Chinas CRCHI Collaborates on Smart Mining Innovation

Imagine mines of the future—no longer dusty, noisy environments filled with workers, but instead efficient operations run by intelligent equipment and reliable unmanned extraction systems. This isn't science fiction; it's the rapidly approaching reality for the mining industry.

Recently, a delegation led by Ge Shirong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, conducted an in-depth research visit to China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation (CRCHI) to explore intelligent transformation and digital upgrades in mining equipment, charting the course for the industry's future development.

On September 12, Academician Ge Shirong, accompanied by experts from Jiangxi University of Science and Technology and the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), visited CRCHI's Changsha Second Industrial Park. The delegation inspected production lines for tunnel boring machines, drill-and-blast tunneling equipment, and mining machinery.

Through touring the original technology exhibition hall and reviewing specialized reports on intelligent mining product development, the experts gained comprehensive understanding of CRCHI's innovations in smart mining technology.

CRCHI has made significant strides in mining equipment by leveraging its expertise in shield tunneling technology. The company has successfully developed various mining equipment types—including large-section, small-section, rectangular, and arch-shaped models—achieving groundbreaking cross-domain technological breakthroughs.

Academician Ge praised CRCHI's innovative capabilities, highlighting the company's robust R&D foundation and favorable innovation ecosystem as key factors behind these achievements. Essentially, CRCHI has ingeniously adapted tunnel boring technology for mining applications—a bold and successful technological crossover.

The meeting between Academician Ge's team and CRCHI representatives went beyond a routine inspection, evolving into strategic discussions about future cooperation. Both parties expressed strong interest in collaborating to develop more efficient and reliable excavation equipment for China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period.

This partnership signals that future mining equipment will become increasingly intelligent and automated, better suited to handle complex mining environments while improving extraction efficiency and operational safety.

Zhao Hui, Chairman of CRCHI, emphasized the company's continuous commitment to mining equipment manufacturing and engineering applications. Through project development, technology implementation, and engineering services, CRCHI has established distinctive competitive advantages and achieved consistent breakthroughs in product innovation.

Looking ahead, CRCHI aims to deepen cooperation with academic teams in frontier smart mining technologies, addressing industry challenges while developing replicable models for intelligent mining. This collaboration will help propel the coal industry toward a safer, more efficient, and fully automated future.

The mining industry has long grappled with safety risks, low productivity, and environmental concerns. Intelligent transformation offers solutions through automated, unmanned operations that enhance safety, boost efficiency, and reduce ecological impact. CRCHI's collaboration with leading academic experts promises to accelerate this smart transition, injecting new vitality into the sector's development.

The partnership between CRCHI and Academician Ge's team represents more than technical exchange—it's a shared exploration of mining's future trajectory. With combined expertise, the vision of fully intelligent mining operations appears increasingly within reach.