Amidst the bustling urban life of Tianshui, a city widely known for its spicy hot pot (malatang), lies a deep-seated industrial legacy. Few are aware that this vibrant city in southeastern Gansu was once a major hub for the Third Front construction era, an old industrial base established during the 1960s.

During that period, key electrical appliance enterprises and technical experts from Beijing, Shenyang, and Tianjin relocated westward, laying the foundation for the city's modern industry. Over half a century later, these "Third Front" enterprises have evolved through phases of planned construction, reform, restructuring, and digital transformation. They have emerged as the backbone of a key electrical equipment manufacturing hub in Northwest China and the entire nation.

Today, Tianshui boasts a comprehensive industrial chain covering high, medium, and low-voltage switchgear, electrical drive systems, low-voltage electrical components, cables, and transformers. This report delves into the heart of the city's electrical equipment sector, visiting key enterprises like the Tianshui Electrical Drive Research Institute, Tianshui Great Wall Control Electric Co., Ltd., and Tianshui Chengda Electric Co., Ltd., to listen to the unique "heartbeat" of this industrial city.

Breaking Technological Barriers

The first stop was the Tianshui Electrical Drive Research Institute Group Co., Ltd., a renowned national R&D and production base for electrical drive automation systems. Inside its precision workshop, workers are focused on assembling and testing high-end electrical drive systems, a stark contrast to traditional assembly lines.

One key product is the electric control system for oil drilling rigs, described by the company's deputy general manager, Zhao Haijun, as the "smart brain" of the entire rig. It precisely senses the rig's operating status, makes intelligent decisions, and coordinates execution commands. The core power of this system comes from a low-voltage, high-capacity inverter, a technological bottleneck the company has been working to overcome.

Recently, the company successfully launched its independently developed next-generation low-voltage, high-capacity inverter, which has passed all field tests and is now in commercial use. This achievement ensures full self-control over the hardware, software, components, and control algorithms, providing strong support for China's oil drilling industry to break free from foreign technological dependence.

Zhao Haijun emphasized the company's commitment to independent innovation, stating that core technologies in high-end manufacturing cannot be controlled by others. As domestic oil exploration pushes into deeper and ultra-deep wells, the demand for more stable, adaptable, and energy-efficient inverters has grown. Previously, the high-end market was dominated by foreign brands, leading to high costs and supply chain risks.

To overcome this, the research institute took on the responsibility of state-owned enterprise research, forming a core team that spent over a decade on research, simulations, and testing. They successfully broke through key technical bottlenecks and achieved full independent application of critical technologies. This success is the result of decades of persistent innovation, from the institute's early days as a Third Front scientific research institute, moving from technology follower to leader, and from component replacement to full-chain self-reliance.

Key milestones include developing China's first electric drive system for the ZJ45D drilling rig in 1987, the first ZJ40BS variable-frequency drilling rig electric drive system in 2000, and the high-precision special power supply in 2003 that propelled China into the world's advanced ranks. The institute now holds a dominant position in the oil drilling electrical automation field, with a domestic market share of over 45% for its self-developed systems, and partners with major industry players like PetroChina, Sinopec, and CNOOC.

Looking ahead, Zhao Haijun says the company will continue to focus on scientific and technological innovation, core electrical drive technologies, and solving key technical problems in high-end domestic equipment to solidify the nation's industrial foundation for self-reliance in high-end electrical equipment.

Embracing Digital and Intelligent Transformation

At Tianshui Great Wall Control Electric Co., Ltd., the transformation of a company with over half a century of history is on display. Originally relocated from Shenyang, Liaoning in 1966, the company has undergone restructuring and digital transformation to revitalize itself in the new era.

Chief Engineer Liu Wei introduced the company's latest intelligent power distribution management system, developed in collaboration with a Shanghai-based software firm. The system integrates a smart inspection robot that cruises on tracks in high and low-voltage distribution rooms, collecting real-time data and transmitting it to a central control platform for dynamic visualization and control.

This new system deeply integrates the company's technical expertise in intelligent high and low-voltage switchgear, smart busways, and inspection robots. It can automatically analyze operation data, diagnose faults, and provide early warnings for safety risks, enabling remote intelligent management and efficient maintenance of the power distribution system.

This achievement is a landmark result of the company's long-term commitment to digital and intelligent transformation. Since relocating to a new industrial park in 2016, the company has continuously upgraded its production lines and management, building digital platforms like smart warehousing. This has created a comprehensive digital system covering product design, manufacturing, and management, with a digitalization rate of over 80%, placing it among the top in the province.

Innovation is the core of this transformation. The company has partnered with Lanzhou University of Technology to optimize intelligent system performance and expand application scenarios. It now has a provincial-level enterprise technology center and industrial design center, with R&D staff accounting for 20% of the workforce.

These high-quality products have gained significant market recognition. The company's high-end busway products are used by major manufacturers like Great Wall Motors, Chery, and FAW. In the overseas market, exports of busways and intelligent switchgear to Indonesia have exceeded 40 million yuan in the past three years, with products designed to withstand high-temperature, high-humidity conditions.

To adapt to market changes, Tianshui Great Wall Control has also strategically shifted its focus from traditional commercial busways to thermal power plant renovations and new energy supporting projects. It has developed products like photovoltaic junction boxes and booster station equipment to meet the full-chain power distribution needs of wind and solar projects, aligning with the booming new energy industry.

Reshaping the Development Landscape

The final stop was Tianshui Chengda Electric Co., Ltd., a private enterprise founded in 2006 that specializes in the design, R&D, production, and sales of power transmission and distribution equipment. Over two decades, it has grown from a small manual workshop to a company with over 260 employees, 32,000 square meters of standardized workshops, and total assets of 270 million yuan.

Deputy General Manager Liu Dandan highlighted the most visible change: the complete upgrade of the production workshop. The factory now operates with automated production lines and an intelligent data collection and analysis system for precision manufacturing. In the past, assembly was done manually, leading to errors and long lead times. Now, the digital management system connects equipment, material delivery, and quality inspection, ensuring real-time data analysis, cost reduction, and consistent product quality.

Liu Dandan noted that the domestic power distribution industry has shifted from simple hardware competition to a comprehensive battle of "equipment + intelligence + service." Embracing digital transformation and green manufacturing is now a key choice for private electrical companies to navigate market cycles.

The company's journey began with a surge in demand for complete power distribution boxes driven by the State Grid's upgrade. Moving from simple meter boxes to complex equipment was a significant technical challenge. The company's R&D team started from scratch, meticulously breaking down national grid standards, optimizing box structures, and repeatedly conducting waterproof, dustproof, and short-circuit tests. By 2017, as the industry entry barrier lowered, competition became fierce based on price.

Chengda shifted its strategy, focusing on quality and technology. It optimized box sealing and internal structures to exceed industry standards, winning orders based on product competitiveness rather than just price. In 2023, the company's revenue exceeded 220 million yuan, with over 20 million yuan in taxes paid over the past two years. It has earned prestigious titles like National High-Tech Enterprise, National Green Factory, and Provincial "Specialized and New" Enterprise.

To meet the demands of digital and intelligent grid development, the company has invested 17 million yuan in R&D for new products like modular anti-theft metering boxes, intelligent circuit breakers, and photovoltaic combiner boxes. Tianjin Chengda has successfully transitioned from OEM/ODM manufacturing to independent R&D and design, moving from passive compliance with national standards to proactive product optimization, breaking through the limitations of traditional power distribution equipment manufacturing.

Reporter's Note

While the hot pot gives Tianshui its warm, vibrant urban character, a visit to its industrial parks reveals a city of steady, profound industrial strength. Through persistent innovation and industrial transformation, Tianshui's electrical equipment manufacturing sector continues to climb, showcasing the resilience and vitality of manufacturing in Western China.

The key takeaway from this visit is that for county-level manufacturing to thrive, it must rely on innovation, practical effort, and transformation. The high-end electrical manufacturing field has long faced technical barriers and foreign monopolies. However, Tianshui's electrical industry has never been complacent. It has consistently focused on achieving core technology independence, courageously tackling industry shortcomings, and breaking through geographical limitations with persistence, forging a unique path for high-end manufacturing in an inland city.

Equally impressive is the industry's proactive willingness to adapt and transform. Facing the digital economy and the new energy industry boom, local electrical companies have abandoned the old path dependency of traditional manufacturing. They have actively embraced digital and intelligent change, deepening smart manufacturing, optimizing product structures, and broadening industrial tracks. Through self-innovation, they have solved development problems, shed the old tags of traditional industries, and continuously cultivated new drivers and advantages.

Most valuable is the mature and diverse industrial ecosystem Tianshui has formed. Industry leaders invest in R&D and take on the responsibility of breaking through bottlenecks. Backbone enterprises undergo digital transformation and revitalize. Private companies are pragmatic and break through markets with quality. All market players work in concert, building a stable and vibrant development pattern.

The city's lively atmosphere shows its warmth, while its solid industries provide its true strength. The iterative leap of Tianshui's electrical equipment industry is a vivid microcosm of the transformation, upgrading, and efficiency improvement of an old industrial city in Western China. Based on this solid industrial foundation, and by adhering to its innovation-centric approach and seizing the opportunities of the times, Tianshui's electrical equipment industry is poised to continue its breakthrough and write a new chapter of high-quality development in the new track of high-end manufacturing.