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syjx@shengyangringrollingmachine.com
2026-01-14
When you hear “Chinese forging manipulators?”, the first reaction of many is doubt. Cheap, but for how long? I went through this myself. Until I came face-to-face at one of our old workshops, where it was necessary to replace the Soviet “monster?” for something more adequate in budget and more modern in management. The decision to look towards China then seemed like a necessary risk. Now, looking back, I understand that the question is not in the manufacturing country, but in what specific technologies “went there?” and how they were adapted to real, often far from ideal, conditions of forging and pressing production.
It all started with a request for a manipulator to operate a 2-ton hammer. European proposals were so affordable that the payback stretched for decades. A colleague in the shop, always looking for something on the Internet, came across the siteShandong Shenyang Mechanical Equipment Co.,Ltd. It looked solid, but who knows. We decided to dig deeper. On their website,https://www.shengyangjxgroup.ru, there was not just a showcase, but rather detailed layout diagrams, control system options - Siemens or their local analogues. This already hinted at flexibility.
The key was the conversation not with the sales manager, but with their process engineer, who spoke a language that was understandable. We discussed not the load capacity (everyone declares it), but specifically the dynamic loads when dropping a forging, the operation of hydraulics in frequent start-stop mode, and the protection of electronics from vibration and forge scale. He did not use general phrases, but asked about the type of our hammer, the temperature of the workpieces, and even about the height of the workshop. This was the first call that we were dealing not with a simple collector, but with the samehigh-tech enterprisehow they position themselves.
In the end, we settled on a model with a reinforced rotating column design and a smooth positioning system. The price was 1.8 times lower than the German analogue. The risk, of course, remained colossal. The main argument?for? — complete documentation in Russian and the presence of a spare parts warehouse in the Russian Federation at that time. This removed the urgency of the issue of a long shutdown of production in the event of a breakdown.
When the equipment arrived and we began installation, it became clear where Chinese manufacturers had really made a breakthrough, and where they were still using proven, but cheaper solutions. The heart of any manipulator is the control system and hydraulics. The control units were based on Siemens, this gave confidence. But the ?filling? hydraulic stations - pumps, valves - were mixed. The main pumps are Bosch Rexroth, but some distributors are locally produced, although licensed.
The most interesting thing for me was the gripping mechanism. Their own development was already visible here. Not just pliers, but a quick-change system with adapters for different types of forgings. The mechanics were simple and ingenious - a minimum of hydraulic cylinders, a maximum of levers. They explained it this way: less hydraulics means fewer points of potential leaks and higher reliability in conditions of a constant thermal “bath”. It was a practical, non-bookish approach.
But there were questions about the ergonomics of the control panel. The remote control cables were not braided enough to be heat-resistant, so I had to immediately order a replacement. A small thing, but significant. They are focused on the main metal-intensive and mechanical part, and on such “peripheral” ones. Sometimes they skimp on details. I had to modify it on my own.
The first month of work was the most nervous. The manipulator was pushed to the limit - long shifts, workpieces at 1100 degrees. What was immediately noted was that the hydraulic cooling system coped with a bang. In the summer it was below 40 in the workshop, but there was no overheating. But the boom position sensors, which were protected only by a casing from scale, periodically “clogged”. The problem is known, but here it manifested itself more clearly. The solution was found to be simple - they installed an additional air pipe with a fine mesh for purging.
Another point is the smoothness of the ride. When accurately positioning a small forging under the press, a slight “stepping” was felt, although the characteristics stated a smooth motion. An engineer from Shenyang, with whom we kept in touch, honestly said that this could be due to the adjustment of the fine control valves to the viscosity of our oil. Sent parameters for reconfiguration. After calibration the problem went away. This showed the importance of not just buying, but having technical support that gets to the bottom of things.
Now the device has been working for more than two years. The service life of the main components - columns, booms, hydraulic cylinders - is not yet satisfactory. They changed the seals and one sensor. Compared to the eternal problems with old equipment, this is heaven and earth. But this is not the main conclusion.
Not a single manufacturer will write in an advertisement that its equipment may require “finishing?” for a specific workshop. For Chineseforging manipulatorsthis rule is especially relevant. They are often designed for average, almost ideal conditions. Our reality is dust, power surges, and an imperfectly flat floor. We have to adapt.
A hidden advantage that I discovered later is the modularity of the design. When the question of modernization arose - increasing the boom reach, it turned out that this was technically possible and did not require replacing the entire machine. We just ordered a new boom assembly and hydraulic fitting kit. With European brands, such a story often leads to a new model. Here the approach is different: to sell not just a machine, but a platform that can be developed. This is a smart strategy.
Another stone - ?relatives? spare parts. It takes a long time to order through the official channel. But it turned out that many of the components (bearings, seals, even some hydraulic units) are standard ones from international brands or their Chinese licensees. Over time, we have assembled our base of alternative suppliers, which has reduced the cost of service significantly. The manufacturer himselfShandong Shenyang Mechanical Equipment Co.,Ltd, he treats this calmly, which is also a plus.
So after all, is it technology? If we talk about breakthrough, unique know-how, it’s unlikely. Chinese engineers are not reinventing the wheel. But they have learned to brilliantly integrate and adapt existing global technological solutions (the same CNC systems, hydraulic circuits) into reliable and, crucially, affordable machines. Their strength lies in optimization, in understanding what can be made cheaper without losing key functions, and what cannot be saved on.
For the average Russian forging shop, which does not cast critical forgings for aerospace, but makes mass products for agricultural machinery, the oil industry or railways, this approach is a salvation. This is a technology of accessibility and practicality. You get 85-90% of the capabilities of a European car for 50-60% of its price, with the understanding that some of the nuances will have to be resolved on your own or in dialogue with the supplier.
Therefore, when people now ask me about Chinese manipulators, I don’t say “yes?” or not?. I ask: “And for what?” What's the budget? Are you ready to invest not only in the purchase, but also in the initial adaptation? If you are satisfied with the answers, thenforging manipulatorfrom China - this is an absolutely working, technologically advanced solution. Not a panacea, but a serious tool. And the websiteshengyangjxgroup.ruis a good starting point to begin your own practical analysis rather than theoretical speculation.
