In the near twenty years, with the rapid increase of Chinese economy, Chinese welding technology developed very fast. In 2003, the annual output of steel in China has reached 230 megatons and above 40 percent was manufactured by welding process. The main welding engineering projects include: the Three Gorges power station, bridges over the Changjiang River, high pressure heavy-duty chemical container, pipeline project of transfer-ring natural gas from West to East and manned spacecraft etc. Meanwhile, Chinese annual output of welding materials exceeds 1,200 kilotons, welding equipments exceed 200,000 sets and the welding automation rate reached 40 percent. The State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding Production Technology in Harbin Institute of Technology is the only welding laboratory of national level in China. It is the base of applied fundamental research and high quality welding technicians training. It has completed many projects of welding technology development and some significant applied engineering tasks. Every year, about 15-20 Doctors, 40-50 Masters and 70-100 Bachelors graduate from the Laboratory. Also, it is opened to the whole world.
