Company News

I. Focus on the research and development of wear-resistant steel balls: Build product barriers through technological innovation 1. Concentrate on material science and process optimization The core competitiveness of wear-resistant steel balls lies in their wear resistance, toughness, and cost-effectiveness. This requires a dual-driven research approach, combining material formulation and production processes. Material Research: Based on the specific operating conditions of different application scenarios (such as mines, cement, and power coal mills), develop customized material systems. For instance, by adjusting the proportions of alloy elements such as chromium, manganese, and molybdenum, optimize the metallographic structure (such as a martensite + bainite composite structure), balance hardness (HRC 55-65) with impact toughness (≥12J/cm²), and address the pain points of traditional steel balls being "hard but brittle" or "having good toughness but poor wear resistance". Process Innovation: Introduce advanced processes such as centrifugal casting, integrated forging + heat treatment, and isothermal quenching to enhance the density and uniformity of steel balls. At the same time, explore intelligent production technologies (such as AI-controlled quenching temperature and 3D-printed molds) to shorten the research and development cycle and reduce trial-and-error costs. 2. Establish a collaborative innovation mechanism involving industry, academia, and research institutions Collaborate with material colleges of universities such as Shandong University and Jinan University to jointly establish the "Wear-resistant Materials Joint Laboratory", focusing on fundamental research on the fatigue life and wear mechanism of wear-resistant steel balls, and quickly converting laboratory results into mass production technologies. In response to export market demands (such as the requirements for environmental protection and low noise in European and American mines), jointly develop green products such as low-chromium alloy steel balls and recyclable steel balls with overseas research institutions, and lay out international technical standards in advance.

Intelligent Manufacturing Upgrades To promote high-quality industrial development, Ningyang County leads with the digital economy and vigorously promotes the digital transformation of the steel ball industry. A local investment of 15 million yuan has been made to build the "Steel Ball Industry Brain," using technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things to construct three major systems: digital empowerment, intelligent operation, and industrial ecology, achieving rapid order response and efficient production organization. At the same time, service providers such as CITIC Cloud Network and Inspur Industry have been introduced, launching the "Cloud Connected Steel Balls" digital economy headquarters project, creating a dedicated "Industrial Taobao," opening up raw material procurement and product sales channels, and helping enterprises "buy globally and sell globally." In addition, the region has built the first fully intelligent digital production line in China, and newly installed AGV intelligent logistics and WMS intelligent warehousing systems. This can save 6 million yuan in labor and handling costs annually.

Forged balls, as the core product of wear-resistant materials, are widely used in grinding equipment in fields such as mining, metallurgy, and building materials. Jinan Haoyang Casting and Forging Co., Ltd. has been deeply engaged in the field of forged steel balls for over a decade. By optimizing the "heating - forging - heat treatment" process chain, the hardness and wear resistance of the steel balls have been enhanced. The product lifespan is significantly longer than that of ordinary cast steel balls, and the products are exported to overseas markets such as the United States. The company takes advantage of the manufacturing cluster advantages in Zhangqiu District to form an "production + trade" integrated model, covering the entire industrial chain of castings, forgings, and metallurgical furnace materials. As a high-tech enterprise, its forged steel balls have formed competitiveness in fields such as mining machinery and automotive parts due to their wear resistance and stability. It also strengthens logistics efficiency through its transportation location advantages (adjacent to Jiqing Expressway and Jinan Yaoqiang Airport). In the future, the enterprise will continue to explore alloy composition optimization and green manufacturing technologies to drive the expansion of the global wear-resistant material market through technological innovation.

In 2025, the performance breakthrough of the forged steel balls produced by Haoyang in Jinan, Shandong Province, is not only a model of the integration of materials science and intelligent manufacturing technology, but also marks a crucial leap for China's forging industry from "scale expansion" to "quality leadership". The industrialization implementation of its technological achievements will reshape the global wear-resistant material market landscape, provide core foundation components support for the high-end equipment manufacturing industry, and demonstrate significant economic value and strategic significance.

Forged steel balls and cast balls are two of the core media in the industrial grinding field, and their processes and performance differ significantly. Forged steel balls are made of low-carbon alloys, high-manganese steel, or rare earth chromium-molybdenum alloys, and are formed through heating and forging. They have the characteristics of smooth surfaces, strong impact resistance, and high toughness, with a breakage rate of less than 1%. They have excellent wear resistance and are particularly suitable for wet grinding environments in mines and power plants. Their prices are economical and are widely adopted by international giants such as Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Cast balls are made from low-chromium, medium-chromium, or high-chromium cast iron and are formed by pouring. Although high-chromium cast balls have high hardness (HRC 60+) and excellent wear resistance, their toughness is poor. Balls with a diameter over 3 meters are prone to cracking in ball mills, and their costs are higher. They are mostly used in dry ball mills in the cement industry. The core difference between the two lies in: The forging process optimizes the metal flow structure, and the anti-cracking performance of forged steel balls is 5-10 times that of cast balls. However, cast balls rely on increasing chromium content to enhance wear resistance, but at the expense of corrosion resistance. When selecting, it is necessary to consider the working conditions (dry/wet grinding, equipment scale), cost, and performance requirements. For example, large mines prefer forged steel balls, while cement plants tend to use high-chromium cast balls.

Jinan Haoyang Casting and Forging Co., Ltd. specializes in the research, development and production of castings, forgings and steel balls. It is a high-tech enterprise in the industry. Its core product, forged steel balls, is made of B2/B3 materials from mine forging and hot rolling steel, featuring wear resistance and anti-cracking properties. They are widely used in cement plants, power plants, mineral processing and other fields. The company relies on advanced casting and forging equipment and ISO9001:2000 quality system certification to ensure stable product quality. The products are not only popular in the domestic market but also exported to the United States. With convenient transportation (close to Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport and multiple highways) and long-term order advantages, it gradually expands the global market. Currently, the company's registered capital is 10 million yuan, with 4 insured personnel. It continues to adhere to the principle of "customer first" to promote technological upgrading and service optimization in the industry. Let's rephrase this summary.

Summary of Challenges and Development Opportunities in the Forged Steel Ball Industry Currently, the forged steel ball industry is under the dual pressures of intense market competition and fluctuating demand. Small and medium-sized mines have reduced production due to environmental protection and the industry's downturn, resulting in a decline in steel ball demand. Large enterprises have lowered prices in bidding and procurement, and the accumulation of inventory by some enterprises has pushed the industry into a price war quagmire. In the next two years, there may be a wave of business closures or transformation among enterprises. To break through the predicament, enterprises have taken multiple measures: First, they have established joint ventures with large mines to optimize resource collaboration; second, they have laid out forging and hot rolling production lines in steel mills to expand high-value-added products; third, they have enhanced competitiveness through technological innovation, such as Guangping County Steel Nu New Materials Company developing an intelligent production line, which has increased production efficiency by 1.5 times, and has collaborated with several universities to develop wear-resistant new materials. It is expected to launch new energy-saving and consumption-reducing products in September. Furthermore, the enterprise is actively expanding its overseas market. The export proportion of Shangnu Company's products reaches 85%, covering more than 20 countries. This year, it has received orders from countries such as Chile and Poland, and the production schedule is extended until the end of June. Despite the severe challenges in the industry, through technological upgrading, cooperation transformation and international layout, the forging steel ball industry is expected to achieve high-quality development.

The Qingdao Mineral Expo is a significant exhibition related to the mining industry, where numerous enterprises usually showcase their products, technologies, and engage in business negotiations. If Jinan Haoyang Casting and Forging participates, its performance may be influenced by various factors such as the innovativeness and quality of the displayed products, the business negotiation capabilities of the enterprise, and the promotional efforts. If you want to know the subsequent developments, you can pay attention to the official information of the exhibition, industry media reports, and the enterprise's own updates.

【Jinan Haoyang Forging and Casting Deepens Cooperation with Chile's CODELCO】On June 30th, the technical team of Chile's CODELCO visited Jinan Haoyang Forging and Casting, focusing on inspecting its fully automated forging workshop and quality inspection system, and observing the entire production process of 5.5-inch high wear-resistant steel balls in real time. During the meeting, Haoyang showcased cases exported to over 20 countries and its B2-level special alloy steel ball technology. Its HRC62 hardness and 1% breakage rate indicators were recognized by the foreign party. Based on the fulfillment of a 2,000-ton order, the two parties signed the "Strategic Supplier Framework Agreement". Haoyang will customize a full series of 3-6-inch forged steel balls for CODELCO's expansion project in 2026, with an estimated annual supply volume of 150,000 tons. General Manager Zhang Hua of Haoyang disclosed that the company is leveraging the geographical advantages of Zhangqiu District to build a bonded warehouse and plans to achieve direct delivery of 72-hour global urgent orders. As an enterprise deeply engaged in wear-resistant materials for 18 years, Haoyang has 12 forging production lines, with an annual capacity of 80,000 tons. Its products have passed SGS and ISO9001 certifications and serve international projects such as Chile's national copper mines and Australia's FMG.

Jinan Haoyang Forging & Casting Co., Ltd., as a benchmark enterprise in the field of wear-resistant materials in China, has been deeply engaged in the industry for over 50 years. It focuses on the research and production of high-chromium alloy forging balls. The product diameters range from 20 to 150 mm, with uniform hardness gradient (core-to-surface difference ≤ 2HRC), a crushing rate of less than 1%, and a wear resistance that is 30% higher than that of cast balls. The energy-saving efficiency reaches 15%-20%, and it complies with the ISO14001 environmental protection standard. The company's annual production capacity is 50,000 tons. Its products are exported to over 20 countries, generating over 6 million US dollars in annual foreign exchange earnings. In the future, it plans to invest 50 million yuan to expand the intelligent production line, introduce an automated detection system, and increase the production capacity to 100,000 tons. It will also collaborate with universities to develop special alloy steel balls, focusing on expanding the high-end market in Europe and continuously leading in technological innovation and green manufacturing of wear-resistant materials.