The final piece of the carbon fiber equipment standards puzzle has fallen into place.
First-Ever National Standard for Precursor Equipment
The national standard 'Terminology, Classification, and Model Numbering Method for Complete Sets of Polyacrylonitrile Fiber Production Equipment' has been officially approved and will take effect on February 1, 2027. It was jointly drafted by Zhejiang Jinggong Integrated Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Huachuang Carbon Fiber Technology Co., Ltd., marking China's first national standard for carbon fiber precursor equipment.
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor is the precursor to carbon fiber, and its quality directly determines the strength and stability of the final carbon fiber. The precision and intelligence level of precursor equipment directly impact production yield and cost. For a long time, China lacked unified specifications in this field, with equipment terminology, classification, and model numbering varying widely, leading to inefficiencies in production line design, equipment procurement, and supply chain coordination.
The new standard unifies terminology, classification, and model numbering rules across the entire precursor production process, from polymerization and spinning to drawing, drying, and solvent recovery. This marks the end of 'communication chaos' in the domestic precursor equipment sector. For equipment suppliers, unified naming rules provide a rigid basis for product benchmarking and selection. For downstream carbon fiber producers, communication costs for production line design and equipment procurement will be significantly reduced.
Complete Equipment Standard System Takes Shape
Notably, this is not Jinggong Technology's first move in carbon fiber equipment standards. The national standard 'Terminology, Classification, and Model Numbering Method for Complete Sets of Fiber Carbonization Production Equipment,' also led by Jinggong, has been in effect since June 2025. With this, both the precursor and carbonization segments of the carbon fiber production chain are now covered by national standards, forming a unified and coherent standard system for China's entire carbon fiber equipment ecosystem.
What does this mean for the industry? First, from a supply chain synergy perspective, unified standards will lower technical barriers between upstream and downstream enterprises. Previously, precursor and carbonization equipment suppliers used different terminology systems, requiring extensive manual translation and adaptation during production line integration. Now, unified terminology and classification enable smoother transmission of equipment interfaces and process parameters.
Second, from an industrial upgrade perspective, the standard's implementation will accelerate the intelligentization of domestic precursor equipment. A unified model numbering method means equipment performance indicators can be quantitatively compared, pushing equipment companies to enhance product competitiveness rather than relying on naming tricks. For buyers, the standard provides a more transparent basis for price comparison and selection.
Large-Tow and High-Performance Precursor Remain Key Challenges
Jinggong Technology has stated that it will continue to collaborate with Huachuang Technology, leveraging the two national standards for promotion and application, while simultaneously advancing group standards to tackle core bottlenecks in large-tow, high-performance PAN precursor, and carbonization equipment.
A key judgment here is that standard implementation is only the first step. The real challenge lies in translating standards into industrial competitiveness. Large-tow carbon fiber precursor equipment requires extremely high precision in spinning and drawing processes, and China still lags behind international advanced levels in this area. The unified standard provides a 'coordinate system' for domestic equipment companies to catch up, but technological breakthroughs still require substantial R&D investment.
For downstream application sectors, the standard's implementation will accelerate the substitution of domestic carbon fiber in high-value-added fields such as aerospace, wind turbine blades, and pressure vessels. Previously, end-users had doubts about the batch consistency of domestic carbon fiber, largely due to the lack of unified precursor equipment specifications. Now, with national standards for precursor equipment, the stability of precursor quality has a more reliable equipment guarantee.