Written by Kirsten Wang
Translated by Irene Yip

The 6-day exhibition of the 11th China International Machine Tool Show (CIMT 2009) was held at Beijing's China International Exhibition Center (New Venue) early this month (Apr 6-11). As observed by the staff reporters from 2456.com, the huge crowds of visitors were not only seen on the opening day but also on the next two days. According to the data provided by the CMTBA (China Machine Tool & Tool Builders' Association), the total number of visitors of this year's show amounted to 260,000.

On the 100,000-square meter fairground, the largest area that CIMT has ever presented, around 1,200 exhibitors from 28 countries or regions were present, of which 650 were local Chinese enterprises and 550 were from overseas. According to the organizer CMTBA, the top world's 20 best-known machine tool manufacturers were all at this year's show. Many of the much improved Chinese enterprises were also under the spotlight at this the biggest machine tool trade fair in China.

Red-hot exhibits for the uprising industries

The Chinese machine tool market has overtaken that of the three leading economic powers, the US, Europe and Japan, because they have been obsessed by the economic recession. This is also of the result of the Chinese government's stimulus package. To show off their solutions and capabilities to users from these new "hot" sectors such as rail transport, aerospace and new energy, has now become the most important way for the machine tool manufacturers to grab orders.

KAPP Asia Technologies (JiaShan) Co, Ltd managing director Fung Guo (right) says the company has a 50% share in the Chinese wind power gear market.

For instance, KAPP and Niles, who were jointly present at this year's CIMT, were aiming to promote their products to users from the wind power industry. On their booth in the German Pavilion section of the exhibition hall, KAPP Asia Technologies (JiaShan) Co, Ltd managing director Fung Guo explained that the company's gear grinding machines are very popular among the wind power sector and the company has up to a 50% share in the Chinese wind power gear market. He estimated that the value of pledged orders received during the show had reached a few million euros.

Makino (China) Co Ltd, which, for the first time, launched its metal-working machine tool for the aerospace industry in China, was another example. Wu Jun, marketing manager of the company, explained that under the motto of "Building the future today" Makino is ready to face new challenges in the Chinese market.

This was not only wishful thinking from the suppliers. As the show organizer, CMTBA invited visiting groups from various industrial sectors through its branch associations. The association set up individual lounge facilities for visitors from various industries, and during the show, all of these rooms were occupied by the crowd of visitors.

Hot items: Chinese large-scale, heavy-duty CNC machine tools in the spotlight

It is noteworthy that the number of large-scale/ heavy-duty CNC machine tools displayed at this year's CIMT has significantly increased from the previous exhibitions -- thanks to the government's stimulation of industries like aerospace, shipbuilding, new energy, etc. More than 100 sets of large-scale CNC machine tools such as large-scale and heavy-duty double column machining centers, heavy-duty CNC lathes, large-scale CNC boring and milling machine tools, etc, were displayed in the booths of many domestic Chinese machine tool manufacturers, proving that the demand for large-scale and heavy-duty machinery is still positive and has not been affected by the economic crisis. In fact, these machine tool products are just the key items which the country's major construction projects need. Most of the Chinese heavy-duty machine tool products target major industries such as energy (thermal power, hydraulic power, nuclear power and wind power), shipbuilding, engineering machinery, aerospace and rail and road transport.

Large-scale CNC boring and milling machine tool is one of the hot items at CIMT 2009.

Staff reporters from 2456.com have learnt at the show that the advance technology application and manufacturing quality of the Chinese machine tool industry is still far behind international countries. Also, their R&D abilities and production periods are still far from meeting that of the domestic users' needs, especially in the manufacturing of precision levels of parts and components and in their abilities to maintaining the precision of the whole machine. Moreover, the CNC systems and functional parts used on these China-made machines mostly rely on imports.

Fortunately, it is believed that the favorable policies for the equipment manufacturing industry released recently will further motivate industry upgrading of the metal working industry and speed up the country's machine tool manufacturers to meeting the international technology levels.

Remaining sober despite the heated market

During the exhibition, most of the exhibitors interviewed by our reporters pointed out that China was the first country to promote economic recovery beginning in March and April. According to the data of the national economic performance in the first quarter released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the country's economic performance has experienced positive changes, proving that the economic stimulus policies launched by the government in response to the global financial crisis have been effective in tackling the problems.

It is no doubt that the government's policies on boosting domestic demand and supporting plans to strengthen industries are favorable to the machine tool manufacturers. However, the situation has also intensified the rivalry among overseas manufactures over the share of the Chinese market.

Shen Zhuanghang, general secretary of the CMTBA tooling branch, said: "Overseas manufacturers bring advanced technologies and equipment to China, which satisfy the needs of industrial development. We are glade to see them." However, he added that some countries are still strictly controlling the export of high-end equipment to China, which increases the users' desires for domestic replacements.

Shen Zhuanghang gave the tooling industry as an example. "The Chinese tooling industry has a long history in theory and research, as well as in regard to its techniques. However, the overall level of the Chinese manufacturing industry is still far behind the comparatively high standard of the leading industrialized nations. The industry's demand for tools and equipment has never been as high as it is at this moment. All these factors affect our power -- the ability to provide complete solutions, the ability to improve technical theory and understanding, etc." It takes time to solve these problems in this heated time for the domestic equipment manufacturing industry, he added.