An employee focuses intently on operating welding wire production equipment, monitoring the process data in real time. [Photo/Baotou news network]

In the welding materials production center at the 52 Institute of China North Industries Group – located in Baotou city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – at precisely 9:56 am on April 16 director Zhang Dengfeng and his colleagues were to be found staring at the successful landing of the Shenzhou XIII manned spacecraft return capsule, being broadcast live on TV.

For Zhang and his workmates, it marked a personal and professional triumph – in that they had a hand in the outcome of the mission.

"We were very excited at the moment of landing, which was a further verification of the reliability of a new type of high-performance aluminum alloy welding wire produced by our center," Zhang said.

Conquering foreign technical barriers

In the early stages of the research and development, the aluminum alloy welding wire was monopolized by France, the US, Canada, Japan, Italy and other countries – and there was no domestic factory that could produce such products in China.

But with a strong determination to contribute to national defense, the scientific research and technical personnel at the 52 Institute explored the technology of steel welding wire equipment little by little and finally achieved a breakthrough.

In 2000, the successful R&D of aluminum alloy welding wire and the construction of production lines were realized, with large-scale production taking place in 2003.

Today, the 52 Institute's welding materials production center has obtained more than 10 patents and its products have been issued in five series, with more than 10 specifications in more than 20 varieties.

Currently, it has reached annual output of 600 metric tons of aluminum alloy coiled wire, 200 tons of aluminum alloy straight welding wire and 400 tons of pure aluminum welding wire.

Now in first tier in China

After a comprehensive assessment and tests by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the special aluminum alloy welding wire produced by the center is said to have stood out amid fierce market competition. Since 2006, it has become the sole supplier of the academy.

At present, its various high-quality aluminum alloy welding wires are being used for the welding of many key components of the Long March series of rockets.

These are said to have successively contributed to the successful completion of the Beidou project, manned spaceflight projects, lunar exploration projects and the Mars exploration mission.