User's evaluation and demand for domestic machine tools

Key users' evaluation and demand for domestic machine tools

In the China Machine Tool Industry Association's 2012 industry survey, 12 key users in the fields of aerospace, military, automotive, marine, and energy were visited to learn about the domestic CNC machine tools, especially the application of medium-to-high-end CNC machine tools installed in recent years. Situation, key users' appraisal on the use of domestic CNC machine tools, opinions and suggestions on domestic machine tools and manufacturers, and the needs of key users for domestic high-end CNC machine tools for a period of time in the future.

The current domestic machine tool application in the user area

During the investigation, it was learned that the total amount of domestic CNC machine tools used in key user areas is not much. In some processing companies that are not complicated, such as some military enterprises, domestic machine tools account for a relatively large proportion, which can reach about 60% of the total equipment. However, they are mainly used for middle and low-end CNC machine, most of which are 2-axis. Economical CNC lathes, 3-axis machining centers, and CNC milling are all relatively early in the year of manufacture. However, in some high-end applications, such as in aviation companies, the use of large-scale, composite, precision, multi-axis linkage high-end machine tools, requires high-rigidity machine tools, high efficiency, cutting of difficult-to-machine materials, accounting for a small proportion of domestic Machine tools are often used only for general processes or as ancillary equipment and rarely enter critical manufacturing processes.

Users report that some of the domestically produced high-end products are more or less problematic, and the more common ones are that the accuracy is not high, and there are many minor problems. Compared with domestic machine tools, some imported equipment has been used for 20 years, and its accuracy can still maintain the factory level, and the stability is also very good. The survey also learned that many Chinese-made high-end machine tools that were installed 10 years ago will be more and more useful after eliminating small defects, and the stability and accuracy can be maintained satisfactorily. On the contrary, domestic high-end machine tools purchased in recent years, in addition to minor problems still exist, will also be in use after 2-3 years, the accuracy will decline quickly, affecting the confidence of users of domestic CNC machine tools.

Major users' attitudes and evaluations of domestic machine tools

Most user companies affirmed the rapid development of the machine tool industry in recent years and made great progress. They believe that the design and manufacture of machine tools have become more and more mature, more and more multi-functional compound machine tools, and the accuracy and stability of performance have become higher and higher. There is no shortage of key equipment that can replace foreign imports, and it can better meet the needs of users.

The user companies also expressed their full understanding and tolerance for the problems existing in domestic machine tools. In the survey, most of the customers expressed their willingness to cooperate with domestic machine tool companies and work together to make the domestic machine tools take on the main role in the company. These enterprises very much hope to adopt more and more domestic machine tool products, which not only can save a large amount of capital, but also make the maintenance of equipment and supply of spare parts more convenient and faster, and can also get rid of certain restrictions abroad. They are willing to work closely with machine tool companies to jointly develop production equipment that meets specific process requirements. At the same time, the user also hopes to continue to receive help and support from the machine tool companies during the use of the machine tool to maximize the use of domestic machine tools.

Summarized, in the use of domestic machine tools, there are some specific problems: (1) The accuracy of the retention is not good: many users report that domestic machine equipment processing accuracy declines faster, equipment failure rate is more. (2) The reliability needs to be strengthened: The numerical control system, the drive power supply, the lubrication and cooling system, the control unit and the functional components of domestic CNC machine tools all have reliability problems. (3) Some machine tools need to be improved in design: Some users reflect that some of the machine tools are not designed to be reasonable and cause some parts to be easily damaged during use. In addition, the electrical design of some machine tools is not adapted to the working environment in hot and humid areas in the south, resulting in frequent failures. (4) The manufacturing quality needs to be improved urgently: Some products, because of the manufacturing quality, are not closed. After a certain period of use and some failures are fixed, the original spindle speed has to be discounted by half. In other machine tools, when the speed reaches a certain speed within the specified speed range, the machining becomes unstable and the noise is very high.

While reflecting product issues, users also proposed that the machine tool company's services need to be further improved and improved. A number of users in the survey reported that some machine tool companies did not provide timely service when problems occurred in the machine tool, and some service personnel had come several times but could not completely solve the problem. It reflects that machine tool companies need to pay more attention to service work and improve the technical level and processing capacity of field service personnel.

By comparing the different characteristics of machine tool suppliers at home and abroad, users also proposed that some machine tool companies need to change their marketing concepts. For example, in pre-sales exchanges, domestic companies often focus on their own stereotyped products, hoping to use a product to meet a variety of different processing needs. The well-known foreign machine tool companies are generally aimed at the user's specific process requirements, recommend to the user and even tailor-made their desired products. At the time of signing the contract, the requirements of the domestic enterprises for users were often much faster than the foreign companies' responses. However, they could not be honored in the end and the users were disappointed.

Of course, the domestic machine tool suppliers also have well-developed companies. After the design of the machine tools came out, they carefully discussed with the users. In the subsequent product design and manufacturing process, both parties also maintained regular technical consultations. The products that come out are very easy to use. Thus, it is very important for the growth and progress of domestic CNC machine tools that users directly help domestic machine tools and provide good application opportunities. It has been learned from the survey that the successful application of many domestic high-end CNC machine tools to key users is a successful model of mutual acceptance and mutual understanding between supply and demand.

The demand for equipment in the user area in the future period of time

For a certain period of time in the future, different users will have different focuses on the demand for machine tool products in each key area.

Users from the aviation and aerospace fields put forward more specific equipment requirements: one is for machining tools such as titanium alloys and high-temperature alloys, and the other is for processing equipment for aluminum alloys and composite materials. Such as: (1) large-scale aluminum structure processing machine tools, such as high-speed, high-power, large horizontal milling and boring machine and gantry machining center, etc.; (2) small and medium-sized structural parts manufacturing equipment, such as machining centers, composite machine tools, etc.; (3) standards Automatic processing production line; (4) CNC machine tools for rotary parts processing, including CNC cars, CNC grinding, turning and milling complex machining centers.

For the processing of the high-pressure common rail system for the new generation of oil pump nozzles, the automotive sector proposes future plans for machining centers, EDM machines, liquid grinding extruders, high-precision grinding machines, hard trucks, heat treatment equipment, surface treatment equipment, and assembly lines and tests. Equipment, such as 17 major categories of products with greater demand.

Although users in other fields did not put forward specific equipment requirements, from the perspective of their current production levels and development plans discussed in the exchange, the demand for medium-to-high-end numerical control equipment will increase in the future, as well as complete sets of equipment and turnkey projects. There will be greater demand.