Deep underground in S ã o Paulo, Brazil, a giant shield tunneling machine from China slowly started and advanced towards Guarulhos. This equipment, which breaks the record for excavation diameter in South America, injects strong momentum into local subway construction and adds another vivid touch to China's intelligent manufacturing footprint overseas.

Tailored to break records

On October 16, 2026, at 10:00 local time in Brazil, the government of S ã o Paulo State launched the excavation construction of the second section of the extension of the Green Line of Metro Line 2. The Hebe Camargo, a large-diameter dual-mode shield machine developed by China Railway Equipment, successfully started and excavated from the Pe ñ a area towards Guarulhos. In response to the geological characteristics of the Green Extension Project of Line 2 and the construction habits of Brazilian customers, China Railway Equipment has tailored the Hebe Camargo with an excavation diameter of 11.67 meters, which once again breaks the record for excavation diameter of shield tunneling machines in South America. The excavation section is about 6.5 kilometers long, and the shield machine will pass through five stations in sequence. The geological conditions along the line are complex, and the maximum uniaxial compressive strength of the rock in the section is about 200 megapascals, which puts extremely high demands on the equipment's excavation capacity and reliability. For this reason, Hebe Camargo adopts a dual-mode design of soil pressure balance and open type, which can flexibly switch between soft soil and hard rock conditions, and can handle composite formations with both soft and hard conditions with ease. Keywords: dual-mode shield tunneling machine, China's intelligent manufacturing going global

Dual machine collaborative acceleration construction

Hebe Camargo is the second large-diameter shield tunneling machine delivered by China Railway Equipment for the Line 2 project. The previously delivered Cora Coralina is currently excavating in the southern section of the same line, with a maximum daily excavation length of 28.5 meters during construction, which has received high praise from customers and accumulated valuable experience for the smooth launch of Hebe Camargo. In the future, with the coordinated operation of two shield tunneling machines, the construction progress of Line 2 East Extension Project will significantly accelerate, providing strong support for alleviating local traffic pressure and promoting regional economic development. It will also become another dynamic practice of China's intelligent manufacturing services for global urban construction.Editor/Min Jing