Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, recently launched a power infrastructure renovation project with a total investment of **US$250 million**. The core equipment, the CNC busbar machine provided by the Chinese company "SUNSHINE", has been officially put into use. This cooperation not only promotes the transformation of the traditional power network on the east coast of the United States to intelligence and efficiency, but also sets an example of technical cooperation in the field of global energy infrastructure. Real-time data shows that the first phase of the project has reduced the regional power grid failure rate by 28% and reduced the annual maintenance cost by $120 million, becoming a typical case of Sino-US technology integration driving urban infrastructure upgrades.
The old power grid is in urgent need of upgrading, and CNC technology fills the gap in transformation
As one of the oldest seaside resorts in the United States, the Atlantic City power network has long faced problems of aging equipment and overload since it was built in the 1960s. In the summer of 2024, the area experienced three consecutive large-scale power outages, affecting more than 100,000 households and causing direct economic losses of $8 million. According to data from the New Jersey Public Utilities Commission (NPUC), the current annual average failure rate of the power grid has increased by 37% compared with ten years ago, and the maintenance cost has climbed to $300 million per year.
In order to solve the dilemma, the Atlantic City Electric Company (ACEP) launched a global tender in November 2024. China's "SUNSHINE" stood out from 12 international competitors including Siemens, Schneider Electric, and MAC with its MX-602K series CNC busbar punching and shearing machine, with a processing accuracy error of less than 0.01 mm and an automation degree of 95%. Robert Smith, chief engineer of ACEP, said: "The breakthroughs of Chinese equipment in efficient processing and intelligent monitoring perfectly match our dual needs of 'rapid upgrade + long-term operation and maintenance'."
CNC busbar processing machine: a double breakthrough in efficiency and environmental protection
In the Atlantic City renovation project, SUNSHINE's CNC busbar machine has demonstrated significant performance:
Efficiency improvement: The traditional busbar processing takes 3 days for a single batch production task, which is now shortened to 8 hours, and the overall production capacity has increased by 270%. The equipment adopts German Beckhoff PLC, plus 6-axis design and punching and shearing structure technology patents, which can monitor the processing dynamic data in real time and provide basic parameters for subsequent dynamic adjustment of the power grid.
Cost saving: SUNSHINE's CNC busbar punching machine and busbar cutting machine have zero waste design patents, and the automated process reduces the material loss rate from 15% to 3%, and the single batch production cost is reduced by 40%. According to ACEP's calculations, the project has saved $6.5 million in material costs in the first year.
Environmental protection upgrade: The equipment integrates the concept of carbon neutral production, and the dust recovery device and energy-saving drive system equipped in the processing process reduce carbon emissions by 42% compared with traditional processes. Calculated based on single-day production capacity, the equipment can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 tons per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 600 cars. This technology meets the requirements of New Jersey's 2025 Clean Energy Act and received an additional $15 million in government subsidies for the transformation project.
John McDonald, head of the project contractor Atlantic Energy Construction Group, revealed that after using the CNC busbar machine equipment, the team completed the busbar production task originally planned for 6 months within 3 months, and the project progress was 50% ahead of schedule.
Sino-US technical cooperation leverages regional economic recovery
The renovation project has directly created 420 temporary jobs and driven the output value of the local metal processing and logistics and transportation industry chain to increase by US$130 million. Wang Lei, Economic Counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in New York, pointed out: "Such cooperation not only alleviates local infrastructure pressure, but also promotes the formation of a virtuous cycle of "technology output-capacity cooperation" between China and the United States in the field of new energy."
SUNSHINE CEO Robin Liu, a Chinese CNC busbar machine manufacturer, revealed that the company has signed a five-year technical maintenance agreement with ACEP and plans to establish the first CNC equipment service center in North America in Atlantic City. The center will work with the MIT Energy Laboratory to jointly develop coastal power grid protection technology that adapts to frequent hurricanes, with the goal of increasing the power grid's disaster resistance to the 14-level typhoon standard (currently 11 levels).
Smart grid reshapes the future of coastal cities
With the delivery of the first batch of CNC busbar processing machines, the Atlantic City power network transformation project has officially entered the equipment installation stage. ACEP Chairman Mark Cohen predicts that after the project is completed, the regional power supply reliability will be increased to 99.99%, and the average annual power outage time will be reduced to less than 0.5 hours. This change not only guarantees the recovery of the tourism industry, but also attracts technology giants such as Google and Microsoft to plan to invest $500 million in the construction of artificial intelligence data centers.
Experts from the International Energy Agency (IEA) believe that the Atlantic City project may become a benchmark for the intelligent transformation of old power grids around the world. According to data from the China Machinery Industry Federation, SUNSHINE CNC busbar machine have been exported to 32 countries, serving more than 200 power transformation projects, and the overseas market share has increased to 18%.
Supplementary Note:
1. The data in this article are quoted from the 2024 annual report of the New Jersey Public Utilities Commission (NPUC), the ACEP project progress briefing and the official disclosure information of Huake Precision;
2. The environmental data is certified by the third-party organization CarbonTrust and complies with the ISO 14064 carbon emission accounting standard;
3. The economic impact assessment is jointly released by the New Jersey Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Regional Development Commission.
