In the past, during tunnel shield construction, replacing the cutter head of the shield machine due to wear and tear has always been a high-risk and difficult manual task, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and poses safety hazards. Now, this construction problem has been solved with a new solution, and tunnel construction has officially bid farewell to the era of manual high-risk tool replacement.

Embark on the era of unmanned knife replacement

On June 25, 2026, China's first heavy-duty intelligent shield machine tool changing robot was released to the public in Xiamen. This device has completed two rounds of research and development optimization for both the principle prototype and the engineering prototype, and has now been installed on the Xiamen Jinxing shield machine in the Huandao Road Tunnel of the Xiamen section of the Xiamen Jinxing Bridge. This is also the first time that a domestic tool changing robot has landed in a large-scale shield tunneling project in China, representing the official start of a new stage of robot unmanned tool changing in the construction of large-diameter shield tunnels in China.

All core technologies are self-developed

The intelligent tool changing robot is like a specialized robot doctor for shield tunneling tools, responsible for replacing parts for heavy-duty shield tunneling tools. The device is equipped with 11 movable joints that can be independently controlled, with sensitive obstacle avoidance and precise operation; The maximum load-bearing capacity is 500 kilograms, the body can be flexibly extended, and it is compatible with all super large diameter shield cutterheads ranging from 10 to 18 meters. It can stably grasp and replace heavy-duty rolling cutters. All robot software and hardware are locally manufactured, with complete independent intellectual property rights. We have obtained 38 invention patents and 7 software copyrights.

We are about to commence tunnel excavation

Academician Qian Qihu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering commented that this tool changing robot significantly improves construction safety and efficiency, reduces construction costs, opens up a new path for the independent, intelligent, and unmanned development of transportation engineering equipment in China, and lays the foundation for mass promotion. Keywords: robots, intelligent construction, high-tech

At present, the robot has completed complete machine debugging on the 16 meter Xiamen Jinhao, and all operating parameters meet the standards. The Xiamen Gold project plans to start the excavation of the left tunnel at the end of June, and the intelligent tool changing robot will fully escort the safe and rapid construction of the tunnel. Xiamen has released the first domestically produced heavy-duty shield tunneling machine tool changing robot, which will soon assist in the unmanned and safe excavation of the Xiamen Tianjin Tunnel.Editor/Gong Ziwei