On May 28, the intelligent production line for ultra-fine tungsten carbide powder, invested and constructed by Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Group") and undertaken by Minmetals 23rd Construction Co., Ltd., achieved full-line operation. This project is one of the 102 major projects under China's "14th Five-Year Plan" and a "Top 100 Projects" in strategic emerging industries. Approved in June 2023, it took two years to build an intelligent production line with an annual capacity of 3,000 mt of high-quality ultra-fine tungsten carbide powder.
The project selected a batch of domestically pioneered, efficient, and low-consumption fully automatic powder production equipment, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality. Production efficiency increased nearly fourfold, and processing costs decreased by over 30% YoY. The project pioneered a special docking control technology, effectively solving the challenge of automatic discharging of materials with extremely poor liquidity. It innovatively established a three-dimensional logistics system, enabling cross-floor material turnover with the help of the MES system, AGV intelligent handling equipment, and an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). It vigorously promoted the application of energy-saving and low-carbon technologies such as waste heat recovery and reactive power compensation, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,750 mt annually. This sets a benchmark for "green intelligent manufacturing" in the industry and contributes to the realization of the "dual carbon" goals.
The successful operation of this project not only addresses the "chokepoint" issue of high-end cemented carbide materials, achieving localisation substitution of high-performance ultra-fine tungsten carbide powder and ensuring the autonomy and controllability of the entire industry chain of cemented carbide, but also further promotes the transformation and upgrading of China's cemented carbide industry towards high-end, intelligent, and green directions. It supports the high-quality development of China's new materials sector and injects strong momentum into China Tungsten and High Technology Materials Co., Ltd.'s efforts to build a world-class tungsten industry group with global competitiveness.
