Currently, auxiliary transport equipment in domestic underground coal mines is not only inefficient but also poses significant safety hazards. As a safe and efficient transport device, monorail cranes are gradually being accepted by coal mining enterprises. To enable Chinese coal mining enterprises to use safe, economical, and reliable monorail cranes, a group of young people at XCMG have stepped up to carry the banner, charging into mine tunnels 1,000 meters underground……

　　Female Mentor Leads the R&D “Boy Band”

　　The mission is arduous and the road is long. In developing tunneling equipment, the Mining Machinery Institute of XCMG Foundation is truly in its element. But for auxiliary transport equipment R&D, moving from “tunneling” to “transport,” with no experience and no guidelines, how do you steer this “leap ship”?


　　Song Yu, a mining machinery expert with years of experience in roadheader design, took on the heavy responsibility. As project team leader, she boldly appointed new designers and formed a monorail crane team combining seasoned veterans and fresh newcomers.

　　The “veteran” designers have rich experience in product design and engineering construction, while the young people are not the least bit timid—the R&D frameworks they have conceived in their minds a thousand times over are waiting for their chance to shine. Back and forth, they learn from each other. When disagreements arise, each speaks their mind; there are times when faces flush red in debate over a design scheme, and also exciting moments when a structure is successfully optimized and the whole team cheers.


　　Learning on the project, progressing on the project, and growing through mentorship, everyone on the team quickly grew into the backbone of the R&D team.

　　“Shared Goals, United Hearts”—Explosive Team Spirit

　　“When a thousand people share one heart, they gain the strength of a thousand; when ten thousand people harbor different hearts, not one is of use.” Aiming at the bullseye, the monorail crane team deployed key measures with precise thinking and scientific division of labor. Four module design sub-teams formed a powerful fighting collective, beating the war drums and cooperating with one another, marching toward the pinnacle of high-precision, advanced technology.


　　The structural design sub-team continuously optimized the design scheme to ensure a locomotive frame that is both sturdy and reliable and meets operational requirements. Engine explosion-proofing was a “hard nut to crack”; the engine design sub-team traveled to Xingtai, Shanghai, Beijing, and other places, determined to secure a powerful engine “heart” for the locomotive.


　　Because they worked until the early hours of the morning or even all night for five consecutive days, the hydraulic design sub-team earned the nickname “Five-Night Duo.” They applied “observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking” to clear the locomotive’s hydraulic “blood vessels.”

　　A monorail crane has hundreds of circuits, just like the human body’s nerves determining whether commands can be delivered smoothly. The electrical design sub-team ran all-night tests, clearing obstacles for obtaining the safety certification.


　　The design team tackled difficulties head-on, meeting the stringent task specifications and key core technologies of the largest diesel-powered monorail crane in China, such as the tie rod breaking force meeting the standard requirement of 13 times the locomotive’s traction force, and multi-gear switching of the locomotive’s overspeed protection.

　　“The task was so hard that every day someone wanted to break down and cry.” But no matter how tough it was, no one on the team gave up. “While we’re young, we want to accomplish something.” These are the heartfelt words of a project team member. Though not grand rhetoric, they are the spiritual strength that sustains the team members in holding their posts, working hard, and moving from one success to the next.


　　In August 2020, China’s largest diesel-powered monorail crane completed prototype trial production and rolled off the line at XCMG; by November, it had obtained safety certification for 8 monorail crane host units and National Stage III explosion-proof diesel engines.