TZCO in 2025

In May 1950, the Ministry of Heavy Industry held the first National Conference in Beijing, at which the topic of ‘building the first heavy machine factory in New China’ was raised. The issue was immediately approved by the Central Finance and Economic Commission, which faced with the humble reality of post world war II, invested 750 million grains of millet (equivalent to 60.75 million yuan) for the construction project. Work could then begin to design and build the first heavy machinery factory in the emerging new China.

On 4th October 1950, the first shovel broke ground at the Wujin Depot marking the transition from preparation to official construction of the very first heavy machinery factory in China, and this date was later determined to be the anniversary of the foundation of Taiyuan Heavy Industries (TZCO), and is still celebrated today as an honourable moment of the heavy machinery and equipment manufacturing industry.

In 1954, TZCO successfully developed China's first 3-metre atmospheric gas generator and transferred it to production.  Later in 1954, the factory was issued the special task of trialing development and production of new products for key national engineering projects critical to the coming world infrastructure, forging its importance as the forefather of all mainland engineering.

1955, TZCO produced the first 50-tonne large-scale overhead cranes, and has since been serving the production line of the Crane Industry continuously for more than seventy years.

In 1958, 14 key projects such as a steel casting workshop, hydraulic press workshop, and a metalworking workshop were successively completed and put into production, and the first hydraulic machinery factory was completed.

In March 1959, TZCO successfully produced China's first thin-plate rolling mill, marking a new level of technical ability for the Taiyuan Factory.

In February 1961, under the instruction of then Premier Zhou Enlai, TZCO successfully developed the first 350-tonne gantry crane for the Sanmenxia Hydropower Station in just six months, which is still standing at the top of the Sanmenxia Dam today.

TZCO succeeded in the trial production of China's first 4-cubic-metre large mining excavator, and began the course of independent production of large mining excavators.

TZCO manufactured the first set of train wheels for Maanshan Iron & Steel, which changed history and the transport industry worldwide. Today, TZCO is responsible for the development and manufacturer of the entire High Speed Rail undercarriage equipment across greater Asia and many other countries of the world.

The company successfully trial-produced the 850 tonne primary rolling mill, which later became Shougang's ‘ Meritorious Rolling Mill’ making positive contributions to the emerging new metallurgical industry on the world stage.

TZCO enjoys a high reputation in the field of power station forging. In 1965, TZCO successfully trial-produced a 25,000 kilowatt integral ring for the first time in China by adopting a new process of hydraulic expansion and strengthening of the protective ring.

In 1965, TZCO designed and manufactured its own large circular gear reducer, which had a service life of more than 10 years and was awarded the Achievement Prize of the National Science Congress in 1978.

Plate levelling machines are one of the primary products of the company, which have won multiple national awards for their working ability. With a wide range of roll capabilities, and a levelling thickness ranging from 0.5 to 100 mm, the equipment has allowed development of a major series of products. The picture shows the 17-roll straightening machine which was successfully tested in 1965.

In 1969, TZCO manufactured the pylons for the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, launching China into the new era of space research.

In December 1978, TZ successfully test-fabricated the first 3000-tonne titanium sponge press, which provided important new special equipment for the development of the aerospace industry.

In 1984, TZCO actively cooperated with Germany and Denmark in the manufacture of complete sets of Φ140 continuous rolling units for Baosteel, introducing more than one hundred German DIN standards, which greatly improved the technological strength of the enterprise and made TZCO the first enterprise in China to carry out technological co-operation with foreign countries. The picture shows Jia Qinglin, the then director of TZCO, talking with German experts.

The production line of the Φ140 continuous rolling mill produced by TZCO for Baosteel is still running safely today.

On 20 March 1986, the State Council Leading Group of Major Technical Equipment held a ribbon-cutting acceptance ceremony for China's first 16-cubic-metre mining excavator and 200-tonne crawler crane at Taiyuan Heavy Industries Factory. Description goes here

In October 1997, TZCO successfully developed China's first 98/55 tonne slab clamp crane for Liaoning Benxi Iron & Steel Group, which still serves the production line of Benxi Iron & Steel.

On 9th July 1999, TZCO won the bid for the development project of the world's largest bridge crane (1200t) for the Three Gorges Project. The picture shows the work site of the bridge crane lifting the power generation rotor in 2000.

On 20 June 2005, TZCO secured the bidding for the 190/20 tonne ring crane manufacturing project for Qinshan Nuclear Power Station, and successfully entered the field of nuclear power  safety development.

On 12 April 2006, China's first large-scale mining excavator (WK-20) was successfully manufactured, changing the game of excavators for open-pit mines and moving more than 20 million tonnes of material. Since then, TZCO continues to innovate independently, and has become the world's only R&D and manufacturing base for 4-75 cubic metre series mining excavators, as well as 1.8-200 tonne hydraulic excavators. There is no other company on earth with this capability.

In December 2019, TZCO Cranes were awarded the title of ‘Manufacturing Champion’ by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).  The picture shows the largest 520/100 tonne casting crane produced by TZCO for Baosteel and Zhanjiang Iron & Steel.

The 70th anniversary of Taiyuan Heavy Industries was celebrated in 2020. This landmark moment in the manufacturing giants history served to encourage the organisation to continue to accelerate development into a new era of Heavy Machinery, and strive to build a modern, intelligent equipment and manufacturing enterprise with world-class competitiveness, and contribute to the technological progress of the collective human society.

A blueprint for ‘Transformation and New Technology’ was passed early in 2021 and set the company on the fast track to high-quality and ultra-modern machining capabilities. On 28th March 2021, the foundation stone of TZCO’s Intelligent and Advanced Equipment Industrial Park was officially laid, which has pushed the company to gradually build a new pattern of synergistic development of world leading technology and manufacturing.

On 28th June 2021, a 1300-tonne bridge crane manufactured by the TZ Group successfully completed the lifting and loading of the world's first megawatt hydropower unit at the Three Gorges Hydropower Station, Baihetan.

On 23rd July 2021, the world's first remote-operated excavator developed by TZCO was delivered to customers, marking a solid step towards ‘intelligent, unmanned, green and carbon-zero’ intelligent mines. The project won the Gold Standard Award in the Machinery Industry Product Quality Innovation Competition, and became an industry benchmark for the application of ‘Industrial Internet’.

In December 2022, after 19 months of hard work and determination, the Intelligent and Advanced Equipment Industrial Park was finished and moved into production, which set the record for the most efficient construction enterprise of any competitor in the industry. The park has been recognised as the ‘National Intelligent Manufacturing Demonstration Factory’ in China, and is actively building a world-class reputation as a state-of-the-art manufacturing complex with its precise laser and robotic technology.

November 2024, TZCO equipment entered the sector in Australia with the first import of Hydraulic Excavators, competing with commonly available world brands and exceeding price performance ratios to bring a new era of function and affordability to a changing economy.

2025 and beyond.  New Technology in both industrial and civil engineering is taking the world by storm, with green Hydrogen Power and High Voltage Electric Excavators coming into trial and production, meeting the harsh demands of modern mining and work sites.  With a social responsibility to be apart of a better world, and true to their history of being a service to the people, TZCO are leading the way for a sustainable future of Heavy Machinery. Bringing high-end, new and efficient equipment to the user that is designed and built to outlast and outperform the rest of the world.