number. Each less roller means a reduction in quality risk points, which is extremely beneficial to ensuring the quality of high-surface products. ”
It is reported that during the construction process of the "first air cushion furnace project" in the past 30 months, Nannan Aluminum Processing, Northeastern University and Guangxi Advanced Aluminum Processing Innovation Center have overcome the "dynamic characteristics of floating air and the dynamic balance floating mechanism of wide metal belt air cushion". " and many other key technologies, and successfully implemented eight functional tests including continuous solution, quenching, bending and straightening, surface treatment, cleaning, trimming, pre-aging, and oiling. Prior to this, the country's first independently developed South-South aluminum processing high-end high-precision aluminum alloy medium-thick plate roller bottom solid solution heat treatment furnace has been "debuted" and officially put into production in 2020, realizing high-end high-precision aluminum alloy medium-thick plate heat treatment The autonomy of key equipment helps companies deliver "South-South Aluminum Processing and Manufacturing" aluminum alloy materials for use in key fields such as aerospace and aerospace.
Wei Qiang, chairman of Nannan Aluminum Processing, said that currently, there are more than 10 air-cushion furnace CNC factories in China, but none of them are domestically produced; Wang Guodong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Northeastern University, commented: "The technology of ignition-starting air-cushion furnaces has not only reached It has reached the international advanced level, made up for our country's shortcomings in this area, filled the technical gap, and broken the foreign monopoly. We have finally mastered the key technologies in our own...
In the field of aluminum alloy manufacturing, Nannan Aluminum Processing has created many firsts in the country, and some are even the first in the world. One of its important secrets is to establish a high-end talent pool and become a manufacturing highland where talents gather. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China focuses on comprehensively building a modern socialist country and clearly emphasizes that “we must adhere to the principle that science and technology are the primary productive forces, talents are the primary resources, and innovation is the primary driving force.” At the same time, the revision of the Party Constitution also added for the first time the expression and requirement of "giving full play to the role of talents as the first resource." In terms of South-South aluminum processing, we have acquired outstanding talents in an eclectic way and fully unleashed the innovative vitality of talents.
In recent years, the company has made every effort to build an innovative talent echelon and vigorously introduced full-time R&D and technical talents in the field of key materials, accounting for more than 12% of the company's total headcount. It has a high-level R&D, support and management team including academicians from both countries. , has more than 100 doctors and masters, and has established an open R&D platform that cooperates closely with many well-known scientific research institutes and enterprises in the industry, covering materials science, pressure processing, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and technology and other disciplines. This undoubtedly laid a solid talent foundation for the technological innovation of Nannan aluminum processing.
Nannan Aluminum Processing has established scientific research departments such as the Aerospace Materials Research Institute, Marine Materials Research Institute, Automotive Materials Research Institute, and IT Semiconductor Materials Research Institute, which correspond to the research of various application fields of aluminum alloys and have hundreds of highly educated and high-quality talents. , focusing on innovation, carried out forward-looking common technical issues in the research and development of new aluminum alloy materials, which is of great significance to promoting the realization of independent controllability in key fields such as my country's aerospace, rail transit, automobiles, ships and 3C pan-semiconductors.
