Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), developed and manufactured by the China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (CRCHI), are sold at home and abroad. (Photo/Zhou Baiping)

On January 9, the Central South University (CSU) and the China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co. Ltd. (CRCHI) signed an industry-university-research cooperation agreement in Changsha.

CSU and CRCHI have previously cooperated on a number of national, provincial, and municipal scientific research projects, such as the National 863 Program’s TBM Key Technology Research and Application Project.

A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a “mole”, is a machine used to excavate tunnels in urban areas. When it works, it mainly relies on its rotating cutters. According to the agreement, the two sides will jointly set up technology companies to promote in-depth industry-university-research cooperation. They will jointly tackle problems in the key fields of basic components like cemented carbide materials and TBM cutters, so as to enable key materials and core components to be self-developed and domestically-made; expand and strengthen TBM cutter industry; promote high-end industrial transformation and upgrading; and, realize intelligent manufacturing.

The two sides will also give full play to their respective advantages in scientific research and technology, education and training, company and industry operation, and roles in the industry. They will work together to establish an innovation system that integrates production, study, and research; make breakthroughs in key and core technologies; advance and lead industrial development; promote the coordinated development of specialized knowledge and industries; and, achieve win-win results through university-enterprise cooperation.

Source: en.changsha.gov.cn