Shield Tunneling Machine Independently Developed by China Exported to Italy

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A shield tunneling machine with a diameter of 9.36 meters rolled off the production line in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, on Friday. The shield tunneling machine will be used to construct the railway tunnel project between Messina and Catania in Sicily, Italy. It is the first time Hunan's independently developed high-end underground engineering equipment has been exported to Italy and the EU market. The total tunneling length of the machine is about 12.54 kilometers, mainly through shale, phyllite, conglomerate, basalt, sandstone, and other complex formations. According to the requirements of engineering geology and hydrological conditions, the research and development team adopted the design concept of a green rock tunnel boring machine. The team also developed and applied new technologies, such as permanent magnet drives, high-quality power supply systems, and automatic equipment management. Thus, the machine will save more energy and be more environmentally friendly. Its energy consumption will be reduced, and the construction efficiency will be improved.