Is China's bearings really dependent on imports?Internationalization of high-speed rail
The importance and challenges of bearings for high-speed trains.
As a major achievement in China's infrastructure construction, high-speed railway has become the focus of world attention with its revolutionary transportation speed and huge carrying capacity. However, in the operation of high-speed railways, the seemingly small component of the bearing plays a vital role. The main function of the bearing is to support the rotating parts of the high-speed railway, reduce frictional resistance, and ensure the safe and stable operation of the high-speed railway.
High-speed railways operate at high speeds and loads, while also being affected by temperature changes and complex environmental conditions. Bearings must withstand the enormous loads generated by high-speed trains and adapt to the challenges of high-speed operation. The weight of a high-speed train car, for example, is equivalent to the total weight of more than 20 ordinary cars, and the bearings must bear the pressure of this weight and the centrifugal force generated when operating at high speeds. According to statistics, high-speed trains can run at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour, and the centrifugal force borne by the bearings in high-speed operation is equivalent to the gravitational acceleration when riding an airplane. If the quality of the bearings is not up to standard, it will break or be damaged, which poses a risk to the safety of high-speed railways. Therefore, the quality of bearings is crucial for the safe and stable operation of high-speed railways.
Although China's high-speed rail industry has made great progress, with a localization rate of more than 90%, at the same time, the localization process of high-speed rail bearings is relatively lagging behind. At present, China can only independently develop and produce high-speed rail bearings with a speed of less than 140 kilometers per hour, and it still needs to rely on imports when exceeding the speed. This has led to controversy and shadows in the process of bearing localization.
Challenges and problems faced by China's bearing industry.
1) Quality and purity of bearing steel: The bearing is made of special steel - bearing steel. Bearing steels have excellent mechanical properties and wear resistance to withstand high loads and speeds. Bearing steel is the main raw material for the manufacture of bearings. However, compared with the ultra-high purity bearing steel manufactured by vacuum degassing casting technology, there is still a certain gap in the quality and purity of domestic bearing steel. This is a challenge to meet the needs of high-speed rail in a variety of extreme conditions.
2) Technical bottlenecks and patent monopoly: In the field of bearings, foreign companies have long monopolized key technologies and patents, which means that China's bearing industry is facing technical bottlenecks. The sale of imported bearings** is often controlled by foreign companies and is even more than 10 times their production costs. This seriously restricts the development and localization process of China's bearings, and it is difficult to get rid of the dependence on imported bearings.
3.Improve processing technology: high-quality processing is the key to realizing the localization of high-speed railway bearings. Improving precision machining technology can ensure the accuracy and reliability of bearings, thereby improving the safety and stability of high-speed railway operation. However, there is still a certain gap in precision machining technology in China, and it is necessary to further improve the level of processing technology.
How to determine the position and recommendations of high-speed train bearings.
1.Improve the quality and purity of bearing steel: increase the research and development of bearing steel, introduce and develop vacuum degassing casting technology, and improve the quality and purity of self-produced bearing steel to meet the needs of high-speed rail under various extreme conditions.
2.Encourage innovation and research and technology development: increase investment in bearing research and technology development, cultivate innovative enterprises and research institutions, and promote technological innovation in high-speed railway bearings, so as to improve the technical level and competitiveness of domestic bearings.
3) Strengthen international cooperation and intellectual property protection: cooperate and exchange with foreign companies and research institutions, and use and absorb their advanced technology and experience. At the same time, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, prevent foreign companies from monopolizing bearing technology and patent rights, and protect the innovative achievements of China's bearing industry.
4.Improve the level of processing technology: increase the introduction of training and precision machining technology, improve the level of domestic bearing processing technology, and improve the accuracy and reliability of bearings.
5) Strengthen quality supervision and standard formulation: strengthen the quality supervision of high-speed rail bearings, establish and improve the quality standard system, and promote the standardization and normalization of the national high-speed rail bearing industry.
In short, the localization of high-speed railway bearings is an important task for the development of China's bearing industry. By improving the quality of bearing steel, strengthening scientific research and technological development, increasing international cooperation and intellectual property protection, and improving the level of processing technology, China's bearing industry will be able to break through the technical bottleneck, improve the quality and competitiveness of domestic bearings, and realize the localization of high-speed rail bearings.