NEWS

Knowledge

17

2023-10

Under the backdrop of high-quality development, how will the road and bridge industry evolve?

In the inaugural year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China’s economy has entered a stage of high-quality development. Shifting the economic growth model, optimizing the economic structure, and transitioning the drivers of economic growth—moving from an economy dominated by mid-to-low-end industries to one led by mid-to-high-end sectors—will remain the central theme of economic development for the foreseeable future. As the marginal effectiveness of investment in boosting the economy gradually diminishes, coupled with the introduction of the "dual circulation" new development paradigm, China’s economic growth is steadily shifting its engine—from being driven primarily by investment to being fueled by consumption. Consequently, the construction industry is poised to see its investment growth rate inevitably slow down further in the coming years. As a vital component of the construction sector, the road and bridge engineering industry plays a crucial role in maintaining the smooth operation of all key economic activities: production, distribution, circulation, and consumption. It also serves as a cornerstone for ensuring sustained, rapid, and healthy national economic growth, improving people’s living standards, and advancing the modernization of national defense. However, with the continuous improvement of highway networks and national/provincial trunk roads, the market space for the road and bridge industry is facing mounting pressure as its expansion slows, while competition intensifies sharply. Looking ahead, five major trends are expected to shape the development of the road and bridge industry: First, extending the industrial chain and pursuing related diversification represent effective strategies for overcoming growth bottlenecks. This includes expanding upstream into raw material extraction and manufacturing, as well as downstream into real estate development, operations, and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) general contracting. Meanwhile, related diversification efforts will increasingly extend into areas such as rail transit, water conservancy, environmental protection, and infrastructure maintenance projects. Second, industry concentration continues to rise, leading to even fiercer market competition. Currently, the construction industry remains fragmented, with numerous players operating across the market. Yet, as marketization deepens further—and amid a deteriorating international environment—large and medium-sized enterprises, including central state-owned firms and provincial state-owned enterprises, are increasingly entering urban and regional markets. This trend is steadily eroding barriers that once limited industry expansion beyond specific regions, making cross-regional competition more pronounced. As a result, industry concentration is expected to continue climbing. Third, while growth opportunities in eastern markets are becoming increasingly limited, the western region offers far greater potential for development. With lower road network density in the west, coupled with supportive government policies like the Western Development Strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative, infrastructure investment in the western region is steadily gaining momentum. As a result, the western region is emerging as a key focus area for domestic highway construction. Fourth, smart transportation is set to become a new highlight in the field of highway construction. Driven by cutting-edge technologies such as ultra-fast wireless local area networks and 5G mobile communications, smart transportation systems are poised for substantial growth in the years ahead. Finally, ongoing reforms in industry qualifications are encouraging road and bridge companies to enhance their market orientation and overall competitiveness. In March 2020, the "Administrative Measures for Engineering Cost Consulting Firms" and the "Administrative Measures for Registered Cost Engineers" were introduced, lowering the qualification thresholds for cost consulting firms. Additionally, in July 2020, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development released the "Framework for Qualification Standards of Construction Enterprises (Draft for Comments)," proposing significant reductions in the number and levels of enterprise qualifications. These policy changes are expected to further encourage road and bridge companies to move away from traditional, passive approaches—such as relying on handouts or waiting passively—for survival and growth. Instead, they will be motivated to genuinely strengthen their construction capabilities, technical expertise, and management skills.

2023-10-17

16

2023-10

Analysis of Common Malfunctions in Concrete Finishers and Summary of Troubleshooting Solutions

1. The screed machine emits black smoke during operation. Check if the screed machine has been over-oiled. If there’s excess oil, drain some off. Alternatively, severe piston wear could also cause oil burning—replace the piston promptly if it’s damaged. Additionally, inspect the engine itself. If the engine is functioning properly, the issue might stem from excessive oil contamination. Remember, using high-quality机油 is crucial; always opt for premium-grade oil and be cautious to avoid purchasing low-quality or counterfeit products. 2. How to adjust the screed machine’s chassis screws for proper leveling: Start by replacing all four new blades, then place the screed machine on a perfectly flat surface. Next, remove the rocker arm and visually check whether the four screws are at the same height. If necessary, use a ruler to measure precisely. If the screw heights differ, adjust them until they’re evenly aligned. Finally, gently wiggle the pressure cap—if there’s no wobbling, the adjustment is successful. To prevent wear, apply a small amount of grease to the top of each screw. 3. The screed machine keeps stalling. First, verify that the oil level is normal and that there isn’t insufficient机油. Some machines come equipped with an automatic oil protection system that shuts down the engine when oil levels are too low. Additionally, disconnect the remote shutdown switch and the machine’s main shutdown switch one by one. If the stalling stops after disconnecting either switch, it indicates that one of these components was grounding out. Carefully inspect and address the issue accordingly. 4. The screed machine’s engine runs fine, but it can’t drive the screed plate. If the engine is working correctly, the problem likely lies in either an incorrect belt type or a belt that’s too long. If the issue persists, consider replacing the clutch assembly—it’s usually an easy fix. 5. The gasoline-powered screed machine has been submerged in water. Begin by thoroughly cleaning the carburetor. Then, remove the spark plug to check if water has entered the cylinder head. If water has seeped in, crank the machine several times to expel the water completely. After changing the机油, test the machine again to see if it operates normally. 6. The screed machine won’t turn. Possible causes include: deformed vanes, a faulty motor bearing, improper mounting of the motor bracket, or issues arising from incorrect usage.

2023-10-16

12

2023-10

The method of polishing and grinding

Methods of Polishing and Grinding: Grinding involves embedding abrasive particles onto the surface of a grinding tool (hereafter referred to as the "grinding fixture") or coating it with abrasives, along with the addition of a lubricant. Under a certain amount of pressure, the tool and fixture come into contact and move relative to each other, enabling the abrasive particles to remove an extremely thin layer of material from the workpiece's surface. This process ensures that the workpiece achieves precise dimensions, accurate geometric shapes, and exceptionally high surface finish quality. Essentially, free abrasive grains perform minute cutting actions on the workpiece surface through a combination of physical and chemical processes facilitated by the grinding fixture. Key characteristics include: 1. In mechanical grinding, the machine-tool-workpiece system exists in an elastically floating state. 2. The workpiece being ground is not subjected to any external force, allowing it to remain in a free state. 3. The typical speed of grinding motion is below 30 m/min—about one percent of the speed used in conventional grinding. 4. Since only an ultra-thin layer of material is removed during grinding, minimal heat is generated, resulting in reduced machining deformation and a thinner layer of surface alteration. 5. A residual compressive stress remains on the ground surface, which helps enhance the fatigue strength of the workpiece. 6. The process is straightforward and generally does not require complex or expensive equipment. 7. It offers excellent adaptability to various materials and geometries. 8. Grinding can achieve exceptionally low surface roughness levels. --- 1. **Fluid Polishing** Fluid polishing relies on the high-speed flow of a liquid medium carrying abrasive particles to scour the workpiece surface, achieving the desired level of polish. Common methods include abrasive jet machining, liquid jet machining, and fluid dynamic polishing. Among these, fluid dynamic polishing is driven hydraulically, causing the abrasive-laden liquid medium to flow rapidly back and forth across the workpiece surface. The medium typically consists of specialized compounds with excellent flow properties at low pressures, often formulated as polymer-like substances mixed with abrasives—such as silicon carbide powder. --- 2. **Mechanical Polishing** Mechanical polishing is a method that removes protruding areas on the workpiece surface through cutting and plastic deformation, ultimately yielding a smooth, polished finish. It commonly employs tools like oilstones, wool wheels, or sandpaper, often performed manually. For specialized components, such as rotating surfaces, auxiliary tools like rotary tables may be used. For applications demanding exceptionally high surface quality, ultra-precision lapping and polishing techniques are employed. Ultra-precision lapping and polishing utilize specially designed abrasive tools immersed in a polishing compound containing fine abrasives, pressed firmly against the workpiece surface while undergoing high-speed rotational motion. This technique can achieve surface roughness as low as Ra 0.008 μm—making it the most effective among all polishing methods. Optical lens molds frequently rely on this approach. --- 3. **Ultrasonic Polishing** In ultrasonic polishing, the workpiece is placed within an abrasive slurry and subjected to an ultrasonic wave field. The oscillating ultrasonic energy causes the abrasive particles to grind and polish the workpiece surface. Ultrasonic machining generates minimal macroscopic forces, preventing workpiece deformation. However, the setup and installation of the required tooling can be challenging. Ultrasonic machining can also be combined with chemical or electrochemical processes: for instance, after performing chemical etching or electrolytic machining, ultrasonic vibrations are applied to agitate the solution, helping to detach dissolution products from the workpiece surface and ensuring uniform corrosion or electrolysis near the surface. Additionally, the cavitation effect produced by ultrasonic waves in the liquid medium can suppress corrosion, further enhancing surface brightness. --- 4. **Electrolytic Polishing** Electrolytic polishing operates on principles similar to chemical polishing, selectively dissolving the microscopic protruding areas on the material's surface to achieve smoothness. Compared to chemical polishing, this method eliminates the influence of cathodic reactions, leading to superior results. The electrolytic polishing process typically occurs in two stages: (1) **Macro-level leveling**: Dissolved products diffuse into the electrolyte, reducing the overall geometric roughness of the surface, with Ra values exceeding 1 μm. (2) **Micro-level smoothing**: Anodic polarization enhances surface brightness, bringing Ra values below 1 μm. --- 5. **Fluid Polishing** Fluid polishing relies on the high-speed flow of a liquid medium carrying abrasive particles to scour the workpiece surface, achieving the desired level of polish. Common methods include abrasive jet machining, liquid jet machining, and fluid dynamic polishing. Among these, fluid dynamic polishing is driven hydraulically, causing the abrasive-laden liquid medium to flow rapidly back and forth across the workpiece surface. The medium typically consists of specialized compounds with excellent flow properties at low pressures, often formulated as polymer-like substances mixed with abrasives—such as silicon carbide powder. --- 6. **Chemical Polishing** Chemical polishing involves immersing the material in a chemical medium where microscopic protrusions dissolve preferentially over recessed areas, resulting in a smooth surface. One of the primary advantages of this method is its simplicity—it requires no complex equipment, making it ideal for polishing workpieces with intricate shapes. Additionally, chemical polishing allows for the simultaneous treatment of multiple workpieces, significantly boosting efficiency. However, the key challenge lies in formulating the appropriate polishing solution. Typically, the surface roughness achieved through chemical polishing ranges around several micrometers (μm). --- 7. **Magnetic Abrasive Polishing** Magnetic abrasive polishing utilizes magnetic abrasives that form a "brush" under the influence of a magnetic field, enabling precise grinding and finishing of the workpiece. This method boasts high processing efficiency, excellent surface quality, easy-to-control working conditions, and favorable operator safety. With the right choice of abrasive materials, surface roughness can be reduced to as low as Ra 0.1 μm. In the context of plastic mold manufacturing, the concept of "polishing" differs significantly from surface finishing requirements in other industries. Strictly speaking, mold polishing should be referred to as "mirror finishing," as it imposes exceptionally stringent demands not only on the polishing process itself but also on surface flatness, smoothness, and geometric accuracy. Meanwhile, general surface finishing typically focuses solely on achieving a bright, reflective appearance. Mirror finishing standards are classified into four levels: - AO = Ra 0.008 μm - A1 = Ra 0.016 μm - A3 = Ra 0.032 μmA4 = Ra0.063 μm. Since methods like electrolytic polishing and fluid polishing struggle to precisely control the geometric accuracy of parts, and surface quality achieved through techniques such as chemical polishing, ultrasonic polishing, and magnetic abrasive polishing often fails to meet the required standards, mechanical polishing remains the primary method for mirror finishing in precision molds.

2023-10-12

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