CIMT 2025: Seizing the Growth Opportunities of Smart Manufacturing
In-Depth Analysis of the Industrial Machine Tool Revolution from Eight Major Trends
After two years of industry struggles, environmental fluctuations, and the collision and integration of new technologies with traditional manufacturing methods, the manufacturing sector—both in China and globally—is undergoing profound changes. One of the world’s four major machine tool exhibitions—the 19th China International Machine Tool Show (CIMT 2025)—will soon be held.
CIMT (China International Machine Tool Show) is one of the world’s four major international machine tool exhibitions, on par with EMO (Europe), IMTS (USA), and JIMTOF (Japan).
CIMT 2025 spans 310,000 square meters—about double the size of CIMT 2023—with around 2,400 exhibitors from over 30 countries, setting a new historical record.
Through on-site research, We found that China's machine tool sector is undergoing two major structural leaps:
These two main trends intertwine through the scaling of domestic five-axis systems, integrated forming, linear motor drives, and hybrid processing solutions—ushering the industry into an era defined by “precision and energy efficiency.”
#Trend 1:
Domestic Five-Axis Machines Achieving Scalability
With surging demand for complex parts in aerospace, new energy vehicles, and other industries, domestic five-axis machines are gradually breaking foreign monopolies due to their high cost-effectiveness, customized services, and self-controlled supply chains. Shanghai Topcon’s Phantom series, Dalian Kede’s KMC series, Evermi’s GMU series, and Beijing Jingdiao’s JDGR series are already in mass production for aerospace and precision mold sectors, even being exported back to Germany and Japan.
At CIMT 2025, MIR Industrial analysts observed a growing presence of domestic five-axis machines from brands like Shandong Haomai, Huanghu, Gree, Hangzhou Huile, and others.
Topcon CNC launched its Phantom series gantry five-axis machines and Kunpeng series, including ultra-high-precision and high-speed models. The Phantom Family includes the ultra-high precision GMB-G series, ultra-high-speed GMB-B series, and ultra-large span GMB-L series—all using carbon fiber composite moving parts, weighing only 25%-50% of traditional steel structures.
Gree presented its self-developed high-speed dual five-axis gantry machining center, the GA-FMB3020D, delivered to global auto parts leader Guangdong Hongtu Technology.
Hangzhou Huile showcased the U5-800 five-axis machining center with micron-level precision and high-speed capabilities，featuring a 1200/1450/1000mm XYZ travel, ±140° A-axis and full-rotation C-axis, 12,000 rpm spindle, 80m/min rapid traverse, and a maximum table load of 3000kg.
#Trend 2:
Moving from “Multi-Process Splicing” to “Integrated Forming”
As the demand for lightweight and cost-effective components in new energy vehicles grows, integrated die-casting technology has emerged as a key reshaping force in automotive manufacturing. By consolidating hundreds of traditional stamped parts into a single die-cast piece, production cycles are shortened, and the time for manufacturing body components is reduced from hours to minutes.
Mazak debuted its new integrated die-casting manufacturing process, the FF1250HL, designed for large parts in new energy vehicles, featuring multi-face machining capabilities and a high-speed, five-axis rotary table.
At CIMT 2025:
#Trend 3:
Linear Motor Drive Technology Rewriting the Standard for High-Speed, High-Precision Processing
Linear motor drive technology is disrupting traditional ball screw and gear-rack systems. By eliminating inherent flaws such as backlash and friction loss, linear motors boost machine tool dynamic response by over 50%, achieving positioning accuracy of ±0.001mm and extending maintenance-free lifespans to 100,000 hours.
At CIMT 2025:
#Trend 4:
Foreign Brands Strengthen Localization in China
To meet China's demand for fast response, cost control, and regulatory compliance, over 60% of foreign machine tool brands have established R&D centers or factories locally.
#Trend 5:
Composite Processing Technology Enabling Full-Process Integration
Composite machine tools—capable of multiple processes on one machine—were a major highlight, offering fewer setups, higher efficiency, lower errors, and space savings, ideal for aerospace and EV small-batch complex parts.
Exhibitors included:
Recommended by LinkedIn
#Trend 6:
Deep Integration of Intelligence and Digitalization
Manufacturing is shifting from simple device upgrades to full-chain "perception-decision-execution" systems, breaking traditional experience dependencies and enabling systemic improvements in precision, efficiency, and stability.
#Trend 7:
Core Strategy of Sustainability—Energy Efficiency and Green Manufacturing
"Green manufacturing" is now a core mission, with the industry targeting energy, material, and emission reductions.
#Trend 8:
Moving from “Single Machine Delivery” to “Turnkey Solutions”
Multiple exhibitors presented automated production lines and turnkey solutions to meet urgent demands for efficient, flexible, zero-defect manufacturing, especially for EV and aerospace sectors.
Postscript
China’s machine tool industry is undergoing a quiet revolution. As the global manufacturing landscape shifts in ways unseen in over a century, this trillion-yuan sector—once dismissed as “big but not strong”—is rapidly transforming its industrial structure at an astonishing pace. Known as the “mother machines” of industry, machine tools have long been a source of concern. Though the industry boasts a trillion-yuan output, its profit margin has lingered at a mere 2.5%.
From the aging industrial base in Northeast China to the vibrant private sector in the Yangtze River Delta, from five-axis machining centers to precision coordinate boring machines, a decisive battle is underway—one that will determine the future of China’s industrial lifeblood.
I. Crisis and Breakthrough: The Crucible Before Dawn
The predicament of China’s machine tool sector is like a prism, refracting the deeper contradictions in the country’s manufacturing upgrade. Amid a dense forest of 16,000 companies, the industry's 2.5% profit margin highlights severe structural flaws: a chaotic low-end market, weak mid-tier competitiveness, and lost ground in high-end technologies. The rise and fall of Shenyang Machine Tool encapsulates this struggle. Once the world’s top machine tool maker, the company peaked at RMB 18 billion in revenue in 2011, only to tumble into decline. Though it has since clawed back to around RMB 3 billion, it is still in search of a sustainable path forward.
A turning point came in 2019, when China’s machine tool industry posted its first trade surplus. By 2024, this surplus had ballooned to $5 billion, signaling a qualitative leap: for every $100 million of imports, China exported $200 million worth of equipment. These numbers point to three key drivers: technological breakthroughs in aerospace, new energy vehicles, and precision molds; a surge in domestically produced five-axis machines; and a burst of innovation from private enterprises.
Shenyang Machine Tool’s comeback offers valuable insight. Its gantry machines benchmark against Japan’s Okuma, while its turn-mill machines rival Austria’s WFL, making breakthroughs in aircraft engine blade machining. This “state-guided + user-driven” model has disrupted the old state-owned siloed development approach. Technical feedback from end users like Linghang Aviation and Chengdu Aircraft Industry has pushed R&D out of the lab and into real-world applications, validating the industry truth: “Good machine tools are made through use.”
II. Technological Singularity: The Breakthrough Battle in Five-Axis Machining
The five-axis machining center breakthrough is nothing short of China’s “Huaihai Campaign” in the machine tool industry. At the 2025 CIMT exhibition in Beijing, over 400 five-axis machines were showcased—eight times more than just two years ago—highlighting diversified technological routes. Dalian Kede’s “rotary turret” strategy is particularly notable: its integrally bladed rotor machines benchmark Swiss Starrag, its rotor blade tip grinders challenge Spain’s Danobat, and its turn-mill centers directly compete with Austria’s WFL. This precise segmentation of niche markets demonstrates China’s growing tactical acumen.
A revolution in direct-drive technology is rewriting the rules. Shanghai APAS has leveraged linear motors to enable heavy-duty cutting, bringing the cost of direct-drive five-axis machines down to RMB 2 million, directly challenging the dominance of German brands like HERMLE and Mikron. This “leapfrog strategy” bypasses traditional mechanical transmission and its entrenched patent barriers, setting new standards in response speed and machining accuracy. Much like how digital cameras displaced film, direct-drive could spark a paradigm shift in the machine tool industry.
Private enterprises are leading with cross-industry innovation. Jingdiao Technology entered the five-axis space from engraving machines, Haomai Group pivoted from being a machine tool user to an OEM, and APAS expanded from linear motors to full-scale equipment. These unconventional players bring with them the rapid-iteration mindset of the internet age, compressing product development cycles to three years per generation. While their German counterparts pride themselves on a century of craftsmanship, China’s newcomers are carving out market share through “rapid trial-and-error and continuous iteration.”
III. Rebuilding the Ecosystem: Supply Chain Awakening and Feedback
The explosive growth of new energy vehicles has injected new momentum into the machine tool sector. JuGang Precision’s direct-drive five-axis centers have carved out a niche in Tesla’s integrated die-casting part machining. Zhejiang Tuoman’s gear machines are beginning to supplant Swiss Reishauer in EV drivetrain applications. At the heart of this transformation is a paradigm shift—from processing 30,000 individual parts to 500 integrated components—driving demand for large, complex, and high-precision equipment.
The supply chain is undergoing a qualitative co-evolution. Beijing Eberg’s five-axis head, priced at RMB 800,000, is challenging Germany’s Kessler; domestic ball screws and guide rails are now being OEMed for Bosch Rexroth; and Haozhi spindles command a 70% share of the domestic market. This “onion-peeling” model of technological penetration is breaking through layer by layer—from complete machines to core components. Yantai Eddie’s leap from construction machinery to machine tool components reflects a uniquely Chinese trait: a “cross-industry gene” that thrives wherever technological barriers exist.
The decline of Taiwan’s machine tool industry is a cautionary tale. Once dominant in critical components like turrets and rotary tables, many Taiwanese firms are faltering under the onslaught of the direct-drive revolution. The root cause lies in the lack of feedback from high-end users in sectors like automotive and aerospace, and a gap in basic research. In contrast, mainland efforts like the collaboration between the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and German institutes, or Shenzhen Gielandin’s industrial big data platforms, are laying the foundation for a deeply integrated innovation ecosystem linking industry, academia, and research.
IV. The Unfinished Battle: The Final Stretch to the Industrial Crown
The CNC system remains the toughest nut to crack. Companies like Dalian Guangyang and Guangzhou CNC have made inroads in specific segments, but the high-end market is still dominated by Siemens and Fanuc. This reflects a deeper shortfall in industrial software: breakthroughs in control algorithms, motion planning, and other core technologies require the tempering of millions of machines in real-world conditions. Just as the chip industry demands a co-built ecosystem, CNC’s breakthrough will require joint efforts from OEMs, users, and research institutes.
The fog around basic research must also be lifted. The secret behind Switzerland’s Schaublin lathes that require no scraping, or Japan’s Makino machines and their heat control prowess—these “invisible strengths” are true technical moats. China’s machine tool industry must shift from “reverse engineering” to “original design,” and establish a self-owned knowledge system in areas like material mechanics, thermal deformation control, and vibration management. This requires breaking the habit of prioritizing application over fundamentals and building a long-term, 20-year deep tech investment mechanism.
The evolution of business wisdom is just as critical. Shenyang Machine Tool’s 900-product lineup is a lesson in the dangers of overextension. Dalian Kede’s “zigzag” strategy—creating product tiering through size differentiation and then backfilling market gaps—shows sharp market insight. Companies must strike a balance between “cash cow” products and “technology flagships,” using scale to fund R&D while setting technological benchmarks to build brand value.
Standing at the inflection point of 2024, China’s machine tool industry is undergoing a pivotal transformation from quantity to quality. This awakening is not just a technological leap, but a reconstruction of industrial thinking: shifting from price competition to value creation, from imitation to standard-setting, from lone pursuits to ecosystem-wide collaboration. As Shenyang Machine Tool’s gantries dance in tandem with Top Precision’s mirror milling machines, and Kede’s five-axis systems deeply integrate with Gielandin’s industrial software, a golden era of Chinese precision manufacturing is dawning. The rebirth of the “mother machine” will ultimately carry China’s manufacturing dreams toward the stars and the sea.