This is the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, as well as the 70th anniversary of China’s aeronautical materials industry.
AECC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials (BIAM), a subsidiary of Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), was founded in Beijing on May 26, 1956. This was the first aeronautical research institution in China, the first step of the country’s aeronautical materials industry.
Build Up from Nothing
In the 1950s, China was impeded by its underdeveloped industries, and the aeronautical material industry was especially lagging. BIAM took the pioneering role to remedy the situation. It stood out in producing advanced materials, including ultra-high-strength steel and multiple alloys that could endure high temperatures; many of the materials were first seen in the country. BIAM also completed the design and production of China’s first 7.5-kilogram vacuum arc remelting furnace with consumable electrodes.
These outcomes made by BIAM with hard work and perseverance marked the birth of China’s aeronautical material industry.
Strive for Excellence
China’s aeronautical material industry has prospered over the past decades. The country mastered techniques necessary for directional solidification and single crystal growth. A series of single crystal alloys and alloys that can endure high temperatures were domestically produced. Aero-engine research and production were thus pushed forward.
China-made 300M steel stood out for its internationally advanced performance, which was used to prolong the service life of fighter jets’ undercarriages. More and more special functional materials appeared in China, such as organic glass, honeycomb-structure adhesives and special materials for brake systems, and these materials were globally excellent in stealth, corrosion resistance and high-temperature resistance. Composite materials with even better performance were produced domestically and used widely, such as on the C919 aircraft. Auxiliary techniques, like non-destructive testing, became commonplace.
BIAM played a crucial role in China’s major engineering and national economy. It produced eight types of customized aluminum alloys for Shenzhou-series spacecraft, including the conformal antenna on reentry capsule hatch.
During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, BIAM made special materials to protect and decorate the main Olympic cauldron at the Bird’s Nest, and it produced the eye-catching giant scroll, a 4,000-square-meter portable LED platform, which allowed dancers to perform on it at the opening ceremony. BIAM also introduced intelligent graphene products to ensure the warmth of stadiums and athletes in low temperatures for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Notably, BIAM’s aeronautical aluminum and titanium alloys are also used in high-speed trains, thereby enhancing their safety and comfort. Anti-corrosion and high-temperature-resistant coatings were adopted in new energy power plants, deep-sea equipment and high-end chemical equipment, and advanced composite materials were used in civil aircraft and the components of high-end autos. The results of independent innovation were repeatedly highlighted with advanced materials successfully utilized across various sectors.
BIAM forged ahead with the tide of the times, achieving a full industrial system that ranged from R&D and manufacturing to examination and assessment.
Bold Innovations
In recent years, BIAM has enriched its business layout with new product cultivation, introduction of external investors, and cooperation with leading enterprises, local governments and social capital.
In 2016, BIAM incorporated a precision casting company based in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province. In 2017, BIAM began construction on its production base in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, where a lights-out factory and advanced intelligent production lines were put into operation one after the other. On July 19, 2023, BIAM was successfully listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange Science and Technology Innovation Board. In 2024, BIAM registered its subsidiary for testing, further complementing the service it could offer.
Seventy years flew by as BIAM remained aligned with national strategies in its technical exploration, business layout, mechanism innovation and capital utilization, thereby accomplishing its military industrial mission and meeting market needs.
BIAM has gradually built a modern industrial system that can manufacture critical aeronautical materials and support collaborative development across various sectors, substantially contributing to building China into an aviation powerhouse.
(Executive editor Zuo Shihan)
