On August 31, Sunward Machine No. 88 (Huanbei No. 4 Double-Shield TBM) successfully broke through the rock and emerged at the Lingxin Tunnel in Guangxi, marking the smooth completion of the tunnel's first TBM excavation section. Since its launch in September 2025, Machine No. 88 has fought continuously for nearly 10 months, successfully completing an excavation task of over 5 kilometers and leaving a solid footprint in the construction of the Huanbei Gulf Guangxi Water Resources Allocation Project.

The Lingxin Tunnel is part of the Beihai section main line of the Huanbei Gulf Guangxi Water Resources Allocation Project. The tunnel has a total length of 11.24 kilometers and runs mainly through hilly terrain, crossing Indosinian intrusive coarse- to fine-grained porphyritic cordierite biotite granite formations. The rock mass features well-developed fractures and widely distributed fractured alteration zones, with a high groundwater level and significant risks of water and mud inrush and surrounding rock collapse, making the geological conditions complex.

Faced with harsh formation conditions, during construction Machine No. 88 relied on an advanced ahead-of-face geological forecasting system and an integrated ahead-of-face drilling and grouting system to identify unfavorable geology in advance, precisely guide excavation, optimize support schemes in real time, and effectively warn of jamming and surrounding rock instability risks, providing intelligent safeguards for safe long-distance hard rock excavation. During excavation, the TBM demonstrated strong equipment performance, with maximum single-day advance exceeding 40 meters and monthly advance exceeding 600 meters for several consecutive months, fully verifying the stability and reliability of Sunward's power system, cutterhead and cutters, and support system.

During construction, the project, located in South China, was hit by multiple rounds of typhoons and rainstorms. Rainwater infiltration weakened rock interlayers, significantly raising the risk of surrounding rock instability; extreme weather combined with complex geology sharply increased the pressure on equipment protection. Sunward's Customer Service Department promptly activated its typhoon emergency response plan, carrying out special protection for the TBM main unit, electrical system, and geological forecasting equipment, strictly implementing 24-hour on-duty monitoring, and organizing emergency repairs immediately after the typhoons passed, minimizing the impact of disasters on the excavation schedule. The breakthrough achievement embodies the hard work and round-the-clock dedication of all construction personnel.

Sunward's technical and construction teams worked closely with the project department, conducting shift inspections of the cutterhead, hydraulic, and electrical systems to quickly identify and eliminate equipment hazards; at the construction site, they closely monitored surrounding rock, in-tunnel drainage, and support operations. Facing multiple challenges including hard rock excavation, jam handling, and flood and typhoon prevention, they dynamically optimized excavation parameters and construction plans to fully ensure the steady progress of the tunnel.