Crane manufacturing has always been one of the innovation pilot areas of the Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Group in its reform and development process.

The group, a State-owned enterprise located in Shanxi province, has carried out cooperation with many of its foreign counterparts in crane-related design, manufacturing and technology transfer, and also strengthened cultivation and training of professional personnel in this sector.

With these efforts, cranes made by the Taiyuan Heavy Machinery gained great reputation in international markets and have been exported to more than 20 countries and regions in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Oceania and Africa.

"Currently, we have a domestic market share of more than 95 percent in the sector of heavy casting cranes with a handling capacity of 300 metric tons or above," said Ma Aiping, a deputy resident manager of the group's crane branch company.

The branch is also an important supplier of cranes used in China's nuclear power stations, making great contribution towards the independent development of the industry.

Many renowned nuclear power stations have been equipped with its crane products, including the Taishan plant in Zhejiang province, the Haiyang and Shidaowan plants in Shandong province, the Tianwan plant in Jiangsu province and the Fuqing plant in Fujian province.

In October, 2018, two bridge cranes featuring the largest span and longest single beam ever made by the group started operation at the Fangchenggang Phase II power station in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The two machines are designed to install, test, repair and maintain the power generating equipment in the station's No 3 plant.

With the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China highlighting the development of advanced manufacturing and the deeper integration of the nation's real economy with the internet, big data and artificial intelligence, the Taiyuan Heavy Machinery has poured more resources in developing intelligent manufacturing and boosting the upgrading of its products.

In March, 2018, a 250-ton intelligent casting crane, the first of its kind in China, was put into operation in Shanghai Meishan Iron & Steel Co. Independently developed by the group, the crane features smart control, precise positioning, intelligent diagnosis and remote monitoring, and is used in the hoisting, moving and pouring of molten steel ladles in steelmaking workshops. 

So far the group has realized intelligent research and manufacturing in such sectors as steelmaking, logistics and storage.

"Crane industry is at a critical period featuring the transformation from being market-driven to innovation-driven and from product selling to technology selling. Customers are showing increasingly high requirements for crane's quality and technical content," Ma said.

In light of that, the group's crane branch will further optimize its technologies to improve the intelligent level of the products and provide all-in-one solutions to customers, Ma added.