Gaomi: Small biz innovation fuels vitality

Sanjiang Machinery Manufacturing Co Ltd, located in Gaomi, Weifang, Shandong, is shipping a 160-metric ton, 7 million yuan ($962,500) automobile half-axle production device to Turkey, custom-made for the country's largest forging company.

Sanjiang specializes in custom equipment, with over 100 large sets shipped annually to China and over 10 countries including the Netherlands, Japan, and Russia. Their products serve industries like aviation, automotive, and mining.

Photo of the assembly line at Sanjiang Machinery Manufacturing Co in Gaomi, Weifang, Shandong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With 30 years of experience, Sanjiang has become a leader in flat forging machine processing and competes with advanced companies in Japan and Germany. Despite its small size, the company achieves an annual output of 40 million yuan and is recognized as being high-tech in Shandong. The company attributes its success to continuous innovation and a skilled, experienced R&D team that adapts production processes to meet client needs.

In 2021, Sanjiang won a competitive bid to supply Xi'an Aero Engine Corporation with a 1,250 tons of flat forging machine, which exceeded strict performance and automation requirements. The successful project doubled production efficiency and set a new industry standard.

Photo of the assembly line at Sanjiang Machinery Manufacturing Co in Gaomi, Weifang, Shandong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Sanjiang's approach includes a strong customer feedback loop, ongoing product improvements, and a "mentor-apprentice" system to rapidly train new employees. The company is also expanding with a new project for metal components, aiming to produce 370 sets of forging machinery annually. They are exploring collaboration with Shandong University of Technology to innovate further and grow their market share. (Edited by Lin Li)