Wuxi Paike New Materials Technology in Binhu district. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
The Pinglu Canal, China's first artificial waterway linking inland rivers to the sea since 1949, opened to navigation in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Sept 16 with a critical component from Wuxi.
The "mushroom head", the bottom pivot for the miter gates at the Qishi Hub Lock, was manufactured by Wuxi Paike New Materials Technology in Binhu district. The tallest gate is nearly 40 meters high, and each gate weighs more than 1,300 metric tons. The mushroom head, only 1.2 meters in diameter, must carry that weight while keeping the gates turning smoothly.
Paike forged the part repeatedly on a 3,000-ton press. Each unit then underwent precision inspection, internal flaw detection and pressure simulation, with aerospace-level standards to ensure stable operation in extreme conditions. It was matched and ground with a spherical bearing until their contact area exceeded 90 percent, reaching micron-level accuracy.
The 134.2-kilometer canal connects the Xijiang River, a major inland waterway, with the Beibu Gulf international gateway port. The canal has set several world records for navigation capacity, lock operating speed, water-saving lock drop and the scale of inland water-saving locks. It is expected to boost trade between western China and overseas markets.
In addition, Wuxi's manufacturing expertise has also supported the Fendouzhe deep-sea manned submersible, the C919 large passenger aircraft, and the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer.
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