CNC machine tools are highly automated processing equipment with digital signal control at their core. Compared to leading overseas companies, Chinese CNC machine tool manufacturers started relatively late.
A Computer Numerical Control Machine Tool (CNC machine tool) is a highly automated processing equipment centered around digital signal control. It drives mechanical motion through pre-programmed instructions, achieving high-precision manufacturing of complex parts. Since the birth of the first three-axis CNC milling machine in 1952, this technology has gone through stages of electronic control and digitization and is now entering an intelligent development phase. Its core advantage lies in higher processing accuracy control and error compensation technology, ensuring positioning accuracy and part consistency. The typical structure includes a CNC device, servo system, machine tool body, and auxiliary devices. Five-axis linkage machining centers further significantly improve the efficiency of complex surface processing through multi-axis collaboration. In fields such as aerospace and automotive manufacturing, CNC machine tools, with their highly flexible production characteristics, can not only complete large cutting operations but also achieve continuous multi-process operations through the tool magazine system, greatly increasing the productivity of individual equipment.
China's CNC machine tools have generally gone through a development and initial stage before 2000, a period of rapid development from 2000 to 2012, a mature stage from 2012 to 2019, and a transformation phase since 2020. Currently, the CNC machine tool industry in China is gradually moving towards the rise of mid- to high-end domestic CNC machine tools, with new development stages characterized by rapid and high-precision CNC machine tools represented by Beijing Jingdiao, Haitian Precision Machinery, and Qianrui Strontium, gradually breaking the monopoly of overseas giants in the high-end CNC machine tool field.
With the evolution of numerical control technology towards full direct drive, the new generation of full direct drive CNC machine tools are breaking through the limitations of traditional transmission structures, achieving high-speed and high-precision numerical control machining.
With the evolution of numerical control technology towards full direct drive, a new generation of Full Direct-Drive CNC machines is breaking through the limitations of traditional transmission structures to achieve high-speed and high-precision numerical control machining.
Fully direct-drive CNC machine tools have achieved a leap in high-precision machining efficiency through revolutionary direct drive technology. The core lies in completely abandoning traditional mechanical transmission chains and adopting an architecture that directly couples the direct drive electric spindle with linear motors/torque motors. The direct drive electric spindle, with its characteristic of zero intermediate transmission loss, significantly increases the rotational speed compared to mechanical spindles. The feed axis, driven by linear motors, not only eliminates the backlash and elastic deformation of the ball screw system but also enhances the acceleration performance to 3-5 times that of traditional systems. To support this high-speed and high-precision motion characteristic, the supporting CNC system needs to possess super dynamic response capabilities: the computing speed must reach microsecond-level response and integrate multi-axis linkage path optimization algorithms. The core preprocessing module can real-time parse thousands to tens of thousands of segments of G-code. Through forward-looking acceleration and deceleration planning (Look-ahead) technology, it dynamically adjusts the motion parameters of each axis during complex trajectory machining. Combined with an error compensation model, it stabilizes the positioning accuracy at sub-micron levels. The deep integration of this "zero transmission" architecture with intelligent control systems enables the equipment to demonstrate breakthrough machining efficiency and surface quality consistency in scenarios such as aerospace complex surface machining and precision mold microstructure cutting.
Chart 1: Definition of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools
Data source: 'CNC Technology', International Metal Processing Network (https://www.mmsonline.com.cn/info/319895.shtml), edited and compiled by Frost & Sullivan
The application of direct drive technology in CNC machine tools began to develop in 1993, with industrialized developed countries such as Japan, Germany, and Italy taking the lead in applying direct drive technology to CNC machine tool fields. After 2000, the market awareness of CNC machine tools using linear motors and direct drive technology has been continuously increasing, and fully direct drive CNC machine tools have become an independent category for positioning high-end CNC machine tools. Since 2016, domestic enterprises such as Zhongrui Strontium, Zhengfeng CNC, and Jia Shite have started to vigorously develop fully direct drive CNC machine tools, promoting domestic substitution.
Chart 2: Development History of Fully Direct-Driven CNC Machine Tools in China and Globally
Data source: 'Current Application Status of Linear Motors in High-End CNC Machines', edited and compiled by Frost & Sullivan
Looking at the launch time of fully direct-drive machine tool products by representative global enterprises, machine tool companies in countries such as Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and Italy started commercializing fully direct-drive machine tools earlier, while China started slightly later. When foreign machine tool manufacturers generally began to promote and apply fully direct-drive machine tools in the market, China was still in the stage of joint research and development by universities, scientific research institutions, and enterprises, with few fully direct-drive machine tool products available for market use and commercial enterprises. For example, the Beijing Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (BIME) was transformed from the Beijing Mechanical and Electrical Research Institute, and Nantong Science and Technology established the Tsinghua University & Nantong Science and Technology CNC Machine Tool Technology Joint R&D Center in cooperation with Tsinghua University to conduct research and development on fully direct-drive machine tools. The marketization process of fully direct-drive machine tools in China lags behind that of foreign countries. Currently, Chinese fully direct-drive CNC machine tools still have certain gaps compared to foreign machine tool companies in terms of machining accuracy and speed, and there is great potential for future market growth and domestic substitution space.
Chart 3: First Launch Time of Full-Drive CNC Machine Tool Series by Major Chinese and Global Enterprises
Data source: 'Current Application Status of Linear Motors in High-End CNC Machines', official websites of various enterprises, compiled and edited by Frost & Sullivan
The domestic substitution of core components such as electric spindles and linear motors is one of the core trends in the development of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools.
Electric spindles and linear motors have small inertia, high rigidity, and fast response times, which are the foundation for achieving high-speed and high-precision machining with fully direct-drive CNC machine tools. As the core technical carrier of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools, the integrated design and direct drive characteristics of electric spindles play a decisive role in improving machine tool performance. By integrating the motor rotor with the spindle, electric spindles completely eliminate traditional mechanical transmission links such as belts and gears, allowing the spindle speed to exceed the mechanical coupling limit (some models can reach tens of thousands of revolutions per minute). At the same time, they achieve nanometer-level closed-loop control through built-in encoders, directly meeting the strict requirements of fully direct-drive machine tools for "zero transmission error." At present, some high-end electric spindles have achieved partial domestic substitution. Domestic manufacturers such as Haozhi Electromechanical, Bot Precision Engineering, and Luoyang Bearing can produce and supply high-power, high-precision, and high-rigidity series of electric spindle products. As the core drive technology of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools, the revolutionary significance of linear motors lies in completely reconstructing the dynamic architecture of machine tools. By eliminating the physical limitations of the traditional "rotary motor + ball screw" transmission chain, they achieve exponential leaps in machining performance. This technological breakthrough increases the dynamic stiffness of machine tools by 7 times, reducing the cumulative error of the transmission system by more than 90% in high-precision scenarios such as high-speed milling. At the same time, through wear-free characteristics, the accuracy life is extended by more than 30%. Linear motor modules developed by manufacturers such as Feichuang further increase the force density by 30-50%, and combined with permanent magnet synchronous technology (NdFeB material application), they break through traditional mechanical limitations in long-stroke machining, achieving infinite stroke expansion. Their deep integration with intelligent CNC systems enables multi-axis linkage trajectory errors to be controlled within ±1 μm through microsecond-level response control and thousands of program segment preprocessing capabilities, providing technical support for ultra-precision machining of complex aerospace surfaces and optical device microstructures. At present, some high-precision linear motors have achieved partial domestic substitution. Foreign manufacturers of linear motors include Yaskawa, Sartorius, etc., while domestic manufacturers include Dazhou Electric Machinery, Yipai Direct Drive, etc.
In addition, all direct-drive CNC machine tools have high requirements for rigidity. Most products use mineral castings as bed material to improve rigidity and load-bearing capacity. Mineral castings are synthesized at room temperature, with low residual stress concentration inside and high forming accuracy. The vibration resistance of mineral castings is 10 times higher than that of cast iron, with thermal conductivity about 1/20th that of cast iron, and they are highly corrosion-resistant. They are one of the main bed materials for all direct-drive CNC machine tools. Some domestic substitution of mineral castings has been achieved. Domestic manufacturers such as Gaoding New Materials and Mengding New Materials can now independently produce mineral castings for CNC machine tools.
Overall, some core components and raw materials for fully direct-drive CNC machine tools have achieved domestic substitution.
Chart 4: Current Development Status and Domestic Substitution of Key Components in Fully Direct-Driven CNC Machine Tools
Data source: 'Application and Prospects of Mineral Castings Materials in Machine Tools', Electronics Fanatics, edited and compiled by Frost & Sullivan
The fully direct-drive CNC machine tool has excellent high-speed and high-precision machining capabilities. It has broad application prospects in high-end manufacturing industries such as consumer electronics, precision molds, aerospace, and medical devices, and is also the core driving factor for its development.
The application of direct drive motors and their drive control technology has brought about significant changes in the transmission structure of fully direct drive CNC machines, fundamentally solving dynamic error-related issues such as elastic deformation, backlash, and motion lag. Fully direct drive CNC machines exhibit excellent performance in high-speed and high-precision machining.
High-end manufacturing industries are characterized by high product added value and technical barriers, with high-speed and precision machining capabilities being one of their core competencies. Components for high-end manufacturing sectors such as consumer electronics like smartphones and laptops, precision molds such as die-casting molds and injection molds all require high-speed and precision machining. The development of high-end manufacturing represented by consumer electronics is positive, with the demand for fully direct-drive CNC machine tools continuing to grow. The consumer electronics industry, in order to increase product added value and performance, has continuously raised requirements for the precision and surface quality of components such as laptop casings and mobile phone frames. The production cycle of consumer electronics products is relatively tight, with high demands for machining precision and speed, requiring the processing of a large number of high-precision workpieces in a short time. Consumer electronics products need to improve machining efficiency while ensuring dimensional accuracy and surface finish, requiring the high-speed and precision machining capabilities of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools. In 2022, the market scale of consumer electronics in China was 1864.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.0%. It is expected that in 2023, the market scale of consumer electronics in China will reach 1948.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%. The growth of China's consumer electronics industry will drive the demand for high-speed and precision machining, thereby promoting the growth of the fully direct-drive CNC machine tool industry.
Foreign brands occupy most of the market share for fully direct-drive CNC machine tools in China. With national policy support and manufacturing transformation, the competitiveness of leading domestic enterprises such as Zhongrui Sistrum has continued to strengthen, and partial domestic substitution has been achieved.
The competitive landscape of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools in China exhibits a significant 'external strength, internal advancement' characteristic. International leading enterprises such as Murata and Yaskawa from Japan have built a solid barrier in the field of high-end fully direct-drive machining centers through decades of technical accumulation. The core competitiveness of these overseas brands is reflected in their precision motion control algorithms, high-dynamic-response direct-drive motor technology, and the maturity of multi-axis collaborative control systems. Their products have significant advantages in terms of high-speed machining stability, nanometer-level positioning accuracy, and the ability to machine complex surfaces. Especially in fields such as aerospace and precision molds, which have strict requirements for machining accuracy and reliability, international brands have formed an ecological technology moat from hardware to software through modular design concepts and a full lifecycle service system.
Japan's Makino and Yasda's global leadership in the field of fully direct-drive CNC machine tools stems from their deep integration of technical accumulation, process philosophy, and market strategy. Makino takes 'ultra-precision machining systems' as its core competitiveness, and through decades of intensive research on linear motor drive, thermal deformation compensation, and multi-axis linkage control technologies, it has built a foundational technical ecosystem for fully direct-drive machine tools. Its core advantage lies in highly synergizing mechanical rigidity, dynamic response, and software algorithms. For example, through its self-developed intelligent vibration suppression system, it achieves nanometer-level surface precision during high-speed machining, while also elevating equipment lifespan and stability to industry benchmark levels. This technical integration capability has formed a technological barrier for them in ultra-precision machining scenarios such as aerospace complex components and optical molds, with extremely strong customer loyalty.
Yaskawa has established its advantage with 'extreme craftsmanship heritage' and 'customized engineering capabilities'. Its fully direct-drive machine tools are designed with 'zero transmission error' as their concept, innovating key components at the material science level. For example, by using special alloy bases and self-lubricating guide rail systems, combined with a unique gravity compensation algorithm, they achieve a precision retention period of up to ten years in micron-level machining. More importantly, Yaskawa has built a closed-loop innovation system of 'demand-research-development-validation', forming joint development mechanisms with semiconductor equipment manufacturers and precision medical device enterprises, ensuring that product iterations are always ahead of market demand. This deep integration into the high-end industrial chain ecosystem strategy has created an impenetrable moat of solutions in cutting-edge fields.
At present, although international brands still dominate the overall market, their technological gap advantage is narrowing. Domestic enterprises have made local breakthroughs in key areas through the strategy of "technology iteration + ecological co-construction": in special scenarios such as high-speed engraving and milling, and composite material processing, domestic fully direct-drive systems have achieved import substitution; in the integration of intelligent production lines, local enterprises have gradually built an independent technical system including CNC systems, servo drives, and industrial software, leveraging their rapid response capabilities and cost advantages. With the acceleration of the intelligent transformation of manufacturing, domestic fully direct-drive technology is evolving from "usable" to "useful," laying the foundation for comprehensively breaking foreign technical monopolies.
Representative domestic full direct-drive CNC machine tool manufacturers mainly include Qianruizhong, Beijing Jingdiao, Beiping Machine Tool, Jia Shite, Jugang Precision Machinery, Jack Machine Tool, etc. In 2024, Qianruizhong ranked first among domestic manufacturers in terms of sales volume.
The market competition landscape of China's fully direct-drive CNC machine tool industry exhibits clear stratification. In the high-end sector, a few enterprises with core self-developed capabilities build moats through technical barriers, while in the mid- and low-end markets, there are numerous followers that rely on imported core components. The focus of industry competition has shifted from single equipment performance to 'technical ecosystem integration capabilities,' that is, whether they can achieve collaborative innovation among CNC systems, drive units, and machine tools themselves, and provide full-chain solutions for strategic industries such as aerospace and new energy vehicles. Against this backdrop, enterprises with vertical integration capabilities are gradually taking the dominant position, and their core competitiveness is not only reflected in hardware parameters but also lies in their deep understanding of processing technology and their ability to define industry standards. In the current context, Zhongrui Strontium has taken the leading position among domestic enterprises in the market due to its unique technical capabilities and sales channels.
Guangdong Zhongrui Strontium CNC Technology Co., Ltd. was established on March 22, 2016. Since its inception, the company has always maintained the philosophy of "keeping pace with the times, pioneering innovation, and continuously striving forward." It engages in the research, development, production, and sales of CNC machine tools and CNC systems, gradually becoming a leading new company in CNC machine tool technology and equipment. The company has always adhered to the corporate tenet of "service above all else, quality first, continuous innovation, and honesty and trustworthiness," dedicated to solving problems for customers with utmost care and responsibility, and has formed a complete one-stop service system including design, production, commissioning, training, and maintenance. The company mainly engages in the research, development, production, and sales of CNC machine tools, as well as on-site repair services and technical consultations for machine tools. Zhongrui Strontium takes the concept of innovative development as its driving force for progress and has successively obtained multiple patent certificates, the Second Prize in Science and Technology by the Guangdong Mechanical Engineering Society, the Second Prize in Science and Technology by the Guangdong Machinery Industry, the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, National High-tech Enterprise, the Second Prize in Science and Technology by the China Machinery Industry, etc.
Beiping Machine Tool (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. is a national specialized and innovative small giant enterprise and a high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and manufacturing of high-end intelligent equipment such as five-axis CNC tool grinders, vertical & horizontal CNC internal & external cylindrical grinders, and industrial robots. It undertakes the research and manufacturing of high-end five-axis grinders and the high-quality development project of industrial mother machines under major national science and technology projects. Beiping Machine Tool's five-axis CNC tool grinders, industrial robots, core functional components of high-precision machine tools, and related grinding products serve a large number of industries such as aerospace, automotive, precision cutting tools, and are an enterprise in the manufacturing of five-axis CNC grinders that can replace imports with domestic high-end intelligent grinding equipment and maintain core technologies independently. Beiping Machine Tool independently develops machine tool manufacturing mother machines, while introducing advanced equipment and testing instruments such as MAZAK and ZOLLER. Relying on years of experience in machine tool application and precision parts manufacturing processes, it collaborates with German technical teams for innovation and always keeps developing in sync with the forefront grinding technology in Europe. Five-axis CNC grinders are assembled and produced by well-known enterprises in the 3C, aviation, automotive, and cutting tool industries such as AVIC Industry Group, Zhongtung High-tech, Zhuzhou Diamond, Foxconn, Sandvik, and Sumitomo Electric. Beiping's precision grinding technology solutions are widely applied in the tool industry clusters of the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta.
The CATO Jugang brand was founded in 2006 and is a national high-tech enterprise focusing on the research, development, manufacturing, sales, service, and talent strategy of high-end CNC equipment. The headquarters is located in Dongguan, a world-famous manufacturing city, with a total construction area of about 50,000 square meters. With its strong technical strength and brand competitiveness, Jugang Precision Engineering has received honors such as national-level "Little Giant" for specialized expertise and innovation, "Guangdong Province Private Science and Technology Enterprise," "Guangdong Province Famous Brand Product," "Guangdong Province High-tech Product," and "CNC First Generation Demonstration Product." The company has developed and produced a total of 20 major series and over 130 models of intelligent high-end five-axis machine tools, including five-axis horizontal rocking head machining centers and five-axis fixed-beam gantry machining centers, for industries such as automotive, 3C, aerospace, and medical devices, and has received widespread praise from industry users.
Jiangxi Jia Shite Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. is located within the Xiaolan Economic Development Zone and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiangxi Jia Shite CNC Co., Ltd. Established in 2013, it is a national high-tech enterprise integrating the design, manufacturing, sales, and service of high-end precision CNC machine tools and automated flexible production lines. In 2019, its independently developed S series of high-speed and high-precision vertical machining centers were included in the "Catalogue of First (Set) Major Technical Equipment Promotion and Application in Jiangxi Province." The W series of high-speed and high-precision vertical machining centers were listed in the "Top Ten List of Independent Innovation" by the China Machine Tool & Tool Industry Association for the year 2020. In 2021, Jia Shite's linear motor CNC machine tools were selected for the first "Gan Province's Fine Products" list. In 2022, it was awarded as a specialized, refined, characteristic, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprise and high-tech enterprise in Jiangxi Province and included in the "Recommendation Catalogue of Famous and High-quality Innovative Products in Nanchang City for the Year 2022." In 2023, Jia Shite's "SF260 Small Five-Axis Vertical High-Speed Milling Machine" won the Chunyan Award at the CCMT2024 China CNC Machine Tool Exhibition.
Overall, in terms of sales statistics, Zhenrui Strontium ranked first among domestic manufacturers in the Chinese all-electric CNC machine tool industry for 2024.
Chart 5: Domestic Enterprise Market Ranking of Full-Drive CNC Machine Tools in China for 2024
Data source: Expert interviews and compilation by Frost & Sullivan editors
