Recently, a breakthrough has been achieved in the core equipment of the domestic titanium processing industry. A large-scale forging press with a capacity of 7,000 tons, owned by a state-owned enterprise in Baoji, successfully completed its first hot load test. The entire process was a complete success, and all indicators of hydraulic, numerical control, and forging techniques met the standards. The success of this test marks that China has successfully filled the key production capacity gap in the field of precise forging of large-sized, high-quality titanium alloys and high-temperature alloys, laying a solid foundation for the mass production equipment for the domestic substitution of high-end titanium materials.
The results of this hot trial were impressive. The dimensions of the large-section titanium alloy ring pieces produced through trial were controlled within ±1mm, and the metallographic structure met the standard of fine-grained uniformity for aviation grade. The verification by the three parties was completed successfully in one go. The digital intelligent temperature and pressure control system installed on the equipment operated stably and was ready for mass production. Compared with the previous production mode, the enterprise previously relied on external processing or multiple passes of small-tonnage equipment for large-tonnage forging, which had problems such as long production cycles, high costs, and insufficient quality stability. After the 7000-ton press was put into use, for high-end large-scale die-forging parts such as fan discs, casings, and main load-bearing frames of aircraft engines, the single-piece forging time was shortened by 40% to 60%, the annual production capacity of large-sized forgings could be increased to 2.5 to 3 times the original level, the delivery cycle of high-end orders was compressed by more than 30%, and the production capacity and delivery efficiency achieved a leapfrog improvement.
In terms of product quality, by leveraging the 7,000-ton pressure support and digital precise speed and temperature control technologies, the consistency of the core and surface structures of the forgings has achieved a qualitative leap. Based on the test run data analysis, after mass production, the qualified rate of key military-grade forgings will increase from the industry average of 75%-82% to over 92%, significantly reducing the waste of non-destructive testing due to uneven structures, and completely addressing the industry pain point of inconsistent quality of high-end titanium forgings.
This equipment is not merely about expanding production capacity; instead, it precisely targets core areas such as aviation, ships, nuclear power, and high-end equipment, focusing on high-value-added sub-markets such as main load-bearing structural components and complex irregular integral parts. This effectively strengthens the domestic shortcomings in precision forging of large titanium alloy integral beams, landing gear components, deep-sea pressure-resistant shells, and large-scale forged components for nuclear power reactors. It precisely fills the gap in the supply of core components for high-end equipment. This breakthrough is not only a technological upgrade for a single enterprise but also a substantial reinforcement of the security of the "large, precise, and specialized" supply chain of titanium alloy forgings in China. It enables core mainframe manufacturers such as AVIC and CSSC to have more stable, economical, and efficient local supply options.
From the perspective of the industry landscape, the implementation of this equipment will reshape the competitive system of the domestic high-end titanium processing industry. According to data from the Titanium, Zirconium and Hafnium Branch of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, the annual output of titanium processing materials in China is approximately 180,000 tons in 2025. The output of high-end aerospace, naval vessels, and medical materials accounts for less than 15%, but their value accounts for over 50%. Large-diameter forgings with a diameter of 500mm or above, as the core category of the high-end market, have long faced the problems of scarce high-quality production capacity and high difficulty in achieving high-precision mass production. After the commissioning of this 7,000-ton press machine, it will help enterprises enter the first echelon of large-tonnage precision forging in China. Leveraging the digitalization advantages of latecomers, it will form differentiated competitiveness in product uniformity and delivery efficiency, and break the technological monopoly of a few leading enterprises. At the same time, the calculation of the full life cycle cost of the equipment shows that the comprehensive production cost of large titanium alloy forgings can be reduced by 18% to 25%, effectively reducing the high premium of imported substitute products and alleviating the procurement cost pressure of downstream equipment manufacturers.
At the industrial chain level, this equipment has successfully completed the complete closed loop of "material - forming - application" for titanium alloys. Domestic titanium alloy smelting technology has approached the international advanced level, but the large-scale complex forging process has long been a weak point in the industrial chain. This equipment upgrade has filled the key forming gap from high-quality ingots to high-end precision forgings, significantly enhancing the value conversion capability of the entire industrial chain. At the same time, the digital control system of the equipment can accumulate massive forging data. Through batch production iterations, it will form exclusive process models for TC4, TC21, TA15 and other multi-brand forgings, building core process soft assets and providing solid data support for subsequent high-end forging research and development iterations.
Looking at the international market, this equipment will accelerate the process of importing substitution for high-end titanium forgings. Currently, domestic main load-bearing large-scale precision die forgings still rely partially on imports from Europe, Japan and other countries. After the equipment is maturely produced, within 2-3 years, it can achieve a 30%-40% import substitution for core forgings of large and medium-sized transport aircraft and wide-body passenger aircraft, reducing the market share of international brands. Compared with the top international 4-8-ton press machines, the 7,000-ton equipment precisely targets high-precision and multi-variety aerospace-grade forging sub-sectors, meeting the mainstream demand and high-profit market of global high-end titanium materials, helping domestic enterprises upgrade from low-end structural component subcontracting to a first-level component supplier for aerospace main load-bearing parts, and gradually enhancing the ability to set global industry standards and determine prices.
The analysis of Baoji Titanium Industry Research Institute indicates that the successful hot trial is a landmark event marking the transformation from quantitative to qualitative upgrading of equipment in the domestic titanium industry. Its core value is not merely to fill the technological gap, but to provide a digitalized mass production solution for large-scale titanium forgings with high efficiency and stability. This will lead to the transformation and upgrading of the national titanium industrial cluster, and push the industry to shift from simple tonnage competition to a new stage of high-quality competition focusing on precision, stability and intelligence. This breakthrough is an important milestone for China's titanium industry to move towards high-end precise manufacturing. The subsequent capacity release and process stability optimization will continue to consolidate the foundation for the domestic and international development of high-end titanium materials.
Located in China Titanium Valley - Baoji, Baoji Yibaite New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech company that specializes in titanium and titanium alloy products processing, manufacturing, and marketing. We have the perfect production equipment, a strict production management system, a scientific manufacturing technique, and a perfect quality management system. The products are widely used in medical devices, aerospace, petrochemical engineering, the shipbuilding industry, and other fields.