Recently, reporters visited the detachable workshop of Lanzhou Lanshi Heat Exchange Equipment Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Lanshi Heat Exchange"), where a welding robot is precisely welding the plates and reinforcement blocks of a plate heat exchanger along a preset trajectory. Processes that previously required five operators to complete now require only one technician to operate and inspect the process. The same intelligent scenario has appeared in the Lanzhou New District Fine Chemical Park. In the control center of Lanzhou Additives Factory Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Lanzhou Additives Factory"), 13 initiator production lines operate at full capacity, allowing technicians to precisely control key parameters with a click of the mouse; Meanwhile, in the comprehensive workshop of Gansu Lanke Petrochemical High-tech Equipment Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Lanke High-tech"), batches of air coolers and heat exchangers are ready to be shipped to key petrochemical project sites such as Yulin, Shaanxi.
Although the three companies operate on different tracks and products, they share a highly valuable common identity—the national-level "Little Giant" specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises. Rooted in Lanzhou, they have deeply cultivated their core businesses, breaking through market bottlenecks with core technologies, and accelerating in their respective niche fields, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the regional economy.
Digital intelligence and quality improvement: tackling the localization of nuclear power heat exchange
Wang Shouyin, Deputy Manager of Lanshi's Heat Exchange Technology Department, told reporters: "During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we successfully applied for the 'Advanced Intelligent Factory' status, achieving an 85% digital coverage rate for core business and over 80% CNC control for key processes. In his view, the transformation of intelligence, digitalization, and standardization is completely reshaping the traditional manufacturing model of plate heat exchangers, becoming the core driver for improving quality and efficiency for enterprises.
As a pioneer in China's plate heat exchanger industry and the only state-owned specialized and innovative enterprise in this field, Lanshi Heat Exchange has been deeply engaged in its core business for over sixty years, firmly ranking among the top tier in the industry. Since developing the country's first plate heat exchanger in 1965, the company has repeatedly set industry records for "first sets." In 2021, addressing the pain points of marine organisms such as the pen cap snail clogging plate heat exchangers in nuclear power plant cooling water systems, the company launched independent R&D of large deep corrugated plate heat exchangers for nuclear power. Today, this product has been successfully applied in many nuclear power plants such as Daya Bay, providing a demonstration for power plant renovations and the selection of heat exchange equipment for new power plants. By 2025, the company's independently developed large-scale printed circuit board-type microchannel heat exchanger will successfully support the "Super Carbon No. 1" global demonstration project, achieving 100% domestic production of the technology, providing core equipment support for China's supercritical CO2 waste heat power generation sector to break foreign monopolies.
In recent years, the company has independently developed the Lanshi Smart Heating Platform, building a digital twin model that maps and integrates the entire process of the actual physical heating system. By combining technologies such as 5G, industrial internet, big data, and artificial intelligence, it forms a comprehensive management and control platform that integrates heating data fusion, heat network operation status sensing and monitoring, online simulation and operational situation analysis, scientific decision-making, and intelligent regulation. Achieve intelligent heating collection, automated system regulation, and scientific operation supervision, achieving safety, precision, energy saving, user satisfaction, and environmental protection.
Reporters learned that Lanshi Heat Exchange has established multi-level innovation platforms such as a provincial engineering research center and postdoctoral workstations, and has carried out deep industry-university-research cooperation with Zhejiang University, Lanzhou University of Technology, and others to solve bottleneck problems. Currently, it holds 78 valid patents and 18 software copyrights, and has led and participated in the drafting of 15 national and industry standards. Among them, the NB/T20514 "Design and Manufacturing Specification for Nuclear-Grade Plate Heat Exchangers," which he edited, fills a gap in domestic industry standards, laying a solid technical foundation for the localization and standardization of nuclear power equipment.
Looking ahead, Wang Shouyin is full of confidence. The company will focus on new energy fields such as nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, and energy storage, and carry out technological development, innovation, and product upgrades for high-parameter, high-efficiency, compact heat exchangers and skid-mounted systems using plates as heat transfer elements. At the same time, it is fully advancing the construction of the "Lighthouse Factory" project, sprinting toward the maturity of fourth-level intelligent manufacturing, and striving to build a domestically leading base for new energy plate heat exchange equipment R&D and manufacturing.
Upholding integrity and innovation, leading the development of the organic peroxide industry
Located in the Chemical Industrial Park of Lanzhou New District, Lanzhou Additives Factory was founded in 1966. It was originally a university-run enterprise of Northwest Normal University, funded by the former State Science and Technology Commission and specially funded by the former Ministry of Chemical Industry. It is the first specialized organic peroxide factory in China to ensure the launch and production of Lanzhou Petrochemical's high-pressure polyethylene project, the country's first large-scale imported ethylene project.
What are organic peroxides? What is its use? In response to the reporter's question, Chen Dejun, deputy general manager of Lanzhou Additives Factory, gave a vivid analogy: "It is equivalent to the 'DNA' of the polymer industry—used in small amounts but absolutely essential." Organic peroxides can convert small molecular monomers like ethylene into polymer materials under certain temperature and pressure. These materials are widely used in doors and windows, pipes, artificial stone, cable protective layers, and other fields. From a small button to a large train, there are application scenarios. Moreover, organic peroxides can also be used in cutting-edge new materials fields such as photovoltaics, new energy, and specialty polymers, serving as important foundational raw materials supporting the development of the new materials industry. ”
In 2021, the company relocated entirely to the Chemical Industrial Park in Lanzhou New District, ushering in a new stage of development. "The new plant control center integrates production, safety, environmental protection, and fire protection, equipped with 13 specialized initiator production lines and a 'three wastes' treatment system, equipped with an all-weather intelligent monitoring system to achieve precise control throughout the entire process." Chen Dejun told reporters that compared to the old factory, the new plant's intelligent production model greatly optimizes production processes, reduces labor costs, improves product yield rates, significantly enhances overall production efficiency, and continuously strengthens industrial competitiveness.
Today, the company's products not only cover major domestic petrochemical industrial bases but are also exported to more than 30 countries and regions worldwide, accounting for over 20% of exports. Chen Dejun frankly stated that, based on the new development stage, the company will continue to deepen its focus on organic peroxide series products, focus on emerging tracks such as green additives and biodegradable materials, continuously strengthen technological breakthroughs, optimize product structure, and expand market space, driving the agglomeration and upgrading of the regional fine chemical industry chain, and striving to become a benchmark for innovative development in fine chemicals in western China.
Leading scientific research: Setting a benchmark for green petrochemical equipment
In the Lanke High-tech exhibition hall, medals record the company's history. This central enterprise-controlled listed company, restructured from a national-level research institute established in 1960, has been deeply involved in the energy equipment sector for over sixty years. It is a national-level "Little Giant" specialized and innovative enterprise, a national green factory, and a national patent demonstration enterprise. With deep scientific research accumulation and full-chain service capabilities, it firmly holds the top position in the domestic petroleum, petrochemical, and new energy equipment industries.
Unlike other manufacturing companies, Lanke High-tech carries a "research DNA" at its core. The company owns 2 national-level quality inspection centers, 1 national-level research platform, and 9 provincial and ministerial-level research platforms. It has led and organized the formulation of more than 80 categories and over 430 national and industry standards. To date, the company holds 78 valid invention patents, 216 valid utility model patents, and 40 software copyrights.
"Our advantage lies in understanding both design and manufacturing, enabling deep integration of R&D design with intelligent manufacturing." said Li Shuxun, assistant general manager of Lanke High-tech. The company has established an integrated service model of "equipment R&D + engineering general contracting + full lifecycle operation and maintenance," breaking the limitations of single manufacturing. Its business covers multiple fields including petroleum, chemicals, electric power, shipbuilding, and new energy. Its products have been successfully applied in key engineering projects such as high-sulfur natural gas purification, thermal power flexibility transformation, and solar thermal energy storage. Its service network extends to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide.
To address the "bottleneck" issue in high-end energy equipment, Lanke High-tech, together with universities, formed a task force to break through core technologies such as dissimilar metal welding, ultra-large thin-wall forming, and extreme working condition simulation. This breaks free from foreign software and process blockades, achieving full independent control of multiple high-end equipment. These achievements have been applied in multiple solar thermal power projects both domestically and internationally. In terms of green manufacturing, the company is advancing energy-saving upgrades in production, upgrading systems for reclaimed water reuse and dust management, achieving compliant disposal of solid and hazardous waste, achieving low-carbon production processes and green product supply, and was awarded the title of "National Green Factory" in 2023.
Looking ahead, Lanke High-tech will focus on areas such as heat transfer and energy-saving technology, spherical tank and solar thermal energy storage technology, and oil-gas separation and treatment technology, continuously building a corporate image characterized by "advanced technology, high cost-effectiveness, superior product quality, and strong market reputation." (Staff reporter Tao Yibing, text/photos)