MCC Hydraulic Press: C919 “Forger”

MCC Heavy Industry’s 400 MN hydraulic die-forging press, the world’s largest single-cylinder winding precision forging press, is the forger of key components for the China-made C919 large aircraft, providing core support for the production of the C919’s landing gear and large fuselage structures. While traditional multi-cylinder hydraulic presses are limited in forging precision and fuselage rigidity, this hydraulic press utilizes a “single-cylinder + prestressed steel wire winding” structure, increasing fuselage rigidity by 30%. With forging precision controlled to 0.1 mm, it can process large forgings with a maximum diameter of 3.5 meters and a weight of 50 tons. The C919 landing gear forging production process begins with heating the aviation-grade high-strength alloy billet to 1200°C. The hydraulic press then repeatedly forges at a pressure of 400 MN (equivalent to the weight of a 40,000-ton weight), refining the metal’s internal grain size and significantly improving its strength and toughness. After forging, the “intelligent controlled cooling system” slowly cools the forging at a rate of 5°C/minute to prevent cracks caused by large temperature differences. Previously, large aviation forgings in my country had to be imported from abroad, resulting in high costs and lead times of up to six months. The commissioning of this hydraulic press has shortened production cycles to two months, reducing costs by 40%. This has completely ended my country’s dependence on imports for large aerospace forgings and laid a solid foundation for the mass production of large aircraft in China.