By Zhu Zehuan, All-media Reporter of Changsha Evening News
 

　　Across China and even the globe, there are only a handful of enterprises capable of mass-producing nanometer cemented carbide, and Hunan Boyun Oriental Powder Metallurgy Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Boyun Oriental") located in Changsha High-tech Zone is one such enterprise. As a leading enterprise specializing in the R&D, production and sales of powder metallurgy products, Boyun Oriental has successfully broken through the technical challenges in both "extra-coarse grain" and "ultrafine/nanometer" extreme directions in the cemented carbide field. It owns public service platforms such as Hunan Provincial "Key Generic Technology R&D for Typical Nanomaterials" and Hunan Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for High-efficiency and Precision Cemented Carbide Tools and Dies, and was recognized as a national-level specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative "Little Giant" enterprise in the third batch in 2021.

　　In recent years, Boyun Oriental has maintained a robust momentum of strong production and sales. How did an enterprise operating in a niche market achieve self-transcendence step by step and grow into an industry "Little Giant"? With this question in mind, reporters recently visited Boyun Oriental to find out.

　1. Tackling the "Tough Nut" to Achieve Customized Production

　　"In the cemented carbide field, 'ultrafine/nanometer' and 'extra-coarse grain' are the two directions with the greatest technical difficulty," Long Boyong, general manager of Boyun Oriental, told reporters. "Nanometer" cemented carbide refers to cemented carbide with WC grain size less than 0.2 micrometers, which is less than one three-hundredth the thickness of a human hair; "extra-coarse grain" refers to extra-coarse grain cemented carbide with WC grain size greater than 6 micrometers, which is widely used in shield tunneling, mining and other operations under extreme working conditions.

　　At the nanometer cemented carbide production line in Boyun Oriental's production workshop, processes such as batching, forming and sintering are completed in one go. The workshop person in charge said that Boyun Oriental will complete customized production according to different customer needs to meet the requirements of different manufacturing scenarios.

　　Compared with traditional cemented carbide, nanometer cemented carbide not only maintains higher hardness and strength, but also effectively solves the problem of ultra-high cutting of difficult-to-process materials such as high-temperature alloys, titanium alloys, composite materials and hardened steel, greatly improving the efficiency of mechanical processing. It is the preferred tool material in the fields of aerospace and high-end equipment manufacturing.

　　Standing next to the sintering furnace with a temperature as high as 1400 degrees Celsius, reporters did not feel the intense heat at all. "This is because all processes of the production line use leading equipment in the industry," the workshop person in charge said. It is understood that the integral cemented carbide end mills made of nanometer cemented carbide produced by Boyun Oriental have improved the comprehensive efficiency by 45% to 50% compared with international high-end brand tools in the processing of automotive hardened steel molds.

　　In 2019, to boost the development of Changsha's advanced cemented carbide industrial chain, Boyun Oriental, together with Central South University, CRCHI (China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.) and other units, began to engage in the R&D of extra-coarse grain cemented carbide. A year later, the "Jinghua Hao" shield machine equipped with shield cutter heads produced by Boyun Oriental rolled off the production line. It not only became the world's third largest shield machine in excavation diameter, but also successfully completed major projects such as the reconstruction of Beijing East Sixth Ring Road. Features such as "less wear and higher efficiency" have also brought Boyun Oriental - a supporting enterprise - into the public eye.

　　2. Innovation Forging the "Little Giant"

　　"Innovation is a key gene rooted in Boyun Oriental that drives the enterprise to continuously break through," Long Boyong said.

　　Founded in Changsha in 1994 under the leadership of academician Huang Boyun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Boyun Oriental chose one of the "hardest" businesses - producing cutting tools for synthetic diamond manufacturing. Thanks to the high-quality scientific research strength of Central South University, Boyun Oriental's products were highly favored by the market as soon as they were launched.

　　In 2000, as high-end manufacturing in Changsha began to take off, Boyun Oriental keenly perceived the trend of transformation and upgrading in the manufacturing industry and decided to add more scientific and technological innovation attributes. How to enhance innovation capability? Li Yongxia, chairman of Boyun Oriental, clearly recognized that talents are the foundation and universities are the fertile ground. In the same year, Boyun Oriental established cooperation with Central South University, kicking off the industry-university-research application model in the new century.

　　As one of the early enterprises in Changsha to carry out university-enterprise cooperation, Boyun Oriental has fully stimulated the enterprise's innovation vitality by leveraging the interdisciplinary R&D team led by Huang Boyun as the chief scientist. In 2004, Boyun Oriental broke through the 0.4-micrometer R&D technology in the "ultrafine" cemented carbide field; in 2008, it broke through 0.3 micrometers; in 2016, it broke through 0.2 micrometers; and soon after, it broke through 0.17 micrometers, achieving domestic leadership and some performance indicators leading the world.

　　It is worth mentioning that Boyun Oriental has been selected into the National High-Tech R&D Program (863 Program) three times. "Being recognized by the '863 Program' is not only an affirmation of our products, but also a great recognition of our innovative R&D direction," Long Boyong said.

　　Reporters learned that the main construction of Boyun Oriental's Lugu Base industrialization project has entered the final stage. After the project is fully completed, the production capacity will be greatly improved, providing an inexhaustible driving force for Boyun Oriental's "re-development" and "re-innovation".

　　"Innovation has no end," Long Boyong said. In the future, adhering to the philosophy of "Innovation Achieves Dreams", Boyun Oriental will take the recognition as a specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative "Little Giant" as a new starting point, and forge ahead courageously towards the goal of becoming an industry "hidden champion".
 

Source: Front Page of Economic Edition, Changsha Evening News, March 3rd