People who are familiar with Foshan Zhongnan Machinery Co., Ltd. often describe it as "the world under the sea". This seemingly inconspicuous manufacturing company is a supplier of parts and components for China’s largest polar scientific research ship "Xuelong", domestically produced large aircraft and other "big country heavy equipment". It is an "invisible" in the field of marine diesel electronic injection systems. "Key", the market share is No. 1 in the country. The drilling manipulators of Schlumberger, an oil exploration giant and the world's top 500, are also parts produced by Zhongnan Machinery.

Xu Guan, Chairman of Foshan Zhongnan Machinery Co., Ltd., a rare technical expert among entrepreneurs. He takes innovation as the foundation of his factory. In the process of transformation and upgrading, he has led the company to grow into the "hidden champion" of the domestic machinery industry under the repeated technological breakthroughs.

Xu Guan was admitted to South China Institute of Technology (now South China University of Technology) in 1979, studying welding technology and equipment. He graduated at the age of 20 and went northward to pursue his dream in Wuhan, and was assigned to the Wuhan Institute of Material Protection, where he worked for 8 years. In 1992, he brought a team of more than ten people to Yanbu, Nanhai, to start his entrepreneurial career as a "technology-controlled" man in science.

In the early 1990s, the Pearl River Delta economy took off, but there was a shortage of electricity. Power plants that use diesel generators have been built in various places, but those diesel generators are imported from abroad, and it costs more than 300 million US dollars to import key diesel engine components every year.

Turning the technology of imported diesel engine key parts into products and grabbing hundreds of millions of dollars in the blank market became the goal of Yanbu Town, Nanhai at that time. They liked the technical research results of Xu Guan, a key researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Material Protection of the Ministry of Machinery Industry at the time.

With rich practical experience and scientific research results, Xu Guan led the team to realize the localization of more than 30 key parts of large and medium-sized diesel engines in just two years. At present, Zhongnan Machinery's product system has covered more than 10,000 mechanical parts such as diesel engine common rail units, medium and high voltage transmission and distribution switches, and elevator sprockets. They are Zhongnan Machinery's shining "business card" for opening domestic and foreign markets.

Focus on the "high-precision" of the three major industries

Break into the new field of 3D metal printing

In 2008, when the financial crisis broke out, many companies encountered bottlenecks in their development. Zhongnan Machinery was not spared at that time. The low-end products competed fiercely and no money was made. The original high-end products had little market demand and the company could not achieve further development.

"How to transform, the status quo of each company is different. The key to breaking through is to find a way that suits you. But one thing must be: only by doing back to your own advantages can you survive for a long time." Xu Guan digs deep into the powerful Zhongnan Machinery With precision machining capabilities, we resolutely chose to focus on “high-precision” key components in the three major industries of shipbuilding, aviation, and oil drilling. In combination, another direction of innovation is set as metal 3D printing with huge market potential. In 2015, Zhongnan Machinery successfully launched the DiMetal series of metal 3D printers.

Enlarge the "center of the circle" value

Platform development to achieve a win-win situation

Based on its main business and relying on its advantages in precision machining, Zhongnan Machinery continues to break out of new models and new formats. "The growth of an enterprise is a process of breaking through with its core competence as the'circle center'. For Zhongnan Machinery, the precision machining capability is the'circle center'." Xu Guan said.

Zhongyu Intelligent Equipment Incubation Center, the first platform-type incubator built by private enterprises in Foshan. Zhongnan Machinery is its major shareholder and its main driving force. Xu Guan hopes that relying on the advantages of Zhongnan Machinery's precision processing, the outstanding scientific research results of universities can be transformed into the ground, the platform development of Zhongnan Machinery will be realized, and more excellent manufacturing enterprises will be cultivated.

Based on the equipment manufacturing industry on the west bank of the Pearl River, the incubation center will take 3D printing, robotics, automated factories, smart medical equipment, and new materials as the development direction, and will have both incubation and acceleration functions. "Xu Guan said that these new business formats have become supporting industries for Zhongnan Machinery, helping enterprises to extend the industrial chain and become bigger and stronger.

The key to innovation is people

Retaining and educating people is the top priority

Zhongnan Machinery's development thinking is very clear: from the localization of key parts and components, to entering equipment manufacturing, and then relying on the platform development of precision machining. In this process, we strive to be "high-precision" for products and "high-end" for talents. Regarding the relationship between the two, Xu Guan believes that good products must rely on people's wisdom and strength, and the essence of innovation lies in people.

Since its establishment, Zhongnan Machinery has always attached importance to personnel training and has formed a complete personnel training system. In addition, in addition to giving talents material rewards and spiritual encouragement, they will also make detailed career plans to make the best use of their talents.

Technical backbone talents are the source of an enterprise's innovation ability, and high-end R&D talents are the guarantee of a leap in quality. "Today, Zhongyu Intelligent Equipment Incubation Center is a link that connects high-end talents from all over the world with Zhongnan Machinery." Xu Guan said, "These talents share technology, equipment, and office space with Zhongnan Machinery, which will greatly enhance staff stickiness and become The source of power for continuous innovation of enterprises.

Kunpeng spreads his wings for ninety thousand miles, and the sky is boundless to fight. For more than 30 years, Xu Guan has always focused on the machinery industry and has always insisted on taking the road of innovation and transformation with a zero mentality. In his vision plan, Zhongnan Machinery still has a long way to go to become the leader in the research and development and manufacturing of the most practical mechanical intelligent equipment.

Director: Feng Xixiang

Editor: Chen Zhiran (Intern)

Editor-in-chief: Liu Mengni

Editor in charge: Zheng Dantao