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In modern infrastructure construction, structural stability and long-term durability are essential engineering requirements. As a vital reinforced building material, prestressed steel strand is widely utilized in bridges, highways, water conservancy facilities, municipal works and large-scale construction projects. Manufactured by Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd., our prestressed steel strand features high tensile strength, low relaxation rate and stable mechanical properties, serving as a trustworthy choice for engineering contractors at home and abroad. 1. Outstanding Product Performance Made of premium high-carbon steel materials, our prestressed steel strand adopts mature stabilization treatment technology. It boasts a compact stranded structure, smooth surface, precise dimensional tolerance and excellent straightness. The ultra-high tensile strength can effectively offset the internal tensile stress of concrete, reduce structural cracks and improve overall bearing capacity. Furthermore, its low relaxation performance minimizes stress loss during long-term service, permanently maintaining the stability of engineering structures. Fig. 1: Close-up of Litong prestressed steel strand 2. Versatile Application Range With superior mechanical performance, Litong’s prestressed steel strands adapt to various complex and harsh construction environments. They are commonly applied in bridge engineering for box girders and reinforcement structures to enhance spanning capacity. In water conservancy projects, the strands effectively prevent deformation of dams and reservoirs. Besides, they are widely used in high-rise buildings, underground garages, highway roadbeds, railway sleepers and tunnel support systems, providing solid structural guarantee for diversified infrastructure construction. Fig. 2: Application in large bridge construction 3. Strict and Standardized Quality Control Anhui Litong implements rigorous production standards throughout the manufacturing process. From raw material inspection, wire drawing and stranding to heat stabilization treatment, every procedure is monitored by intelligent online monitoring systems. All finished products undergo strict tests including tensile test, elongation test and relaxation test. Only qualified products can be delivered from the factory, ensuring long-term safety and stable performance for all engineering projects. Fig. 3: Advanced production workshop of Litong 4. Professional One-Stop Service Apart from high-quality products, we provide comprehensive customized services, including personalized specification selection, professional technical consultation, on-site construction guidance and reliable after-sales tracking service. Whether for national key projects or international infrastructure cooperation, Anhui Litong consistently supplies cost-effective and standardized steel strands. Adhering to exquisite craftsmanship and technological innovation, we keep empowering global infrastructure construction with premium prestressed materials. Choose Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable — Stronger, Safer, More Reliable.

New York, January 20, 2026 – Aluminum-clad steel strand has become one of the most widely used high-performance metal products in global power, communication, railway, and coastal engineering projects, thanks to its excellent mechanical strength, light weight, and outstanding corrosion resistance. Industry analysts predict that global demand for aluminum-clad steel strand will maintain an annual growth rate of more than 7% from 2026 to 2030, driven by the expansion of cross-border power grids, offshore wind farms, and 5G communication infrastructure. Aluminum-clad steel strand is formed by metallurgically bonding aluminum layer to high-strength steel core, combining the high tensile strength of steel and the excellent corrosion resistance and conductivity of aluminum. Compared with traditional galvanized steel strand, it has stronger resistance to salt spray, humidity, and industrial corrosion, and its service life can reach 30 to 50 years in harsh environments. In the power industry, aluminum-clad steel strand is mainly used for overhead ground wires, messenger wires, and long‑span transmission lines. It can withstand strong winds, ice loads, and extreme temperature changes, while effectively reducing line faults caused by corrosion. Many UHV and cross-border transmission projects in Asia, Africa, and South America have chosen aluminum-clad steel strand as the preferred supporting material. In communication engineering, aluminum-clad steel strand serves as an ideal load-bearing component for overhead communication cables and optical fiber lines. Its light weight reduces the load on towers and poles, while its high strength ensures stable operation under typhoons and heavy snow. With the rapid construction of 5G and broadband networks worldwide, the demand for high-quality communication supporting strands is increasing rapidly. In coastal and marine engineering, aluminum-clad steel strand shows unique advantages. It is widely used in port facilities, offshore wind turbine foundations, coastal power grids, and cross-sea communication links. Its superior corrosion resistance greatly reduces maintenance costs and extends the service life of infrastructure in salt‑fog environments. Leading manufacturers are continuously improving production processes, such as precision cladding technology, optimized stranding structure, and online quality control systems, to improve product stability and consistency. More enterprises are also developing high-strength, ultra-thick cladding, and low-loss products to meet the higher requirements of modern infrastructure. Industry experts said that aluminum-clad steel strand will continue to expand its application scope in the next five years. With the global promotion of low-carbon energy transformation and the acceleration of intercontinental infrastructure interconnection, aluminum-clad steel strand will play an increasingly important role in power transmission, communication networks, new energy projects, and cross-border engineering.

Recently, the aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strand series products independently developed and produced by Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable") have been successfully applied to multiple key power transmission projects with their excellent comprehensive performance and wide adaptability, helping the construction of green power grids and demonstrating the technical strength and craftsmanship of domestic steel cable manufacturing enterprises. As a core consumable in the field of power transmission, aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strand is composed of aluminum-clad steel wire as the reinforcing core and hard aluminum wire stranded. It combines the high strength of steel and the excellent electrical conductivity of aluminum, making it an ideal choice for erecting high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage power transmission lines. Compared with traditional steel-cored aluminum strands, the aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strands produced by Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable have significant advantages: 5% lighter weight, 2-3% higher current-carrying capacity, 1-2% smaller sag, 4-6% less power loss, excellent corrosion resistance and greatly extended service life. They are especially suitable for laying in harsh environments such as coastal areas, saline-alkali flats and industrial pollution areas.   Based on years of technical accumulation and innovative research and development, Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable strictly follows the implementation standard GB/T 1179-2017 and has established a full-process quality control system. Starting from the selection of high-quality raw materials, it strictly tests aluminum ingots and steel wires to ensure that the base material performance meets the standards; in the production process, it adopts advanced cladding and stranding technology, precisely controls various parameters to achieve close combination of aluminum layer and steel core, and eliminates problems such as delamination and cracking; before leaving the factory, the finished products undergo a number of strict tests including tension, bending and salt spray corrosion to ensure that each batch of products meets national and industry standards and adapts to the needs of various complex power transmission scenarios.   At present, this series of products have been successfully applied to multiple domestic 500kV high-voltage power transmission lines and local infrastructure construction projects, including line laying under special geographical conditions such as across rivers and valleys. With the advantages of stable performance, convenient erection and maintenance, they have won high recognition from construction units and power grid enterprises. Its energy-saving and consumption-reducing characteristics not only reduce the operation cost of power transmission lines, but also conform to the national strategic requirements of energy conservation, emission reduction and green development, providing strong support for building green power transmission lines with "maximized efficiency, resource conservation and environmental friendliness".   The person in charge of Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable said that the company has always adhered to the development concept of "innovation-driven and quality-oriented", and has been deeply engaged in the steel cable manufacturing field for many years. It will continue to increase the R&D investment in high-end products such as aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strands, integrate the advantages of rare earth alloy technology, optimize product performance, expand application scenarios, and at the same time promote products to the global market relying on the advantages of self-operating and acting as an agent for the import and export of various commodities and technologies, helping the high-quality development of the power transmission industry and contributing more to the national infrastructure construction.   The wide application of aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strands this time not only demonstrates the product strength and technical advantages of Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable, but also provides valuable practical experience for the transformation and upgrading of the domestic steel cable manufacturing industry, promoting the steady development of China's power transmission line consumables towards high efficiency, energy conservation and durability.

Application Fields of Aluminum-Zinc Coated Steel Strands Aluminum-zinc coated steel strands (full name: zinc-5% aluminum-mixed rare earth alloy coated steel strands), relying on the excellent corrosion resistance, high mechanical strength and good electrical conductivity brought by the aluminum-zinc alloy coating, play a key role in the infrastructure construction of various industries. Their application scenarios cover core fields such as power, communications, bridges, and marine engineering, as detailed below: I. Power Transmission Field   As one of the core materials in the power industry, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are suitable for transmission lines of all voltage levels, especially long-distance, large-capacity power transmission projects in harsh environments. Their main application forms are divided into three categories:   - Overhead Ground Wire: Erected above the phase conductors of transmission lines, it provides a low-impedance discharge channel for lightning current to avoid lightning damage to the phase conductors. Compared with ordinary hot-dip galvanized steel strands, its corrosion resistance can extend the service life by 3-8 times, showing significant advantages in highly corrosive areas such as coastal regions, industrial zones and high-pollution areas, and greatly reducing later maintenance costs.   - Conductor Reinforcing Core: Stranded with aluminum wires to form aluminum conductor steel-reinforced (ACSR) cables, which rely on the high strength of steel to bear mechanical loads and use the electrical conductivity of aluminum to achieve power transmission, balancing structural stability and transmission efficiency. It is the mainstream configuration for conventional transmission lines.   - Load-Bearing Cables for Special Scenarios: Used alone as load-bearing cables in long-span transmission lines, heavy ice areas and high-altitude strong wind areas, its breaking force can reach more than 50kN, which can resist mechanical impacts caused by extreme climates, ensure the safe and stable operation of lines, and meet the strict standards of high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage transmission lines. II. Communications Industry In the construction of overhead communication network lines, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are mainly used for supporting and fixing communication cables, serving as important structural components to ensure stable signal transmission. Its high-strength feature can effectively bear the weight of cables and resist the impact of natural external forces such as wind and ice and snow; its excellent weather resistance can adapt to complex environments such as mountainous areas, forest areas and coastal regions, preventing structural failure caused by rust, ensuring long-term stable operation of communication lines, and reducing the risk of communication interruption due to material replacement. III. Bridge Engineering Field For the core load-bearing structures of long-span bridges, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands have become ideal materials due to their high strength and durability, mainly used in key parts such as stay cables and suspension cables. These parts need to bear huge tensile force and erosion caused by wind, rain and temperature difference for a long time. The dense structure and good adhesion of the aluminum-zinc coating can effectively block the erosion of corrosive media, improve the safety and service life of bridge structures, and meet the dual strict requirements of bridge engineering for material mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. IV. Marine Engineering Field In marine engineering such as offshore platforms and port facilities, seawater erosion, wave impact and high-humidity salt spray environment are highly corrosive to materials. Aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are widely used due to their corrosion resistance far exceeding that of ordinary galvanized products. It can be used in the support structures of offshore platforms, traction components of port hoisting equipment and protective railings, etc. It can not only resist the erosion of seawater and salt spray, but also bear heavy loads and impacts, ensuring the structural stability of marine engineering in harsh environments and reducing anti-corrosion maintenance costs. V. Other Engineering Scenarios In addition to the above core fields, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands can also be used in scenarios such as building structure reinforcement and railway infrastructure construction. In the construction field, it can be used as external prestressed tendons for large buildings to improve structural bearing capacity; in railway engineering, it is used for fixing and supporting catenary poles, adapting to the complex outdoor environment along railway lines. With its environmentally friendly and recyclable characteristics and economy, it has become a preferred alternative to traditional anti-corrosion steel.   In summary, relying on its performance advantages, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands have become an indispensable material in modern infrastructure construction, and their application value is more prominent especially in engineering scenarios with high corrosion, high load and long service cycle.

Aluminium-Zinc Coated Steel Strand Industry News English Samples China's Aluminium-Zinc Coated Steel Strand Market to Reach RMB13.5 Billion by 2030, Driven by Power Grid Upgrades Beijing, July 30, 2025 – China's aluminium-zinc coated steel strand market is poised for robust growth over the next five years, with its market size projected to surge from approximately RMB8.5 billion in 2025 to RMB13.5 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%, according to a newly released industry report. The strong expansion is primarily fueled by the accelerated upgrading of the national power grid, the advancement of ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission projects, and continuous investment in new energy sectors such as offshore wind power.   Data from the report indicates that the power industry will remain the largest application segment, accounting for over 60% of the total demand, while the transportation infrastructure sector will contribute around 25%. Geographically, East and South China are set to dominate the market with a combined demand share of over 55%, driven by intensive power grid infrastructure and active new energy projects. Meanwhile, the central and western regions are expected to see their market share rise from 18% in 2023 to 27% by 2030, thanks to the deepening of the "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategy.   In terms of product performance, aluminium-zinc coated steel strand boasts 35 times better corrosion resistance than traditional galvanized products and a service life extended to over 30 years. This advantage is driving its penetration rate in coastal high-salt-fog areas to increase from 32% in 2024 to 48% by 2030. The competitive landscape is also evolving, with the top five enterprises currently holding a 45% market share. As industry standards become stricter and environmental requirements tighten, small and medium-sized enterprises are facing integration pressure, and the industry's CR5 is expected to rise to 58% by 2028.   Policy support is another key driver. China's 14th Five-Year Plan for power grid development includes an investment scale of RMB2.8 trillion, and the issuance of the "Measures for the Administration of Offshore Wind Power Development and Construction" will provide sustained momentum for the market. Export prospects are also promising, with annual export growth of Chinese-manufactured aluminium-zinc coated steel strand expected to maintain around 12% as infrastructure demand along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries is released. The Southeast Asian market is anticipated to increase its share from 41% in 2025 to 53% by 2030.  

High-Corrosion-Resistant Alloy Coating Empowers: Technological Upgrades of Aluminum-Zinc Coated Steel Strands Expand Diversified Applications Driven by the continuous advancement of infrastructure projects in harsh environments such as offshore wind power, coastal bridges, and UHV power grids, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands have become a core growth driver in the high-end wire market, thanks to the excellent anti-corrosion performance of their "zinc-aluminum-rare earth" alloy coating. The domestic market size of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands is expected to exceed 8.5 billion yuan in 2025, with a year-on-year growth of 9.7%. The refined upgrading of production processes and optimization of alloy formulas are continuously enhancing the product's adaptability in extreme environments, providing long-term and reliable material support for infrastructure in multiple fields.​ Core Features: Three Core Advantages Solidify Market Competitiveness​ The core value of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands stems from the synergistic empowerment of "anti-corrosion + strength + durability," endowing them with significant competitive advantages in complex environments. Firstly, superior corrosion resistance is the core highlight. The zinc-5% aluminum-mixed rare earth alloy coating achieves dual protection through "sacrificial anode protection + barrier protection," with corrosion resistance 3-5 times higher than that of traditional hot-dip galvanized steel strands. It achieves over 1800 hours of no red rust in neutral salt spray tests, and a service life of more than 30 years in coastal high-salt-fog environments—2-3 times that of traditional products. Secondly, balanced mechanical properties: mainstream products have a tensile strength ranging from 1570MPa to 1960MPa, with some special models reaching 2160MPa, while maintaining an elongation rate of ≥4.5%. They can withstand long-term dynamic loads and complex stresses, meeting high-strength requirements such as main cables for long-span bridges and anchoring of wind power towers. Thirdly, wide scenario adaptability: product specifications cover φ12.7mm-φ28.6mm, with structures including 1×7 and 1×19. The coating thickness (120g/m²-610g/m²) can be customized according to needs, adapting to various harsh scenarios such as coastal infrastructure, desert wind power, and chemical parks. It also features sandstorm resistance, low-temperature tolerance (-40℃), and UV aging resistance.​ Production Process: Full-Process Precision Control Creates High-Quality Coatings​ The production of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands is a systematic project of "raw material purification - forming processing - alloy coating - finished product inspection." The core process focuses on coating uniformity and adhesion, with key procedures divided into five major links:​ Step 1: Raw Material Preparation and Surface Pretreatment​ High-quality high-carbon steel wire rods (carbon content 0.65%-0.85%) are selected as the base material, undergoing a four-step surface treatment of "pickling - alkaline washing - water washing - drying": pickling to remove oxide scale (hydrochloric acid concentration 18%-22%, temperature 40-50℃), alkaline washing (sodium hydroxide concentration 5%-8%) to remove oil, multi-stage water washing to neutralize residual acid and alkali, and finally hot air drying (temperature 120-150℃) to ensure a clean and dry steel base surface, laying the foundation for coating adhesion.​ Step 2: Wire Drawing Strengthening and Precision Control​ The pretreated wire rods are fed into a continuous wire drawing machine, adopting the "multi-pass progressive diameter reduction + online heat treatment" process to draw the steel wire to the preset diameter (e.g., φ5.0mm for 1×7 structure φ15.2mm steel strands). Meanwhile, sorbitic transformation is achieved through temperature control (450-550℃) to improve the tensile strength and toughness of the steel wire. A special graphite lubricant is used during wire drawing, with drawing speed (8-12m/s) and die precision controlled to avoid surface scratches, ensuring a surface roughness of Ra≤0.8μm.​ Step 3: Stranding Forming to Ensure Structural Density​ Multiple drawn steel wires (e.g., 6 side wires + 1 central wire for 1×7 structure) are fed into a stranding machine, stranded according to the preset lay length (12-16 times the diameter of the steel strand) and lay direction (left lay or right lay) to form the steel strand blank. High-end products additionally adopt a "pre-deformation process": mechanical pressure is applied to pre-bend the steel wires into an arc, resulting in a tighter structure after stranding, uniform stress distribution under load, and reduced risk of coating cracking caused by residual stress.​ Step 4: Alloyed Hot-Dip Plating (Core Process)​ This is the key link determining product performance, adopting the "hot-dip plating + alloying treatment" process: first, the steel strand blank is preheated to 450-500℃ to remove residual moisture and oil; then immersed in a zinc-5% aluminum-mixed rare earth alloy molten bath (aluminum content 4.2%-5.8%, total rare earth elements Ce/La 0.05%-0.15%) at 455-465℃ for 3-5 seconds to ensure uniform coating adhesion; after being lifted out, the coating thickness is controlled by air knife blowing (pressure 0.3-0.5MPa), followed by heat preservation in an alloying furnace (temperature 500-550℃) for 10-15 seconds to trigger a metallurgical reaction between the zinc layer and the steel base, forming a Zn-Fe-Al ternary alloy layer that enhances coating adhesion (peel strength ≥15N/mm) and corrosion resistance.​ Step 5: Post-Treatment and Finished Product Inspection​ The aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are rapidly cooled by water (temperature ≤60℃), then subjected to passivation treatment (chromium-free passivation solution, thickness 0.5-1.0μm) to enhance anti-discoloration and corrosion resistance. Finished product inspection adopts a "online + offline" dual mode: online control of outer diameter tolerance (±0.02mm) via laser diameter gauge and eddy current testing for coating continuity and thickness uniformity; offline sampling for tensile strength, coating adhesion, salt spray test, bending test, etc., to ensure compliance with GB/T 20492-2019 national standard, with unqualified products directly rejected.​ Technological Upgrades: Dual Breakthroughs in Alloy Optimization and Intelligent Production​ The aluminum-zinc coated steel strand industry is accelerating its transformation towards "high performance + low carbonization." In terms of technological innovation, enterprises continuously optimize alloy formulas: adding trace rare earth elements (Ce, La) to refine coating grains and reduce porosity, improving corrosion resistance by an additional 15%-20%; some leading enterprises have developed Zn-Al-Mg ternary alloy coatings, with corrosion resistance 20%-30% higher than traditional formulas, currently in the pilot-scale test phase. In intelligent production, leading enterprises have introduced AI closed-loop control systems to real-time adjust parameters such as molten bath temperature, air knife pressure, and stranding speed, controlling coating thickness tolerance within ±5μm and increasing the first-pass qualification rate to 99.7%; machine vision inspection technology enables millisecond-level identification of surface defects (e.g., coating exposure, scratches), with inspection efficiency 10 times higher than manual inspection. In green production, the penetration rate of cyanide-free passivation technology has reached 90%, replacing traditional chromium-containing processes; the utilization rate of recycled zinc has increased to 85%, unit product energy consumption has decreased by 18.7% compared with 2020, and carbon emission intensity has dropped below 0.8tCO₂/t, meeting the compliance requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).​ Market Application: Extreme Scenario Demand Drives Multi-Field Growth​ The application scenarios of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands continue to expand into harsh environments, forming three core growth poles: "coastal infrastructure + new energy + transportation engineering." In coastal infrastructure, the proportion of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands in coastal bridge projects in Guangxi and Fujian has exceeded 40%, used for main cable suspension and pile foundation anchoring to solve anti-corrosion problems in marine environments. In new energy, offshore wind power projects have driven a surge in demand, with an expected growth rate of 28% in 2025, used for wind power tower anchoring and submarine cable protection. In transportation engineering, high-corrosion-resistant aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are adopted in projects such as the Sichuan-Tibet Railway and cross-sea bridges, adapting to complex environments such as high cold, high altitude, and strong UV radiation. Additionally, demand from overseas projects along the "Belt and Road" is robust: export volume is expected to reach 32,000 tons in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 12%, mainly supplying power grid upgrading and infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other regions.​ Industry experts stated that aluminum-zinc coated steel strands will develop towards "higher corrosion resistance, lower energy consumption, and intelligent perception" in the future. The industrialization of Zn-Al-Mg alloy coatings and intelligent monitoring products integrated with optical fiber sensing will become key R&D focuses. Enterprises need to continuously focus on alloy formula optimization, precise process control, and green production transformation to seize the competitive high ground in the wave of extreme environment infrastructure, providing long-term anti-corrosion material solutions for global infrastructure.

High Strength, Low Relaxation + Precision Craftsmanship: Prestressed Steel Strands Empower Super Engineering Construction Driven by national major projects such as the Yarlung Zangbo River Super Hydropower Station and the Xiongshang High-Speed Railway, prestressed steel strands, as core load-bearing materials, have become indispensable key products in the infrastructure sector due to their excellent mechanical properties and stable reliability. The domestic market size of prestressed steel strands is expected to exceed 58 billion yuan in 2025, with a year-on-year growth of 8.5%. The refined upgrading of production processes and technological innovation are driving the product iteration towards "ultra-high strength, low relaxation, and long durability," providing solid support for more extreme engineering scenarios.​ Core Features: Three Core Advantages Forge Engineering Necessity​ The core competitiveness of prestressed steel strands stems from the triple empowerment of "strength + stability + adaptability," making them irreplaceable in high-stress and complex environments. Firstly, ultra-high mechanical strength is the core highlight. Mainstream products have a tensile strength ranging from 1860MPa to 2400MPa, and 2200MPa-class ultra-high strength products have been widely used in high-speed railway and hydropower projects. Compared with traditional products, their strength is increased by more than 40%, which can effectively reduce engineering material consumption and realize structural lightweighting. Secondly, excellent low relaxation performance: under long-term stress, the residual deformation is controlled within 2.5%, and the 1000-hour relaxation rate is ≤2.0% (for 1860MPa class), which can maintain the prestressing effect for a long time and ensure the long-term stability of bridges, tunnels and other structures. Thirdly, wide scenario adaptability: product specifications cover φ12.7mm-φ21.6mm, with structures mainly 1×7 and 1×19. Anti-corrosion treatments such as epoxy coating and hot-dip galvanizing can be customized according to engineering needs, adapting to bridges, wind power towers, LNG storage tanks and other different scenarios, while meeting the use requirements of extreme environments such as -40℃ alpine and coastal high salt spray.​ Production Process: Full-Process Precision Control Creates High-Quality Products​ The production of prestressed steel strands is a systematic project of "raw material selection - processing and forming - performance enhancement." Each process directly determines the mechanical properties and stability of the product. The core process is divided into four major links:​ Step 1: Raw Material Preparation and Wire Drawing Strengthening​ High-quality high-carbon steel wire rod (carbon content 0.75%-0.95%) is selected as the base material. First, strict surface treatment is carried out - removing oxide scale by pickling, degreasing by alkali washing, and neutralizing by water washing to ensure the steel base surface is clean and free of impurities. Then it enters the continuous wire drawing process, adopting the "multi-pass progressive diameter reduction + online heat treatment" technology to draw the steel wire to the preset diameter (such as φ5.0mm for 1×7 structure φ15.2mm steel strand). At the same time, sorbitic transformation is achieved by temperature control (450-550℃) to improve the tensile strength and toughness of the steel wire. A special lubricant is used during wire drawing to avoid surface scratches affecting subsequent performance.​ Step 2: Stranding Forming to Ensure Structural Uniformity​ Multiple drawn steel wires (such as 6 side wires + 1 central wire for 1×7 structure) are fed into the stranding machine, and stranded according to the preset lay length (usually 12-16 times the diameter of the steel strand) and lay direction (left lay or right lay) to form the steel strand blank. To reduce residual stress, some high-end products adopt the "pre-deformation process" - pre-bending the steel wire into an arc before stranding, making the stranded steel strand structure tighter, the stress distribution more uniform during loading, and avoiding the risk of local fracture.​ Step 3: Stabilization Treatment to Achieve Low Relaxation Characteristics​ This is the core process of prestressed steel strand production, realizing low relaxation performance through "continuous tempering + stress relief." The stranded steel strand is sent to a continuous stabilization furnace, held at 420-460℃ for 2-3 hours, and a certain prestress (about 20%-30% of the nominal tensile strength) is applied at the same time. Residual stress inside the steel wire is eliminated through thermomechanical treatment, and organizational stabilization is promoted. For ultra-high strength products (above 2200MPa), "zonal temperature control" technology is added to ensure the consistency of the through-length performance of the steel strand, and the relaxation rate is further reduced to ≤1.5%.​ Step 4: Anti-Corrosion Treatment and Finished Product Inspection​ According to the needs of application scenarios, the steel strand is subjected to anti-corrosion treatment: chrome-free passivation treatment is adopted for general scenarios to enhance corrosion resistance; for harsh environments (such as marine and chemical fields), epoxy coating (thickness ≥0.18mm) or hot-dip galvanizing treatment (zinc layer weight ≥300g/m²) is adopted to improve corrosion resistance. The finished product inspection link adopts "online + offline" dual inspection: online control of outer diameter tolerance (±0.02mm) through laser diameter gauge and eddy current detection of surface defects; offline sampling for tensile strength, relaxation rate, bending test, salt spray test, etc., to ensure the product meets the requirements of GB/T 5224-2014 national standard, and unqualified products are directly rejected.​ Technological Upgrading: Simultaneous Advancement of Intelligence and Greenization​ Currently, the prestressed steel strand industry is accelerating the transformation towards "precision and low carbonization." In terms of intelligence, leading enterprises have introduced AI closed-loop control systems to real-time adjust wire drawing speed, tempering temperature, and lay length parameters, controlling the product strength fluctuation range within ±30MPa and increasing the first-pass qualification rate to over 98%; machine vision inspection technology realizes millisecond-level identification of surface defects, and the inspection efficiency is 15 times higher than that of manual inspection. In terms of greenization, the penetration rate of cyanide-free passivation technology has reached 90%, replacing traditional chrome-containing processes and reducing environmental pollution; enterprises such as Hebei Iron and Steel Group and Baowu Group have reduced unit product energy consumption by 18% compared with 2020 through green power substitution and waste heat recovery systems, and carbon emission intensity has been reduced to below 0.7tCO₂/t, meeting the compliance requirements of the EU CBAM.​ Market Application: Dual-Drive of Super Engineering and New Scenarios​ The application scenarios of prestressed steel strands continue to expand, forming a dual-growth pattern of "traditional infrastructure + new scenarios." In the field of traditional infrastructure, transportation projects such as the Xiongshang High-Speed Railway and the Sichuan-Tibet Railway drive the demand for 1860MPa-2200MPa class products, and the Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Project alone needs to purchase more than 100,000 tons; in the field of new scenarios, the demand for offshore wind power tower anchoring, LNG low-temperature storage tank reinforcement, and UHV power grid tower support is growing rapidly. In 2025, the proportion of new scenario demand is expected to reach 35%, driving the sales of special prestressed steel strands such as epoxy coating and hot-dip galvanizing to increase by 28% year-on-year.​ Industry experts said that in the future, prestressed steel strands will develop towards "higher strength (above 2500MPa, better corrosion resistance, and intelligent perception)." Intelligent prestressed steel strands integrated with optical fiber sensing technology will realize real-time stress monitoring, further improving engineering safety. Enterprises need to continue to focus on raw material formula optimization, precise process control, and green production transformation to seize the competitive high ground in the wave of super engineering construction.​  

High Corrosion Resistance + Strong Adaptability: Technological Upgrades of Galvanized Steel Strands Empower Multi-Field Infrastructure Driven by the continuous advancement of infrastructure projects such as UHV power grids, offshore wind power, and bridge engineering, galvanized steel strands have become core rigid-demand products in the high-end wire market due to their excellent anti-corrosion performance and mechanical strength. The domestic market scale of galvanized steel strands is expected to exceed 32 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 11.3% compared with last year. The iteration and upgrading of production processes and technological innovations are becoming the core driving forces for the high-quality development of the industry, promoting products to achieve breakthroughs in more harsh scenarios.​ Core Features: Three Major Advantages Lay a Solid Foundation for Application​ The core competitiveness of galvanized steel strands stems from the threefold characteristics of "anti-corrosion + strength + adaptability", making them irreplaceable in complex environments. Firstly, superior corrosion resistance is its iconic advantage. Through the sacrificial anode protection of the zinc coating, it can effectively isolate the contact between air, moisture and the steel base. Traditional hot-dip galvanized products can have a service life of 15-20 years in ordinary atmospheric environments, while the upgraded Zn-Al-Re alloy coated products have 3-5 times higher corrosion resistance, with no red rust time exceeding 1800 hours in neutral salt spray tests, suitable for extreme environments such as high salt fog in coastal areas and sandstorms in northwest China. Secondly, high mechanical strength is outstanding. The tensile strength of mainstream products ranges from 1570MPa to 1960MPa, and some special models can reach 2160MPa, while maintaining an elongation rate of ≥4.5%. They can withstand long-term dynamic loads and complex stresses, meeting the high-strength requirements of main cables for long-span bridges, anchoring of wind power towers, etc. Thirdly, wide scenario adaptability. Product specifications cover φ12.7mm-φ28.6mm, with structures including 1×7, 1×19 and other types. According to the needs of different fields such as power, transportation, and new energy, the zinc coating thickness (120g/m²-400g/m²) and strength grade can be customized to achieve "one material for multiple uses".​ Production Process: Refined Control of Quality Throughout the Whole Process​ The production of galvanized steel strands is a systematic project of "raw material purification - processing and forming - coating protection", and each process directly affects the final performance of the product.​ Step 1: Raw Material Preparation and Wire Drawing. High-quality high-carbon steel wire rods (carbon content 0.65%-0.85%) are selected as the base material. First, strict surface cleaning is carried out, including pickling to remove scale, alkaline degreasing, water washing and neutralization, to ensure no residual impurities on the steel base surface. Then, it enters the wire drawing process. A continuous wire drawing machine is used to gradually reduce the diameter through multiple dies to draw the steel wire to the preset diameter. At the same time, temperature control treatment is used to improve the tensile strength and toughness of the steel wire. During the wire drawing process, graphite lubricant is used to reduce friction and avoid surface scratches.​ Step 2: Stranding and Forming. Multiple drawn steel wires are sent to a stranding machine for stranding according to the preset lay length and lay direction (left lay or right lay) to form a steel strand blank. The lay length of mainstream 1×7 structure products is controlled at 12-16 times the diameter of the steel strand to ensure a compact structure and uniform force. For large-section or special structure products, pre-deformation technology is used to treat the steel wires, reducing the residual stress of the steel strand after stranding and improving overall stability.​ Step 3: Galvanizing Treatment (Core Process). At present, the industry mainly adopts two types of processes: hot-dip galvanizing process and alloyed galvanizing process. In the hot-dip galvanizing process, the steel strand blank is preheated (temperature 450-500℃) and then immersed in molten zinc liquid at 445-460℃. The zinc liquid forms a metallurgical bonding layer with the steel base, and then the zinc coating thickness is controlled by air knife blowing. After cooling, a uniform and dense pure zinc coating is formed. The alloyed galvanizing process adds alloying treatment on the basis of hot-dip galvanizing. The galvanized steel strand is heated to 500-550℃ to make the zinc coating react with the steel base to form a Zn-Fe alloy layer, which further improves the coating adhesion and corrosion resistance, and is suitable for high-demand scenarios.​ Step 4: Post-Treatment and Inspection. After galvanizing, the steel strand undergoes cooling and passivation treatment (some products use chromate or chromium-free passivation) to enhance the anti-discoloration ability of the zinc coating. Then, through the online inspection system, ultrasonic flaw detection is used to detect internal defects, eddy current testing to check the continuity of the zinc coating, and laser diameter gauge to control the outer diameter tolerance. At the same time, sampling is carried out for tensile test, bending test and salt spray test to ensure that the product meets the requirements of the new national standard GB/T 33363-2026, and unqualified products are directly rejected.​ Technological Upgrades: Dual Breakthroughs in Greenization and Intelligence​ The current galvanized steel strand industry is accelerating its transformation towards "high efficiency, low carbon and precision". In terms of green production, the penetration rate of cyanide-free galvanizing technology has reached 78%, replacing the traditional cyanide galvanizing process and reducing heavy metal pollution. Enterprises such as Hebei Iron and Steel Group and Baowu Group have introduced green power production, combined with waste heat recovery systems, reducing unit product energy consumption by 18% compared with 2020, and carbon emission intensity to below 0.8tCO₂/t, meeting the compliance requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). In terms of intelligent transformation, leading enterprises have adopted AI closed-loop control systems to real-time adjust parameters such as wire drawing speed, zinc liquid temperature and air knife pressure, controlling the zinc coating thickness tolerance within ±5μm, and increasing the product first-pass yield to 97.6%. The application of machine vision inspection technology realizes millisecond-level identification of surface defects, and the inspection efficiency is 10 times higher than that of manual work.​ Market Application: Continuous Expansion of Demand in Multiple Fields​ With stable performance and technological upgrades, the application boundaries of galvanized steel strands are constantly expanding. In the power sector, in the 2025 UHV project bidding of State Grid, the procurement volume of galvanized steel strands increased by 23% year-on-year, mainly used for ground wires of transmission lines and tower anchoring. In the transportation field, in bridge projects in coastal areas such as Guangxi and Fujian, the proportion of alloyed galvanized steel strands has exceeded 40%, solving the anti-corrosion problem in marine environments. In the new energy sector, offshore wind power projects have driven a surge in demand for high-corrosion-resistant galvanized steel strands, and the related demand growth rate is expected to reach 28% in 2025, becoming a new growth engine of the industry.​ Industry experts said that in the future, galvanized steel strands will develop towards the direction of "higher strength, better corrosion resistance and lower energy consumption". The industrialization of new technologies such as Zn-Al-Mg alloy coatings and intelligent sensing coatings will further enhance product added value. Enterprises need to continue to focus on process optimization and green transformation to seize opportunities in the wave of high-quality infrastructure development.​  

Anti-Corrosion Upgrade Drives Demand Boom: Aluminum-Zinc Coated Steel Strand Industry Steps into a New Phase of High Corrosion Resistance Development Since 2025, driven by the in-depth implementation of the GB/T 20492-2019 standard, the acceleration of UHV projects, and the large-scale development of offshore wind power, China's aluminum-zinc coated steel strand (zinc-5% aluminum-mixed rare earth alloy coated steel strand) industry has achieved dual breakthroughs in performance upgrading and market expansion. From bridge cables to new energy infrastructure, from intelligent production to overseas export, the industry is accelerating transformation centered on "high corrosion resistance, high strength, long service life, and greenization". The domestic market scale is expected to exceed 8.5 billion yuan in 2025 and climb to 13.5 billion yuan by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%, becoming a core growth driver in the high-end anti-corrosion wire and cable sector.​ Improved Standard System Leads Performance Iteration, Filling Technical Gaps in Multiple Scenarios​ The current GB/T 20492-2019 standard has established technical benchmarks for the industry by optimizing coating classification and strength indicators. Compared with the 2006 old version, the new standard has achieved three key upgrades: first, simplifying coating grades to two levels (A/B for steel wires) and three levels (A/B/C for steel strands), clarifying that Grade C coating (46-610g/m²) is suitable for high-corrosion coastal environments, filling the gap in marine engineering material standards; second, adding strength grades 4 and 5, raising the upper limit of steel strand tensile strength to 1960MPa to meet the requirements of high-strength scenarios such as main cables of long-span bridges; third, optimizing testing methods, introducing EDTA complexometric titration to accurately determine aluminum content (ensuring ≥4.2%), and adding a conversion formula for the breaking force of stranded wires, improving the testing accuracy of 1×7 structure products by 15%.​ The standard upgrade has directly promoted the leap in product performance. The current mainstream zinc-5% aluminum-mixed rare earth alloy coated products have 35 times higher corrosion resistance than traditional hot-dip galvanized steel strands, with a service life extended to more than 30 years, and can achieve 1850 hours of no red rust in neutral salt spray tests. Experts from the National Technical Committee of Standardization for Steel stated that the full alignment of domestic standards with international norms has accelerated the clearance of 30% low-performance production capacity, guiding the industry to concentrate on high-end anti-corrosion fields.​ Technological Breakthroughs Expand Application Boundaries, Multi-Scenario Demand Forms Growth Synergy​ With the dual advantages of "strength and corrosion resistance", aluminum-zinc coated steel strands have achieved in-depth penetration in multiple fields, forming a three-pillar demand pattern of "power + transportation + new energy".​ In the power sector, UHV and power grid upgrading have become core drivers. In the Hami-Chongqing ±800kV UHV project, 4,500 tons of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are used for ground wire transmission. Their 1770MPa strength and Grade B coating (above 460g/m²) can resist strong wind vibration and day-night temperature difference erosion in the Gobi region. In 2025, the application proportion in the power industry has exceeded 60%, among which the demand proportion of UHV projects reaches 28%, and 1×19 structure products have become the mainstream configuration due to their adaptation to lightweight requirements.​ Breakthroughs in long-span projects in the transportation infrastructure field are particularly remarkable. A long-span suspension bridge in Guangxi adopts Grade 5 strength (1960MPa) aluminum-zinc coated steel wires to form main cable strands. Combined with a dehumidification anti-corrosion system, the theoretical service life of the structure exceeds 100 years, solving the traditional main cable anti-corrosion problem. Such projects have driven the demand proportion in the transportation field to rise to 25%, and the penetration rate of Grade C coating products in coastal bridge projects has increased from 32% in 2024 to 41%.​ Offshore wind power in the new energy sector has become a new growth pole. Targeting the high-salt-fog environment in the southeast coastal areas, enterprises have launched customized aluminum-zinc coated steel strands with an annual corrosion rate of only 0.85μm/a, far superior to the 2.3μm/a of traditional products, which have been mass-applied in the pile foundation fixing projects of offshore wind farms in Guangdong and Fujian. In 2025, the demand growth rate in the new energy sector reaches 18%, becoming the fastest-growing segment in the industry.​ Accelerated Intelligent and Green Transformation, Competitive Pattern Concentrates on Leading Enterprises​ The industry's technological upgrading presents a dual-drive characteristic of "intelligent manufacturing + green production". Leading enterprise Jiangsu Fasten Group has introduced AI closed-loop control systems and machine vision inspection technologies, controlling the coating thickness tolerance within ±5μm, increasing the product qualification rate to 99.7%, and reducing unit energy consumption by 18.7% compared with traditional processes. In terms of green production, Hebei Iron and Steel Group has reduced carbon emissions per ton of products by 22% through recycled zinc utilization technology and waste heat recovery systems, meeting the requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).​ The competitive pattern shows an obvious concentration effect on leading enterprises. In 2025, the industry's CR5 (market share of the top 5 enterprises) has reached 45%, with leading enterprises such as Jiangsu Fasten Group, Guizhou Wire Rope Co., Ltd., and Tianjin Huayuan dominating the market with patent technology and scale advantages. Small and medium-sized enterprises are facing dual pressures: on the one hand, raw material costs account for more than 60%, and a 10% increase in zinc ingot prices will lead to a 6.8% increase in production costs; on the other hand, the threshold for environmental protection technological transformation investment is high, forcing low-capacity enterprises to withdraw acceleratedly. It is expected that CR5 will rise to 58% by 2028.​ Multiple Breakthroughs in Overseas Markets, Initial Results of Global Layout​ Infrastructure demand along the "Belt and Road" has become the core driver of export growth. In 2025, the industry's export volume reached 32,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 12%, among which the Southeast Asian market accounted for 41%, mainly supplying power grid upgrading projects in Vietnam and Malaysia. By participating in international standard mutual recognition, enterprises have shortened the product certification cycle to less than 6 months, successfully entered the Middle East market, and provided 1,200 tons of Grade C coated steel strands for Saudi Arabia's NEOM new city.​ To avoid trade barriers, leading enterprises are accelerating their overseas production capacity layout. Guizhou Wire Rope plans to build a 50,000-ton/year production line in Thailand, targeting the demand for offshore wind power and railway projects in ASEAN. It is expected that after commissioning in 2027, the tariff cost can be reduced by 12%-15%. Data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association shows that in 2025, China's global market share of aluminum-zinc coated steel strands has reached 38%, and is expected to exceed 48% by 2030, making China the world's core supply base.

New National Standard Implementation + Technological Breakthrough: Aluminum-Clad Steel-Core Aluminum Strand Industry Enters a New Cycle of High-Quality Development Since 2025, driven by the official implementation of the new national standard GB/T17937-2024, the intensive commissioning of UHV projects, and the surge in new energy grid connection demand, China's aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strand (ACSR/ACAR) industry has ushered in dual opportunities of industrial upgrading and market expansion. From product standard iteration to the localization of core technologies, from regional production capacity optimization to overseas market breakthroughs, the industry is accelerating transformation centered on "high strength, high conductivity, high corrosion resistance, and intelligence". The domestic market scale is expected to exceed 48 billion yuan in 2025 and climb to 72 billion yuan by 2030, maintaining a high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6%.​ New National Standard Leads Industry Upgrade, Product Performance Reaches New Heights​ The two-year revised national standard GB/T17937-2024 "Aluminum-Clad Steel Wires for Electrical Purposes" was fully implemented in 2025, becoming a "vane" for the industry's high-quality development. This standard upgrade achieved three core breakthroughs: first, the product system expansion, adding new models such as LB25 aluminum-clad steel wire and LBY10, LBY14 aluminum-clad invar wires to fill the performance gaps in special scenarios and meet the diversified needs of UHV, 5G communications, etc.; second, the strengthened performance requirements, clarifying the minimum aluminum layer thickness standard for new models, optimizing the tensile strength and elongation indicators of existing products such as LB14 and LB20. Among them, the tensile strength of aluminum-clad steel wire exceeds 1850MPa, and the conductivity is increased to 61.5% IACS, balancing transmission efficiency and structural stability; third, the improved testing system, adding multiple test methods for appearance, diameter, joints, etc., introducing the linear expansion coefficient testing item, and making the sampling rules more scientific to ensure product quality compliance throughout the whole process. Experts from the National Technical Committee of Standardization for Steel stated that the new national standard has fully aligned with international standards, which will promote the accelerated clearance of 30% low-performance production capacity and guide the industry towards high-end and standardized development.​ Remarkable Achievements in Technological Tackling, Accelerated Localization Substitution​ The localization of core technologies has become the core driving force for the industry's development, with comprehensive breakthroughs in three major fields: materials, equipment, and testing. In terms of materials, the rare earth alloy-reinforced aluminum-clad steel wire independently developed by Hebei Iron and Steel Group has been mass-applied in the Ximeng-Shandong UHV project, with corrosion resistance 40% higher than that of imported products, breaking the long-term monopoly of enterprises such as Japan's Nippon Steel and South Korea's POSCO; the hot-dip plating process jointly developed by China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. and Central South University has achieved an aluminum layer thickness uniformity of 96.7%, effectively solving the problem of interface oxidation of the cladding layer. In the equipment field, the multi-layer co-extrusion composite system developed by Shanghai Junshi Electromechanical has passed ISO 9001 certification, with core parameters reaching the international advanced level. Its penetration rate in the high-end market has increased to 28.5%, and the investment payback period of a single production line has been shortened to less than 6 years; the effect of intelligent transformation is remarkable. Leading enterprises have introduced AI closed-loop control systems and machine vision inspection technologies, controlling the aluminum layer thickness tolerance within ±0.02mm, reducing the product defect rate to below 0.3‰, and lowering the unit energy consumption by 18.7% compared with traditional processes. In terms of testing technology, the X-ray 3D real-time imaging system of Harbin Weidi Electronics has realized online detection of aluminum layer thickness at the 0.01mm level, with operation and maintenance costs 62% lower than imported equipment, and has been applied on a large scale in Guodian Nanjing Automation Co., Ltd.'s projects.​ Optimized Market Demand Structure, Synergistic Development of Regional and Overseas Layouts​ The domestic market presents a dual-drive pattern of "UHV + new energy", with significant characteristics of regional demand differentiation. In the UHV field, ±800kV projects such as Longdong-Shandong and Jinshang-Hubei are being intensively promoted, and 1250mm² large-section aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strands have become the mainstream configuration. The proportion of relevant demand is expected to increase to 45% in 2025; the demand for new energy grid connection remains strong. The demand growth rate of new energy bases in Northwest and North China has exceeded the national average by 4 percentage points for three consecutive years. The construction of wind-solar bases in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and other places has driven a surge in demand for anti-icing and sand-resistant products. In terms of regional distribution, East China leads the country with a 38.7% market share. The bidding volume of Jiangsu and Shandong provinces in the first half of 2024 increased by 23.8% and 19.6% year-on-year respectively; South China has benefited from the power grid interconnection of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and offshore wind power projects, with a demand growth rate of 19%; relying on the "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategy, Northwest China's market share has increased to 28%, becoming a new growth engine.​ Overseas markets have become a new growth pole for the industry, with continuous expansion of export scale. The implementation of the RCEP agreement has driven the release of demand in the Southeast Asian market. The industry's export growth rate reached 15% in 2023, and products are mainly supplied to Southeast Asian power interconnection projects; enterprises are accelerating their overseas layout, focusing on radiating countries along the "Belt and Road" to avoid trade barriers. Data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association shows that the domestic output of aluminum-clad steel-core aluminum strands is expected to reach 1.672 million tons in 2025, the capacity utilization rate will increase to 88%, and the global market share will exceed 77%, making China the world's core supply base.​ Urgent Green Transformation, Long-Term Trend Focuses on High-End Scenarios​ Under the "dual carbon" goal, green production has become a new competitive track for the industry. 73% of enterprises have included the replacement of pickling and phosphating processes in their technological transformation plans. Enterprises such as Hebei Iron and Steel Group and Baowu Group have reduced the carbon emission per unit product by 22% compared with 2020 through green power substitution and waste heat recovery to meet the requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). In the long run, the industry will evolve in depth towards "functionalization + scenarioization": the demand for high-corrosion-resistant strands for offshore wind power and long-span conductors for flexible DC transmission is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of over 20%; the demonstration projects of carbon fiber composite core aluminum strands (ACCC) are advancing steadily. The mass production cost is expected to decrease by 40% by 2027, and the market penetration rate will increase rapidly. Industry experts point out that in the next five years, comprehensive enterprises with material R&D capabilities, full industrial chain integration advantages, and EPC general contracting service experience will occupy a dominant position, and product competition will shift from single performance indicators to full-life-cycle cost competition.​  

Corrosion Resistance Champion + Strength Leader: Aluminum-Zinc Coated Steel Strand Becomes the First Choice for Harsh Environment Projects With the smooth opening of major projects such as the Guangdong Humen Second Bridge and the China-DPRK Yalu River Boundary Bridge, as well as the intensive launch of offshore wind power projects, a core material with super corrosion resistance and high mechanical strength—aluminum-zinc coated steel strand—has become a "hot commodity" in engineering construction. This special steel strand, coated with a zinc-5% aluminum-mixed rare earth alloy layer on its surface, boasts durability far exceeding that of traditional galvanized products. It performs exceptionally well in harsh environments such as coastal salt spray, industrial corrosion, and deep seas, serving as a core support for ensuring long-term engineering safety in fields including power, bridges, and new energy.​ Core Features: Dual Breakthroughs in Corrosion Resistance and Strength​ The core competitiveness of aluminum-zinc coated steel strand stems from its innovative coating technology and structural design. Unlike traditional galvanized steel strands, its coating is composed of zinc, aluminum, and rare earth elements, with an aluminum content of no less than 4.2%. Through the hot-dip coating process, a dense alloy protective layer is formed, combining the chemical stability of aluminum with the electrochemical protection characteristics of zinc. Its corrosion resistance is 3-5 times higher than that of traditional galvanized products, and its service life can be extended to over 30 years in coastal salt spray environments—far exceeding the 8-12 year service life of ordinary galvanized steel strands.​ In terms of mechanical properties, the product also delivers outstanding performance. Its base material is low-carbon steel with a carbon content of ≤0.25%, manufactured through multiple cold drawing and precision stranding processes. The tensile strength can reach 1670-2000MPa, and the breaking force meets the load requirements of various projects. For example, the GJ-50 model has a breaking force exceeding 50kN, fully suitable for heavy-load scenarios such as bridge stay cables and power transmission towers. Meanwhile, the coating forms a strong metallurgical bond with the base material, featuring high adhesion that prevents peeling during construction bending and tensioning, effectively avoiding local corrosion caused by coating damage.​ Standardized production and strict quality control further consolidate the quality line. The product must comply with the national standard GB/T 20492-2019, with clear requirements for coating thickness, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and other indicators. Leading enterprises adopt technologies such as intelligent temperature-controlled coating and online coating detection to ensure the product qualification rate remains stable above 99.5%, providing reliable guarantees for engineering safety.​ Application Scenarios: Breaking Through in Multiple Fields Under Harsh Environments​ The application scenarios of aluminum-zinc coated steel strand have fully expanded from traditional infrastructure to high-demand, high-difficulty projects, especially demonstrating irreplaceable value in harsh environments. In the field of bridge engineering, it has become the preferred material for stay cables of long-span bridges—the Humen Second Bridge's Nizhou Waterway Bridge uses approximately 16,000 tons of the product, and the Wuhan Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge uses up to 20,000 tons. Its super corrosion resistance and high tensile strength ensure the safety of bridges serving for a century in outdoor environments; the 3,026-meter-long China-DPRK Yalu River Boundary Bridge adopts the product for all 152 stay cables, successfully withstanding the corrosive environment of the cross-border river.​ The power transmission sector is another major battlefield. In State Grid's UHV projects and the "West-to-East Power Transmission" program, aluminum-zinc coated steel strands are used as overhead ground wires and conductor reinforcement cores, adapting to 110kV-500kV voltage levels and operating stably in complex environments such as the northwest Gobi and southwest humid and hot regions, reducing line operation and maintenance frequency and replacement costs. In 2025, the domestic power industry's demand for the product accounted for 68%, making it one of the core materials for power grid upgrading and transformation.​ Demand in the new energy and marine engineering sectors is growing rapidly. In offshore wind power projects, its salt spray resistance and wave erosion resistance make it a core material for tower fixing and cable laying, currently applied in multiple offshore wind farms in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta; in the photovoltaic bracket field, the product's long service life advantage has driven its market share to grow rapidly from 5.7% in 2025, adapting to the long-term outdoor service needs of photovoltaic power stations in deserts, coastal areas, and other regions. In addition, aluminum-zinc coated steel strand has also been widely used in high-corrosion-risk scenarios such as chemical parks, ports and terminals, and highway guardrails, effectively reducing the full-life-cycle cost of projects.​ Industry Trends: Growth Driven by Dual Engines of Policy and Demand​ In recent years, China's aluminum-zinc coated steel strand industry has entered a period of rapid development. Market data shows that the domestic market size reached 7.83 billion yuan in 2024, and is expected to increase to 8.5 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year growth of 12.3%. The compound annual growth rate is expected to remain around 9.7% over the next five years, potentially exceeding 13.5 billion yuan by 2030. This growth is mainly driven by the dual engines of policy support and downstream demand—continuous release of policy dividends such as the 2.8 trillion yuan investment in the "14th Five-Year Plan" power grid layout and accelerated development of offshore wind power has provided broad market space for the industry.​ Technological upgrading and industrial integration have become key words for industry development. Currently, new technologies such as zinc-aluminum-magnesium alloy coating and chromium-free passivation are accelerating industrialization, further improving product corrosion resistance and environmental protection levels; industry concentration is constantly increasing, with the top five enterprises accounting for 45% of the market share, expected to rise to 58% by 2028. Small and medium-sized enterprises are gradually withdrawing from the market due to environmental and cost pressures. Meanwhile, the export market has performed brilliantly, with exports reaching 26,000 tons in 2024. Countries along the "Belt and Road" have become major growth points, and the Southeast Asian market share is expected to rise to 53% by 2030. Domestic products are gradually opening up the international market with their cost-effectiveness and technological advantages.​ Industry experts stated that as engineering construction transitions towards "high standards and long service life", aluminum-zinc coated steel strands will develop towards higher strength, better corrosion resistance, and intelligent monitoring. For example, products embedded with IoT chips to achieve full-life-cycle traceability are expected to account for over 30% of the market share by 2030. In the future, driven by the construction of a new power system and the Transportation Power strategy, the product will continue to benefit from demand growth in power, bridges, new energy and other fields, providing solid support for China's high-quality infrastructure development.​  

UHV and New Energy Drive Dual Growth: ACSR Industry Enters a New Era of Energy Conservation and Intelligence Policy-Project Resonance Optimizes Market Demand Structure​ Data from the National Energy Administration shows that the total investment in national power grids during the 14th Five-Year Plan period has exceeded 3 trillion yuan, with UHV projects accounting for over 30%. UHV DC projects such as Longdong-Shandong and Jinshang-Hubei (±800kV) have been intensively commissioned, directly driving the structural growth of ACSR demand. The proportion of demand in the UHV sector is expected to exceed 42% in 2025, with 1250mm² large-section conductors becoming the mainstream configuration. Compared with traditional products, their current-carrying capacity is increased by 50%, which can meet the long-distance power transmission needs of 10-million-kilowatt-class new energy bases.​ New energy grid connection has become another core growth driver. In 2023, China's newly installed wind power capacity reached 75GW and photovoltaic capacity 216GW, both hitting record highs. The large-scale development of wind-solar bases has raised higher requirements for the fatigue resistance and weather resistance of transmission lines. As concentrated new energy base areas, Northwest and North China are expected to maintain a combined demand share of 48%-52% during 2025-2030, promoting the accelerated popularization of special ACSR with high conductivity and sand corrosion resistance. Meanwhile, the upgrading of urban power grids and the deepening of the "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategy have driven sustained strong demand in East and Southwest China. In 2024, East China's market share reached 38.6%, and Southwest China became the fastest-growing region with a growth rate of 21.3%.​ Accelerated Technological Iteration: Energy Conservation and Intelligence as Core Competitiveness​ The upgrading of conductive performance has become the core direction of technological breakthroughs in the industry. High-conductivity hard aluminum ACSR has increased its conductivity to 63% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) by controlling the impurity ratio of aluminum materials, optimizing the drawing process, and adding TiC refiners, reducing the DC resistance by about 3% compared with traditional products. This product has been successfully applied in Jiangsu's 500kV Doushan-Changshu South Line and 220kV Nantong West-Changqing Line. After transformation, the annual power saving has reached 1.393 million kWh and 238,000 kWh respectively, with an investment payback period of only 8.5-9.3 years. At the same time, aluminum alloy core aluminum conductors and all-aluminum alloy conductors have further reduced losses while maintaining mechanical properties through the optimization of Mg-Si alloying formulas and heat treatment, becoming the preferred solution for new energy transmission lines.​ Frontier technology R&D has made breakthroughs in multiple areas, driving products towards "functionalization". Graphene-coated conductors can reduce transmission losses by another 8%-10% and are currently in the pilot-scale test phase; intelligent monitoring conductors integrated with optical fiber sensing technology can real-time feed back stress and temperature data, having been piloted in 7 provincial power grids, with a penetration rate expected to reach 15% by 2030. In the field of special scenarios, the chloride ion corrosion-resistant ACSR developed by Zhejiang Wanma won the bid for China's first deep-sea floating wind power project, and the special conductor for alpine regions launched by Zhongtian Technology can withstand extreme low temperatures of -40℃, gradually forming a pattern of differentiated product competition.​ Intelligent manufacturing and green production have been upgraded simultaneously. Leading enterprises in the industry have introduced AI closed-loop control systems and machine vision inspection technologies, controlling the cross-sectional accuracy tolerance of conductors within ±0.02mm and increasing the single-line production efficiency by more than 30%. In terms of environmental protection, the penetration rate of cyanide-free galvanizing technology is rising rapidly, expected to exceed 90% by 2030; enterprises such as Hebei Iron and Steel Group and Baowu Group have reduced unit product energy consumption by 18% compared with 2019 through green power substitution and waste heat recovery, and the wastewater reuse rate has increased to 92%, so as to meet the compliance requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).​ Optimized Competitive Pattern: Overseas Markets Become New Growth Engines​ Industry concentration continues to increase, with leading enterprises highlighting their advantages. In 2023, the industry's CR5 (market share of the top 5 enterprises) reached 67.3%, with Zhongtian Technology, Hengtong Optic-Electric, and Far East Holdings occupying a dominant position, and the combined production capacity of the three enterprises accounting for over 45%. Leading enterprises have built cost advantages through vertical integration of the industrial chain; for example, Hengtong Optic-Electric has built its own aluminum rod continuous casting and rolling production line, reducing raw material costs by 12%-15%. Small and medium-sized enterprises are focusing on breaking through in niche segments. In the field of UHV special conductors above 500kV, 7 "specialized, refined, characteristic, and innovative" enterprises with annual revenue exceeding 500 million yuan have emerged.​ The export market has achieved counter-trend growth, becoming a new growth engine for the industry. Customs data shows that from January to October 2024, China's ACSR export volume reached 91,500 tons, a year-on-year increase of 7%, accounting for 60% of the total aluminum wire and cable exports; the export volume in October alone was 8,480 tons, a month-on-month surge of 82%, showing a strong recovery momentum. Export markets are mainly concentrated in countries along the "Belt and Road", and power grid construction projects in developing countries such as Ghana, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan have contributed more than 80% of the export growth. With the average annual growth rate of power investment in the RCEP region maintaining at 8.2% and the advancement of enterprises' overseas production capacity layout, the export share is expected to increase from the current 18% to more than 25% by 2030.​ Future Outlook: Technological Upgrading and Global Layout Go Hand in Hand​ Industry experts said that in the next five years, the ACSR industry will enter a deep adjustment period of "quality improvement + structural optimization". The continuous advancement of UHV projects and offshore wind power will drive the rapid growth of demand for large-section and high-corrosion-resistant products; under the "dual carbon" goal, low-loss and low-carbon conductors will become the market mainstream; the integrated application of intelligent monitoring and new materials is expected to further shorten the product iteration cycle. For enterprises, it is necessary to continuously increase R&D investment, improve the full-scenario product matrix, and strengthen green supply chain management and overseas channel construction, so as to seize the competitive high ground in the industry reshuffle and provide solid support for the construction of a new power system.​  

Standard Upgrade Coupled with Technological Breakthroughs: Galvanized Steel Strand Industry Enters a New Phase of High Corrosion Resistance and Green Development National Standard Revision Leads Industry Upgrade to Meet Rigorous Requirements of Multiple Scenarios​ The one-year-long revision of the national standard GB/T 33363 "Prestressed Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel Strands" has made significant progress, and the new version is scheduled to be officially implemented in 2026, marking the full alignment of the industry's technical specifications with international standards. This revision integrates relevant content of GB/T 31314-2014 and implements multiple core optimizations to meet the new demands in the current engineering field: adding 1×19 structure (including Seale type and Warrington type) and 25.4mm specification products to fill the gap in lightweight applications in the 21.8mm~28.6mm range; in terms of mechanical properties, the 1×7 structure adds a new ultra-high strength grade of 2160MPa, the 1×19 structure extends to 1960MPa, the total elongation at maximum force increases from ≥3.5% to ≥4.5%, and the mining anchor cable requires ≥5.0%; the corrosion resistance is greatly enhanced, the upper limit of zinc coating weight is increased to 400g/m², the stay cable products clearly require ≥300g/m², and the neutral salt spray test determination method is introduced, while the marine engineering-specific products need to pass the 240h no-red-rust test. A relevant person in charge of the National Technical Committee of Standardization for Steel (SAC/TC183) stated that the new standard will effectively support the application of high-end scenarios such as wind power, marine engineering, and UHV, and promote the elimination of low-performance production capacity in the industry.​ Accelerated Technological Iteration: High Corrosion Resistance and Intelligence Become Core Competitiveness​ The upgrading of coating technology has become a key breakthrough in the industry, and the industrialization of Zn-Al alloy coating and rare earth microalloying technology is accelerating. By 2024, the number of domestic enterprises with mass production capacity of Zn-Al alloy coatings has reached 27, with a total annual capacity of 850,000 tons, accounting for 20.7% of the total capacity of high-strength galvanized steel strands, an increase of nearly 5 times compared with 2020. Among them, the Zn-8%Al-0.1%Ce coating system jointly developed by Fasten Group and Baowu Research Institute achieved 1850 hours of no red rust in the neutral salt spray test, with a tensile strength retention rate of over 1860MPa, and has been successfully applied in the Qinghai-Henan ±800kV UHV DC project. Research by the University of Science and Technology Beijing confirms that the annual corrosion rate of Zn-5%Al-Re coating in the simulated South China Sea atmospheric environment is only 0.85μm/a, which is far superior to the 2.3μm/a of traditional pure zinc coating, making it the preferred material for projects in coastal high-salt-fog areas.​ The deep integration of intelligent manufacturing and online detection technology has promoted the dual improvement of product quality and production efficiency. Leading enterprises such as Hengxing Technology and Jiangsu Xingda have introduced closed-loop control systems based on AI algorithms, combined with machine vision and infrared thermal imaging technology, to real-time optimize parameters such as air knife pressure and cooling rate, controlling the coating thickness tolerance within ±5μm, increasing the first-pass yield to 97.6%, reducing zinc consumption by 12.1% compared with 2020, and the average industry zinc consumption dropped to 58.7kg per ton of products in 2023. In 2024, the first fully localized Zn-10%Al-Re coating intelligent production line was put into operation in Jiangsu Xingda. Through the replacement of domestic equipment, the investment payback period of a single production line was shortened to 5.7 years, breaking the monopoly of foreign-funded equipment.​ Expanding Market Demand: New Energy and Overseas Markets Become Growth Engines​ In the domestic market, the dual drive of new energy and infrastructure construction promotes demand growth. The southwest region has performed particularly prominently. The newly developed galvanized steel strands by Shuigang Jinke Company recently completed their first shipment, with 29.856 tons of products supplied to the Yunnan Chuxiong Guanyinshan photovoltaic bracket project. The total demand of the project reaches 300 tons, covering four specifications from φ15.2mm to 21.6mm, adapting to the needs of different load-bearing parts; during the same period, another 120 tons of φ15.2mm products were shipped to Chongqing for high-standard farmland construction projects. In the fields of UHV and coastal engineering, State Grid mandatorily required the use of Zn-Al alloy coating products in the new lines built in coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong in 2024, driving the year-on-year growth of related orders by 142%; the demand for high-corrosion-resistance products in scenarios such as wind power and marine engineering further promotes the increase in the proportion of special galvanized steel strands.​ Overseas markets have become a new growth pole, and the acceleration of certification mutual recognition and regional layout is advancing. In 2023, the T/CEC 5021—2023 "Technical Specification for High Corrosion Resistance Galvanized Steel Strands" formulated under the leadership of China Electric Power Research Institute obtained IECEE international mutual recognition, compressing the certification cycle for domestic products to enter the markets of "Belt and Road" countries to within 6 months. In 2024, China's export volume of Zn-Al alloy galvanized steel strands reached 123,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 210%, mainly supplying high-end scenarios such as the Saudi NEOM new city power grid and the Vietnam LNG supporting power transmission project. Hengxing Technology plans to invest in the construction of a high-performance steel strand project in Vietnam to further expand the Southeast Asian market and avoid trade barriers.​ Urgent Green Transformation: Low-Carbon Technology Becomes a New Competitive Track​ Faced with the pressure of the full implementation of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in 2026 (requiring the carbon emission of galvanizing process per unit product to be less than 0.85tCO₂/t), the industry is accelerating low-carbon transformation. Hebei Iron and Steel Group's Tangshan Iron and Steel Base has built the world's first zero-carbon galvanizing demonstration line. Through photovoltaic direct power supply and hydrogen metallurgy reduction zinc vapor recovery technology, it has achieved a carbon emission of 0.32tCO₂/t, a decrease of 62% compared with the industry average. Many enterprises are promoting the transformation of electric heating zinc pots and waste heat recovery systems, and the utilization rate of green electricity is gradually increasing. Low-carbon production capacity has become a core threshold for participating in international competition.​ Industry experts point out that in the next 5-10 years, the galvanized steel strand industry will evolve in depth towards "greenization + functionalization", and new technologies such as self-healing galvanized coatings and intelligent sensing coatings are expected to achieve breakthroughs. Enterprises need to focus on high-end material R&D, domestic equipment upgrading, and low-carbon process innovation to seize opportunities in standard upgrades and global competition, and provide more reliable material support for new energy, new infrastructure and other fields.

Super Projects Drive Technological Iteration: Prestressed Steel Strand Industry Steps into a New Era of High Strength and Green Development Since 2025, driven by national key projects such as the Yarlung Zangbo River Super Hydropower Station and the Xiong'an-Shangqiu High-Speed Railway, China's prestressed steel strand industry has ushered in dual opportunities of product structure upgrading and market demand expansion. Data shows that the industry's market scale is expected to exceed 58 billion yuan in 2025 and climb to 80 billion yuan by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) maintaining a high level of 8.5%. High strength, corrosion resistance, intelligence, and low carbonization have become the core development directions. Major Projects Activate High-End Demand, Large-Scale Application of Ultra-High Strength Products The full-scale construction of the world's largest hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River (with a total investment of 1.2 trillion yuan and an installed capacity of 60GW) has become a "touchstone" for the industry's high-end transformation. The project needs to pass through 17 geological fault zones and areas with 9-degree high seismic intensity, putting forward extreme environmental adaptation requirements for prestressed steel strands. Ultra-high strength steel strands of 2200-2400MPa have been applied on a large scale, with strength increased by more than 40% compared with traditional products, capable of withstanding millions of cycles of load and 8.5-magnitude earthquakes. It is estimated that the project alone requires more than 100,000 tons of steel strands, mainly used in core links such as the support of 50-kilometer extra-long water diversion tunnels, the anchoring of flexible dams, and the reinforcement of high-pressure water transmission pipelines. Among them, intelligent steel strands embedded with fiber Bragg grating sensors realize real-time monitoring of stress and strain with an accuracy of over 90%, providing dynamic guarantee for project safety. In the field of transportation infrastructure, high-speed railway projects such as Xiong'an-Shangqiu, Xiong'an-Xinzhou, and Xi'an-Chongqing have also accelerated the replacement process of ultra-high strength steel strands. The proportion of products above 1860MPa has reached 60%, and 2200MPa products have been successfully extended to 250km/h lines, which not only reduces the amount of engineering materials but also improves structural durability. Data from the Prestressed Branch of the Chinese Society for Metals shows that the current market share of high-performance steel strands (low relaxation, corrosion resistance, ultra-high strength) has reached 35%, and is expected to increase to more than 65% by 2030. Cost Pressure and Policy Drive: Green Transformation Becomes a Key Competitiveness The industry's development is also facing dual challenges of fluctuating raw material prices and tightening environmental policies. As the core raw material, high-carbon steel wire rod has experienced a price fluctuation range of 15%-20% since 2023 due to the impact of bulk commodities such as iron ore and coking coal. Coupled with the proportion of environmental compliance expenditure rising from less than 3% in 2020 to 6.5% in 2024 under the "dual carbon" goal, the average production cost per ton of steel has increased by 18% compared with 2020. To cope with cost pressure, leading enterprises such as Tianjin Yinlong and Kaifeng Hengtong have established long-term agreement procurement mechanisms with upstream steel mills, implemented a "base price + floating" pricing model, and accelerated process upgrading. Low-carbon transformation has become the core competitiveness of enterprises. Shougang Group has reduced the carbon emission intensity of high-carbon steel products by 9% through low-carbon steelmaking technology, and its steel strands exported to Europe can obtain a 3.5% green premium, with a gross profit margin 4 percentage points higher than the industry average. Newly built steel strand projects in the Yangtze River Delta have been forced to be equipped with carbon capture devices, and the Yangtze Economic Belt is forming the world's largest low-carbon steel strand industrial cluster. At the policy level, the "Implementation Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Green Building Materials Industry" clearly promotes the technological upgrading of prestressed materials. Key regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei require the completion of ultra-low emission transformation by 2025, which is expected to promote the withdrawal or transfer of 30% of small and medium-sized production capacity to the central and western regions. Standard Improvement and Overseas Expansion: Continuous Optimization of Industrial Pattern The domestic technical standard system is constantly improving. The National Technical Committee of Standardization for Steel (SAC/TC183) has recently completed the preliminary review of several national standards such as GB/T 25823 and GB/T 33363, further standardizing the technical indicators and inspection requirements of special steel strands such as epoxy-coated and hot-dip galvanized steel strands to meet the needs of high-end projects such as bridges and cables. The international discourse power has also been improved simultaneously. The revision of ISO 14655 "Epoxy-Coated Prestressed Steel Strands for Prestressed Concrete" led by Liuzhou OVM has been approved and established, laying the foundation for Chinese products to enter the international market. Overseas markets have become a new growth pole. The RCEP agreement has reduced tariff barriers in Southeast Asia, and the export volume of domestic steel strands to ASEAN increased by 45% year-on-year in 2023. Hengxing Technology plans to invest in the construction of a 150,000-ton high-performance steel strand project in Vietnam, and a foreign-funded steel strand project in Haikou (with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons) has been put into operation, focusing on radiating the Southeast Asian market to avoid trade barriers. Domestically, the industrial concentration continues to improve. The industry's CR10 has risen from 41% in 2020 to 58% in 2023. Merger and reorganization, as well as intelligent transformation, are accelerating. It is expected that by 2027, intelligent temperature-controlled rolling production lines will account for 40% of the total capacity. Industry experts said that with the in-depth integration of new infrastructure, urban renewal, and the "dual carbon" strategy, the demand for prestressed steel strands in new scenarios such as wind power towers, LNG storage tanks, and UHV power grids will continue to be released. Enterprises need to focus on the R&D of high-strength materials, low-carbon process transformation, and the integration of intelligent monitoring technology to seize opportunities in the new round of industrial upgrading.

High Strength + High Durability: Prestressed Steel Strands Become the "Core Backbone" of Super Projects Core Features: An "Engineering Hard Currency" Combining Strength and Toughness The core competitiveness of prestressed steel strands stems from their excellent comprehensive performance. In terms of strength, mainstream products generally have a tensile strength of over 1860MPa, with some high-end products exceeding the 2000MPa level. A single 1×7 type steel strand with a diameter of 15.2mm can have a breaking force of over 260kN, equivalent to bearing 186 kilograms of tension per square millimeter, effectively resisting the enormous loads of engineering structures. Low relaxation is another major highlight—after stabilization treatment, the product's relaxation rate can be controlled within 2.5%, and some enterprises' products even as low as 2.0%, ensuring stress stability in long-term load-bearing environments and avoiding structural deformation and failure. In structural design, prestressed steel strands adopt a concentric stranded structure of "central wire + outer wires". The outer wires are evenly arranged and twisted around the central wire, which not only ensures uniform overall force bearing but also endows the product with good flexibility, facilitating bending and threading operations during construction. Meanwhile, through surface treatment processes such as galvanizing and epoxy coating, their corrosion resistance is significantly improved, enabling adaptation to harsh environments such as coastal salt spray, industrial humidity, and deep seas. The service life is 2-3 times longer than that of ordinary steel strands. In addition, standardized production and strict quality control make it a "reliable material". Products must comply with domestic and international standards such as GB/T5224 and ASTM A416. From raw material procurement to finished product delivery, they undergo multiple inspections including composition analysis, mechanical property testing, and relaxation testing. The product qualification rate of leading enterprises has increased to 99.6%. Application Scenarios: Wide Coverage from High-Speed Railway Bridges to New Energy Fields The application scenarios of prestressed steel strands have extended from traditional infrastructure to emerging strategic industries, becoming a "safety cornerstone" in multiple fields. In the field of transportation infrastructure, it is a core material for bridge stay cables, railway sleepers, and subway segments—each stay cable of the Qujiang Grand Bridge on the Chengdu-Dazhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway is composed of 55 epoxy-coated steel strands, with a single length of 125.4 meters and a weight of 7.8 tons. Through precise tensioning, it provides key support for the bridge, connecting the cable tower and the main beam and bearing the main load. In major transportation projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, the application of prestressed steel strands not only reduces concrete usage by 30% but also extends the structural service life to over 100 years. Demand for it in the hydropower and new energy sectors continues to rise. In large-scale hydropower projects such as the Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Station, prestressed steel strands are used to reinforce ultra-long tunnels and dam bodies, resisting 8.5-magnitude seismic pressure and extreme water pressure; in the wind power sector, wind turbine towers over 100 meters adopt prestressed concrete structures. The application of steel strands reduces tower costs by 30% and extends the design life to 25 years, adapting to complex terrains such as mountainous areas and tidal flats. In addition, high-end fields such as nuclear power containment structures, LNG projects, and super high-rise buildings have an increasing demand for special prestressed steel strands with radiation resistance and low-temperature resistance, and domestic products have fully replaced imports. Under the trend of infrastructure upgrading, the application scenarios of prestressed steel strands are continuously expanding. In projects such as urban comprehensive pipe galleries, underground integrated transportation hubs, and landslide protection, their anchoring and reinforcement functions are fully utilized, providing safety guarantees for engineering construction under complex geological conditions. Industry Trends: Accelerated Transformation towards High-Endization and Greenization In recent years, China's prestressed steel strand industry has shown a high-quality development trend. From 2020 to 2024, the national output has steadily increased from 21 million tons to 25.5 million tons, with a capacity utilization rate of 91%. The proportion of high-strength products has risen from 58% to 68%, and the output of special products such as epoxy-coated and retarding-bonded strands has grown rapidly. Industry concentration continues to increase, with the top ten enterprises accounting for over 60% of the national capacity. Industrial clusters have formed in regions such as Hebei, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Sichuan, and the popularity of intelligent manufacturing and digital production lines has exceeded 50%. Green transformation has become an industry consensus. By adopting environmental protection technologies such as tunnel-type continuous pickling, waste heat recovery systems, and variable-frequency motors, enterprises have reduced the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of steel by 9.5% compared with 2020, and over 70% of production enterprises have completed ultra-low emission transformations. Meanwhile, green processes such as scrap steel recycling and environmentally friendly anti-corrosion grease are gradually promoted, in line with the industrial development requirements under the "dual carbon" goal. The export market has also performed brilliantly. In 2024, China's export volume of prestressed steel strands reached 1.42 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.2%. Among them, exports to countries along the "Belt and Road" accounted for 68% of the total, and the average export unit price of high-end products increased by 15.3%, significantly enhancing international competitiveness.    

Policy Dividends and Demand Upgrade: China's Steel Cable Industry Embraces Upsurge of High-Quality Development in 2025​ Since 2025, driven by the continuous advancement of new infrastructure, deepening of the "dual carbon" strategy and expansion of overseas markets in China, the steel cable industry has shown a comprehensive development trend of "policy support, technological breakthroughs, strong demand and recovery in exports". The latest industry data shows that the domestic stainless steel cable market size reached 38.76 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%, and is expected to further expand to 40.83 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. The industry is accelerating its transformation towards high-endization, intelligence and greenization.​ Policy Precision Empowers, Consolidating Development Support​ Policy support has become an important engine for industry growth. In 2024, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) jointly issued the Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Innovative Development of Special Metal Products, which clearly provides financial subsidies and tax incentives for the R&D of high-performance stainless steel cables, focusing on supporting the technological breakthrough of high-strength corrosion-resistant steel cables with tensile strength exceeding 2000MPa. This has driven the implementation of 12 key projects, with a total investment of 980 million yuan in special funds, a year-on-year increase of 16.7%. At the local level, major industrial clusters such as Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have introduced supporting policies: Jiangsu Province provides post-subsidies of 25% of the annual R&D investment for steel cable enterprises serving high-end equipment, with a maximum subsidy of 30 million yuan per project; Guangdong Province has established a 2 billion yuan special industrial fund to focus on supporting the development of the marine wind power steel cable industrial chain, effectively reducing enterprise innovation costs and strengthening the industrial cluster effect.​ At the same time, the green and low-carbon policy orientation continues to tighten. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment revised the Clean Production Evaluation Index System for the Iron and Steel Industry in 2024, incorporating the unit energy consumption and wastewater discharge intensity of steel cable production into mandatory assessments. It requires that by the end of 2025, advanced enterprises' comprehensive energy consumption per unit product shall not exceed 580 kg of standard coal/ton, a decrease of 12% compared with the current standard. Driven by policy incentives, the number of enterprises certified as green factories continues to expand. As of the end of 2024, 37 steel cable enterprises have obtained certification, accounting for 61.4% of the total production capacity, an increase of 8.2 percentage points compared with 2023. About 150,000 tons of backward production capacity has been eliminated, and the industrial structure has been continuously optimized.​ Technological Breakthroughs in Key Areas, Accelerating Localization Replacement​ Domestic enterprises have achieved remarkable results in technological research in the field of high-end steel cables, gradually breaking international monopolies. The permanent mooring steel cables developed by leading enterprise Guizhou Wire Rope Co., Ltd. have been successfully applied to the "Nanhai Fenjin" FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Unit), realizing the zero breakthrough in the localization of key mooring equipment in China. The product is required to serve in the marine environment for at least 20 years, demonstrating the high reliability of domestic steel cables. In addition, enterprises continue to make efforts in material R&D and process upgrading, adopting high-wear-resistant stainless steel alloys, high-precision heat treatment technology and automated production lines. The launched special steel cables with corrosion resistance, high strength and light weight have met the needs of high-end fields such as aerospace and deep-sea resource exploitation.​ Intelligent production has become the core competitiveness of enterprises. At present, the level of automated production of domestic steel cable enterprises has exceeded 80%. By introducing technologies such as digital twins and intelligent monitoring, production efficiency has increased by more than 30%, and the stability of product performance has been significantly enhanced. In terms of standard-setting, enterprises such as Guizhou Wire Rope have presided over or participated in the formulation and revision of 55 national, industrial and international standards, marking that China has gained international discourse power in the field of steel wire rope manufacturing technology.​ Continuous Optimization of Demand Structure, Emerging Fields Becoming Growth Engines​ The diversified expansion of downstream application markets has injected lasting momentum into the industry. Bridge construction remains the core demand area with an annual demand exceeding 1 million tons. Major projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Zangke River Grand Bridge all adopt high-end domestic steel cable products. The marine engineering and new energy sectors have shown the most rapid growth. In 2024, the demand for steel cables in marine engineering reached 800,000 tons, mainly used in offshore wind power, deep-sea aquaculture platforms and other projects; the demand in the wind power generation sector reached 300,000 tons. With the continuous expansion of wind power installed capacity, the demand will maintain rapid growth in the future. In addition, the rise of industries such as new energy vehicles, rail transit and high-end equipment manufacturing has further broadened the application scenarios of high-performance steel cables, driving the industry's demand structure to tilt towards high-value-added fields.​ From the perspective of regional distribution, the East China region and the Pearl River Delta account for 60% of the national total production capacity by virtue of their sound industrial foundation, among which Jiangsu Province accounts for more than 40% of the total number of enterprises; relying on resource endowments and policy support, the central and western regions are gradually becoming new growth poles, and the industrial layout is becoming more balanced. In 2024, the total industrial capacity reached 5 million tons, with an annual output of about 3.8 million tons. The market share of leading enterprises exceeded 30%, and the industry concentration continued to increase.​ Steady Expansion of Export Market, Enhancing Overseas Competitiveness​ Benefiting from the accelerated infrastructure construction in countries along the "Belt and Road", the export of domestic steel cables has shown a recovery trend. It is expected that the industry's export volume will exceed 1.25 billion US dollars in 2025, with Southeast Asia, Africa and other regions becoming the main growth points. Local port and bridge projects have a strong demand for cost-effective Chinese steel cables. Relying on technological upgrading and cost advantages, domestic enterprises are gradually seizing market share in the international market. Enterprises such as Jiangsu Xinghai Special Steel achieved an 18.7% year-on-year increase in export volume in 2024, demonstrating strong overseas market development capabilities.​ Industry experts said that in 2025, the steel cable industry will continue to benefit from the triple driving forces of policy dividends, technological innovation and market demand, and high-endization, intelligence and greenization will remain the core development directions. In the future, leading enterprises with core technology R&D capabilities, green production qualifications and overseas market development experience will lead the industry to achieve higher-quality development, promoting China's steel cable industry to accelerate its transformation from a "manufacturing power" to a "manufacturing powerhouse".​  

Technological Innovation + Demand Boom: China's Steel Cable Industry Enters a New Stage of High-Quality Development Since 2025, driven by the acceleration of new infrastructure, deepening energy transformation and overseas market expansion, China's steel cable industry has ushered in a golden period of development with dual improvements in scale and quality. Data shows that the domestic steel cable market size reached 18.7 billion yuan in 2024, and is expected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 9.2% over the next five years, breaking the 30 billion yuan mark by 2030. The industry is accelerating its transformation from "scale expansion" to "technology leadership". Policy and market drive together, and the demand structure continues to optimize. Promoted by the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the transportation power strategy, infrastructure construction has become the cornerstone of industry demand, with bridge construction cables accounting for 42%. Suspension bridge and cable-stayed bridge projects in regions such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Delta Integration have continuously released orders. The energy sector has shown the most impressive growth rate—with offshore wind power installed capacity expected to increase from 60GW in 2025 to 120GW in 2030, the demand for corrosion-resistant marine engineering cables will achieve explosive growth of over 25%. Meanwhile, infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road have driven the annual export growth of special cables by 12%, with exports exceeding 800,000 tons for the first time in 2024, making overseas markets a new growth engine. Technological innovation breaks key bottlenecks, and products move towards high-endization. Domestic enterprises have continued to make efforts in high-strength, corrosion-resistant and intelligent fields. Guizhou Wire Rope Co., Ltd. specially developed 2000MPa ultra-high strength steel wire for the world's highest bridge—Huajiang Canyon Bridge. With a diameter of only 5.7mm, it can lift 5 tons of weight. Combined with zinc-aluminum-magnesium multi-alloy anti-corrosion technology, its corrosion resistance has been improved by more than 3 times, ensuring the service life of the century-old project. The company has also created "smart main cables" by implanting fiber Bragg gratings in the main cable strands, realizing real-time monitoring of stress and temperature, and overcoming the industry problem of ultra-long-distance optical signal transmission. In addition, innovative products such as 1960MPa zinc-aluminum-rare earth alloy coated cables and Z-shaped steel wire sealed ropes have been successively launched, with many technologies reaching the international advanced level. The industry as a whole is moving towards breaking the breaking strength of 2200MPa and reducing weight by 15%-20%, and the mass production yield rate of ultra-fine steel wire with a diameter of 0.15mm has been increased to 98.5%. The industrial pattern is accelerating integration, and intelligence and greenization have become trends. Strict environmental policies have promoted industry reshuffling. The revised "Steel Wire Rope Industry Specification Conditions" in 2023 will eliminate small and medium-sized enterprises with an annual output of less than 50,000 tons. It is expected that the industry concentration rate CR5 will increase from 31% to more than 45% by 2026. The Yangtze River Delta region accounts for 38% of the national production capacity by virtue of its industrial chain advantages. In the central and western regions, supported by new infrastructure policies, the cumulative investment in new production capacity in Chongqing, Guizhou and other places has exceeded 5 billion yuan. Intelligent transformation has become the core of enterprise competition. The whole industry is expected to invest 12 billion yuan in the construction of digital twin factories during 2025-2030, which can increase production efficiency by more than 30%. At the same time, green technologies such as hydrogen steelmaking and scrap steel recycling are gradually promoted, and low-carbon cable products have obtained bulk purchases from central enterprises. In the global market competition, Chinese enterprises have gradually gained a say. In the field of marine engineering cables, enterprises such as Jiangsu Langshan Steel Wire Co., Ltd. and Guizhou Wire Rope Co., Ltd. have relied on independently developed multi-layer composite anti-corrosion coating technology, and their products' salt spray resistance has reached the international advanced level, breaking the high-end monopoly of international giants such as South Korea's Kiswire and Belgium's Bridon-Bekaert. Domestic products not only occupy major domestic marine engineering markets, but also are exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other regions, with a continuously increasing market share in niche areas such as ship anchoring and deep-sea exploration. Industry experts said that with the deep integration of technological upgrading and demand upgrading, the steel cable industry will continue to benefit from the triple dividends of new infrastructure, new energy and overseas exports. In the future, leading enterprises with high-strength material R&D capabilities, intelligent production line layout and green production qualifications will dominate the global market competition, promoting China's steel cable industry to accelerate its transformation from a "manufacturing power" to a "manufacturing powerhouse". Would you like me to supplement a comparative table of competitiveness of key enterprises in the steel cable industry, clearly presenting the technical advantages, market share and core products of leading enterprises at home and abroad?

Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd.: Galvanized Steel Strand, Building a Safe Line of Defense Across Multiple Fields I. Core Structure and Classification: Adapting to Diverse Needs​ The core advantage of galvanized steel strand stems from its scientific structure: it uses multiple high-carbon steel wires as the base material, adopting a concentric stranding method of "central wire + outer layer wires". The outer wires are evenly arranged around the central wire and twisted, which ensures uniform force distribution among the wires, greatly improves the overall tensile strength, and maintains good flexibility. The company's galvanized steel strands mainly include the 1×7 type (7-wire stranding), supplemented by special specifications such as 1×19 type, to meet the load-bearing requirements of different scenarios.​ In terms of classification, it can be divided into ordinary stranded type and compacted type according to cross-sectional structure—the former is suitable for conventional scenarios, while the latter reduces wire gaps through compaction technology to enhance structural density and corrosion resistance; according to tensile strength, it is classified into grades such as 1570MPa, 1770MPa and 1860MPa, corresponding to different load requirements; according to zinc layer thickness, there are ordinary galvanized and thick galvanized types. The thick galvanized products have a zinc layer weight of ≥610g/m², suitable for high-corrosion environments. The rich specification system enables the products to accurately match the needs of various projects.​ II. Outstanding Performance: Dual Advantages of Strength and Weather Resistance​ (1) High-Strength Bearing Capacity: Safety Guarantee​ Relying on high-quality raw materials and precision stranding technology, the company's galvanized steel strands have a tensile strength of up to 1860MPa, capable of withstanding huge tensile force and impact loads. In scenarios such as bridge suspension and geotechnical anchoring, it can stably transmit stress, resist deformation risks caused by external loads, and provide core guarantee for the safety of engineering structures. Its breaking force is much higher than the industry average, ensuring long-term reliable use without failure.​ (2) Galvanized Protection: Strong Corrosion Resistance​ The galvanized layer is the "anti-corrosion armor" of the steel strand. The company adopts the hot-dip galvanizing process, which forms a metallurgical bond between the zinc layer and the steel wire, resulting in strong adhesion and resistance to peeling. It can effectively isolate air, moisture and corrosive media to prevent steel wire rust. In harsh environments such as coastal salt spray and industrial humidity, the service life of the product is 2-3 times longer than that of ordinary steel strands, significantly reducing operation and maintenance replacement costs.​ (3) Flexibility and Processability: Adapting to Complex Scenarios​ Despite its outstanding strength, the galvanized steel strand still maintains good flexibility, which can be bent, cut and installed according to engineering needs, adapting to complex construction environments such as bridges, towers and foundation pits. Its stranded structure reduces stress concentration on individual steel wires, maintaining structural stability under repeated bending and long-term stress, and combining construction convenience with use reliability.​ III. Core Production Process: Precision Control from Raw Materials to Finished Products​ (1) Raw Material Selection: Controlling Quality from the Source​ The company adheres to selecting high-quality high-carbon steel wire rods from Shagang Group, with sulfur and phosphorus content below 0.025% and stable mechanical properties, laying a solid foundation for product strength; the zinc ingots adopt Grade 0 high-purity zinc with a purity of ≥99.99%, ensuring a uniform and dense galvanized layer. Each batch of raw materials must undergo multiple inspections such as composition analysis and mechanical testing, and unqualified raw materials are firmly rejected.​ (2) Wire Drawing and Stranding: Precision Determines Performance​ The wire rods are made into specified steel wires through multiple cold drawing processes, with diameter tolerance controlled within ±0.02mm to ensure uniform performance of single wires; in the stranding process, computer-controlled multi-head stranding equipment is used to strictly control the lay length and tension, ensuring tight arrangement and balanced force of the wires, and avoiding performance shortcomings caused by uneven stranding.​ (3) Hot-Dip Galvanizing and Testing: Building a Solid Defense for Protection and Quality​ The continuous hot-dip galvanizing process is adopted, where the steel wires undergo pickling, annealing, hot-dip galvanizing and other processes, resulting in uniform and controllable zinc layer thickness; the finished products must pass multiple tests including zinc layer adhesion, tensile strength, torsion performance and corrosion resistance, while complying with GB/T 1200-2016 standards and international ASTM A475 requirements, with a pass rate stably above 99.9%.​ IV. Wide Applications: "Safe Link" Across Multiple Fields​ (1) Power Transmission: Stable Support for Lifeline​ In power lines, galvanized steel strands are used as overhead ground wires and tower stay wires, resisting extreme weather such as strong winds and ice coating, and protecting the safe operation of transmission lines. The company's products have been applied in multiple provincial power grid projects, adapting to 110kV-500kV voltage levels, with a total supply exceeding 8,000 kilometers, and have gained recognition from State Grid Corporation of China for their high stability.​ (2) Construction and Infrastructure: "Backbone" of Engineering Structures​ In bridge construction, it is used for suspension systems and prestressed anchoring; in geotechnical engineering, it serves as the core material for foundation pit support and slope anchoring; in building curtain walls, it undertakes load-bearing and fixing functions. With high strength and corrosion resistance, the products have assisted in the smooth completion of projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge auxiliary project and Hefei Metro foundation pits.​ (3) Communication and Other Fields: Guarantee for Stable Transmission​ In the communication industry, it acts as a load-bearing component for communication cables, ensuring the stability of cable erection at high altitudes; at the same time, it is widely used in highway guard cables, port terminal fixing, agricultural greenhouse frames and other scenarios, becoming a cross-industry "versatile" material.​ V. Future Outlook: Technological Upgrading to Empower Green Development​ Facing the market demand for high-performance and long-life materials, the company will continue to optimize production processes, develop upgraded products such as zinc-aluminum alloy coatings and rare earth-modified galvanized steel strands, and further improve corrosion resistance and strength; at the same time, it will promote energy-saving transformation of production processes, reduce energy consumption per unit product, and align with the "dual carbon" goal. In the future, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. will continue to focus on quality, providing higher-quality galvanized steel strand products for power, infrastructure, communication and other fields, and building a solid safe line of defense for projects.​  

Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd.: Aluminum-Clad Steel-Cored Aluminum Stranded Wire, Empowering Efficient and Green Power Transmission​ Driven by the dual forces of new energy transformation and power grid upgrading, the power transmission sector imposes increasingly stringent requirements on conductor products—they must not only deliver excellent electrical conductivity but also balance mechanical strength, weather resistance, and energy efficiency. As a benchmark enterprise in China's rare earth steel cable industry, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has deepened its R&D in power transmission materials. Its flagship product, the aluminum-clad steel-cored aluminum stranded wire, has emerged as the preferred solution for medium and high-voltage power transmission projects, thanks to its core advantages of "strong core, tough structure, and high efficiency," injecting robust momentum into the construction of green power grids.​ The core innovation of the aluminum-clad steel-cored aluminum stranded wire lies in its structural design: it features an aluminum-clad steel wire as the reinforcing core, with high-conductivity hard aluminum wires stranded on the outer layer, forming a synergistic system of "steel core bearing load and aluminum layer conducting electricity." This structure inherits the high tensile strength and fatigue resistance of the steel core while leveraging the excellent electrical conductivity of aluminum, perfectly addressing the industry pain point of traditional conductors—"the trade-off between strength and conductivity." It is also one of the core power products developed by the company based on rare earth alloy modification technology.​ I. Core Manufacturing Processes: Meticulous Craftsmanship for Quality Excellence​ (1) Raw Material Selection: Controlling Basic Performance from the Source​ The quality of raw materials directly determines the final performance of the conductor. Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has established strict raw material procurement standards: the steel core adopts high-quality low-alloy steel wire rods produced by Shagang Group, with a tensile strength of ≥1270MPa and an elongation rate of ≥7%, ensuring the mechanical bearing capacity of the reinforcing core; the aluminum rods are made from high-conductivity aluminum ingots with a purity of ≥99.7%, processed through continuous casting and rolling, achieving an electrical conductivity of over 61% IACS, laying a foundation for efficient power transmission. Each batch of raw materials undergoes 8 rigorous inspections before storage, including composition analysis, mechanical property testing, and conductivity measurement, with unqualified materials firmly rejected.​ (2) Metallurgical Cladding: Innovative Technology for Strong Interlayer Bonding​ The effective combination of aluminum and steel is crucial to product performance. The company adopts the industry-leading continuous extrusion cladding process: aluminum ingots heated to 450℃ are tightly clad on the surface of derusted and preheated steel cores through extrusion dies, achieving metallurgical bonding between aluminum and steel. This bonding method eliminates issues such as interlayer separation and oxide peeling that may occur in traditional cladding processes, forming a solid integrated structure of aluminum layer and steel core. It not only enhances the structural stability of the conductor but also improves weather resistance, ensuring consistent performance under long-term tension and bending conditions.​ (3) Precision Processing: Millimeter-Level Control for Product Accuracy​ The clad composite wire billet undergoes multiple precision drawing processes, with diameter gradually reduced through dies, controlling the outer diameter tolerance of the conductor within ±0.05mm. In the stranding process, computer-controlled multi-head stranding equipment is used to strictly control the lay ratio of aluminum wires (maintained at 12-16 times the conductor diameter), ensuring uniform arrangement and balanced stress of outer aluminum wires, and avoiding local electric field concentration or mechanical strength degradation caused by uneven stranding. Before delivery, finished products undergo multiple tests, including DC resistance, tensile strength, torsion performance, and corrosion resistance, ensuring full compliance with GB/T 1179-2017 Round Wire Concentric Stranded Overhead Conductors standards.​ II. Outstanding Performance Advantages: Multi-Dimensional Upgrades for Efficient Power Transmission​ (1) High Efficiency and Energy Saving: Reducing Losses, Enhancing Transmission Efficiency​ Compared with traditional steel-cored aluminum stranded wires, the aluminum-clad steel-cored aluminum stranded wire offers significantly improved conductivity. The metallurgical bonding between the aluminum layer and steel core reduces contact resistance, and the high-purity aluminum rods provide superior electrical conductivity, increasing the product's current-carrying capacity by 2-3% compared to ordinary steel-cored aluminum stranded wires. Taking a 110kV power transmission line as an example, the application of this product reduces power loss per kilometer by 4-6%, enabling energy savings of approximately 120,000 kWh per year for a 100-kilometer line. Its long-term energy-saving benefits are remarkable, aligning with the development needs of energy conservation and consumption reduction in power grids under the "dual carbon" goal.​ (2) Lightweight and Stable: Reducing Burden, Ensuring Line Safety​ The aluminum-clad steel-cored aluminum stranded wire is 5% lighter than traditional steel-cored aluminum stranded wires. This advantage directly reduces the load-bearing pressure on transmission line towers, not only reducing the consumption of tower materials and engineering construction costs but also enhancing the line's span capacity. Meanwhile, the product has a lower thermal expansion coefficient, reducing line sag by 1-2% during operation, effectively avoiding safety hazards caused by excessive conductor sag in high temperatures. It is particularly suitable for long-span transmission scenarios such as mountain valleys, cross-river, and cross-sea projects.​ III. Main Application Scenarios: Comprehensive Coverage to Support Power Grid Upgrading​ (1) Coastal Area Transmission Lines​ China's coastal areas have high salt spray concentration and humidity, imposing extremely high requirements on the corrosion resistance of conductors. With its excellent anti-corrosion capability, the aluminum-clad steel-cored aluminum stranded wire of Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has been successfully applied in projects such as the Zhejiang Zhoushan Islands Cross-Sea Power Transmission Project and the Fujian Xiamen Coastal Power Grid Upgrading Project, with a total supply exceeding 5,000 kilometers, effectively ensuring the stability and reliability of power transmission in coastal areas.​ (2) Industrial Polluted Regions​ In industrial polluted areas such as chemical parks and metallurgical plants, acid-base gases in the air are prone to corroding conductors. The product has been widely used in transmission line renovation projects in Jiangsu Suzhou Industrial Park and Shandong Zibo Chemical Base. Its ability to withstand acid-base erosion reduces line failure rates, ensuring continuous power supply for industrial production.​ As an enterprise deeply engaged in the power transmission materials sector, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has always taken technological innovation as the core and quality control as the guarantee. In the future, the company will continue to optimize the production process of aluminum-clad steel-cored aluminum stranded wires, explore the application of rare earth alloys in conductors, further improve product conductivity and weather resistance, and provide higher-quality products and services for China's power grid upgrading and green energy development.​    

Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd.: Fortifying the "Steel Foundation" of Super Projects with High-Quality Prestressed Steel Strands   As a leading enterprise in China's prestressed steel strand industry, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has always adhered to the mission of "empowering super projects and safeguarding structural safety" since its establishment. Relying on independently developed high-performance products, a strict quality control system, and full-process engineering services, it has become a core material supplier for major national infrastructure projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Station, injecting "steel strength" into the high-quality development of China's infrastructure construction. 1. Deepening R&D to Solve Material Performance Challenges In the field of prestressed steel strands, breakthroughs in material performance directly determine the upper limit of engineering construction. Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has established a R&D team led by more than 30 industry experts and set up a provincial-level "Special Steel Wire and Steel Strand Engineering Technology Research Center". It has invested over 200 million yuan in R&D accumulatively, overcoming a number of technical bottlenecks. To address complex working conditions such as high stress and strong corrosion, the team has innovatively developed the "1860MPa grade ultra-low relaxation steel strand". By optimizing the alloy composition design (adding trace elements such as chromium and vanadium) and improving the stabilization treatment process, the relaxation rate of the product is controlled below 2.0% (far lower than the national standard of 2.5%), ensuring structural stability even in long-term stress environments. For the needs of marine engineering, the independently developed "zinc-aluminum alloy coated steel strand" adopts a hot-dip plating process to form a double-layer anti-corrosion structure, and its salt spray corrosion resistance is more than 3 times higher than that of traditional galvanized products. It has been successfully applied in the construction projects of China's South China Sea islands and reefs. Up to now, the company has owned 58 patents, including 16 invention patents. It has led or participated in the formulation of 3 national and industrial standards such as Prestressed Concrete Steel Strands (GB/T5224), and its technical level has reached the international advanced and domestic leading level. 2. Full-Chain Quality Control to Uphold the Bottom Line of Project Safety As a "lifeline" material for engineering projects, the quality of prestressed steel strands allows no negligence. Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has built a full-chain quality control system "from raw materials to finished products, and from production to delivery" to ensure that every meter of steel strand meets strict standards. At the raw material end, the company has established a "qualified supplier list" and only selects high-carbon steel wire rods from top domestic steel mills such as Shagang Group. Each batch of raw materials must undergo 12 indicators of inspection including composition analysis and mechanical property testing, and unqualified raw materials are strictly prohibited from entering the factory. In the production link, it is equipped with 20 automated production lines and adopts a dual control mode of "online monitoring + offline sampling inspection". Through precision equipment such as laser diameter gauges and relaxation testing machines, it real-time monitors key parameters such as the diameter deviation and tensile strength of steel strands, ensuring that the product qualification rate remains above 99.9%. Before the finished products are delivered from the warehouse, they must also undergo sampling inspection by a third-party authoritative organization (National Metal Products Quality Inspection and Testing Center), and can only be delivered after a qualified report is issued, eliminating quality risks from the source. It is precisely relying on the extreme pursuit of quality that the company's products have successively passed international standard certifications such as ASTM A416 and EN 10138, successfully entering overseas markets such as Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, with a total export volume exceeding 50,000 tons. 3. Customized Product System to Adapt to Diverse Engineering Needs Different engineering scenarios have significantly different requirements for the performance and specifications of steel strands. Based on a deep understanding of industry needs, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. has built a full-category product matrix covering "structural forms, coating processes, and specifications", providing customized solutions. In terms of structural forms, the company can produce three major types of products: unbonded, bonded, and retarding-bonded steel strands. Unbonded steel strands adopt high-density PE sleeves + special anti-corrosion grease, which are suitable for rapid construction scenarios such as prefabricated floor slabs and subway segments, with an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons. Bonded steel strands enhance the bond strength with concrete by precisely controlling the stranding parameters, making them the first choice for load-bearing structures such as bridges and dams. It has supplied more than 12,000 tons of bonded steel strands for the Yarlung Zangbo River Hydropower Station project. Retarding-bonded steel strands innovatively use curable cementitious materials to achieve "no bonding during the construction phase and full bonding during the operation phase", providing flexible solutions for the construction of special-shaped bridges and large-span venues. For special fields such as nuclear power and chemical industry, the company can also customize special steel strands with radiation resistance and acid-alkali resistance according to customer needs. For example, the "epoxy-coated steel strand" independently developed for the containment structure project of a nuclear power plant has passed authoritative testing. Its mechanical properties remain stable in an environment with a γ-ray radiation dose of 105Gy, fully meeting the safety requirements of nuclear power plants. 4. Full-Process Engineering Services to Facilitate Efficient Project Construction In addition to high-quality products, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. also provides full-process engineering services including "technical consultation, scheme design, on-site guidance, and after-sales tracking" to help customers solve construction problems and improve project construction efficiency. In the early stage of the project, the company's technical team will go deep into the construction site, and provide customers with steel strand selection suggestions and tensioning scheme optimization services based on the engineering geological conditions and structural design requirements. For example, in the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, in response to the needs of long-span and high seismic resistance of the bridge, the team customized the "15.2mm diameter 1×7 type steel strand" and optimized the tensioning process parameters, which increased the construction efficiency by 25% and effectively shortened the construction period. During the construction process, it dispatches professional technical personnel to provide on-site guidance, assisting customers in solving technical problems in links such as blanking and cutting, and strand threading and tensioning. It has provided on-site services for more than 3,000 person-times accumulatively. After the project delivery, it establishes a "product file", regularly tracks the use of products, and provides lifelong technical support, so that customers have no worries. 5. Layout in Future Tracks to Lead the Green Transformation of the Industry With the advancement of the "dual carbon" goal and the development of infrastructure intelligence, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. is actively deploying in future tracks and exploring the green and intelligent upgrading of the prestressed steel strand field. In terms of green production, the company has invested 80 million yuan in the energy-saving transformation of production lines, adopting equipment such as waste heat recovery systems and variable-frequency motors, which reduces the energy consumption per unit product by 18% and reduces carbon emissions by more than 5,000 tons annually. At the same time, it has developed recyclable "environmentally friendly anti-corrosion grease" to replace traditional toxic and harmful additives, realizing the green environmental protection of the entire life cycle of materials. In the field of intelligence, the company is building a "prestressed steel strand digital twin system". By implanting RFID chips into products, it real-time collects data from links such as steel strand production, transportation, and construction, and builds a full-life-cycle digital file to help customers realize engineering quality traceability and intelligent operation and maintenance. At present, this system has been piloted in a wind power tower project and achieved remarkable results. "In the future, Anhui Litong Rare Earth Steel Cable Co., Ltd. will continue to be driven by technological innovation and supported by quality services, continue to deepen its focus on the prestressed steel strand field, provide safer, more efficient, and greener material solutions for more super projects, and contribute more strength to the new height of China's infrastructure construction." said Mr. Zhang XX, General Manager of the company.