Phase-2 Machining Shop Opens; Machining Centers 46 → 62
The new 2,400 ㎡ shop broke ground on June 18 and passed internal acceptance on October 28. All 16 vertical machining centers have in-line leak testing; batch turnaround from casting to machining dropped from 21 days to 15.
On the afternoon of October 28, the Phase-2 machining shop passed internal acceptance. Vertical machining centers grew from 46 → 62 units; together with 8 die-casting cells, 3 CMMs and 6 leak-test stations, casting, machining and inspection all sit in one park — castings no longer leave the site between casting and machining.
Why Build Another Shop
For the past two years machining was the bottleneck. At full load the 8 die-casting cells turn out 4,200 shots a day, but with only 46 machining centers, castings often waited in the yard for a free machine. From H2 2025, new-energy ECU orders came in smaller batches across more models — monthly changeovers rose from 9 to 23, stretching waiting times further.
Instead of a new building, we extended 2,400 ㎡ along the west wall of the old shop: the logistics gate stays the same, castings reach the machining line in 3 minutes, saving one transfer and one re-validation compared with expanding on another site.
- Batch Turnaround: 21 days → 15 days
- WIP Dwell Time: average 3.6 days → 1.2 days
- Per-machine Changeover: 52 min → 34 min (for fixture pre-set + program pre-load)
The 16 New Machines
All 16 are vertical machining centers, laid out by process rather than piled up by model — no “can-do-everything, does-everything-slowly” universal machines.
| Equipment | Model | Quantity | Stroke / Specifications | Main Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical Machining Center | Doosan DNM 5700 | 8 units | 1050 × 570 | Housing Faces & Bearing Seats |
| Vertical Machining Center | Haitian VMC850 | 6 units | 800 × 500 | End Caps & Bracket Small Parts |
| 4-axis Machining Center | Haitian VMC850-4A | 2 units | 4-axis Simultaneous | Angled Oil Holes in One Setup |
| In-line Leak-test Stations | In-house · Differential-pressure | 16 Staff | 0.5 bar · ≤8cc/min | Random Checks with Stop on Deviation |
The equipment is not for show: every machine outlet feeds a leak-test station, measuring dimensions and air-tightness within the takt; off-spec parts stop the machine immediately instead of waiting for sampling to catch them.
What In-line Leak Testing Means
The biggest risk in housings is coaxiality of bearing seats and oil passages. It used to rely on first-article CMM plus 2-hour patrols — issues surfaced late, and dozens of parts in a batch could need rework. Now the machine judges itself: if the leak check fails, that shot stops on the spot; the supervisor reviews the data at the machine and restarts after correction.
What Actually Changed in Lead Time & Capacity
“Before, our 62 machines were the constraint — scheduling started by asking which machine was free; now the machines wait for the schedule. It looks like a small difference, but for the customer it means waiting a week less.”
Chen Liqun · Production Director
What to See On Site
The 16 machines, 16 in-line leak-test stations and the 3-minute logistics passage to the old shop can all be checked one by one on a video tour or during an on-site audit. Machine nameplates, commissioning years, run logs and the acceptance file for this expansion are kept in the shop office, available anytime.
If you are shortlisting suppliers, bring drawings and annual volume — we quote lead times from the Phase-2 shop’s actual takt, not theoretical values.