Starting with MFL testing, Ruicheng pursues truth through physics, acts with resolve, and has broken the foreign monopoly in steel pipe inspection—evolving from a follower to a leader.
Breaking Core Technology Bottlenecks: How Domestic MFL Inspection Equipment Delivers Import Substitution
China’s total special steel output hit 82.3 million tons in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. High-end special steel accounted for 28% of total output, up 4 percentage points from 2024.
China’s annual special steel output stands at around 110 million tons, accounting for 39.2% of global total special steel output, ranking first worldwide.
The capacity utilization rate of domestic special steel manufacturers reached 69.29% in April 2026, compared with the 10-year industry average of 63.64%.
In 2025, the main business revenue of the special steel industry exceeded 1.2 trillion RMB, with an average profit margin of 7.8%, 3.1 percentage points higher than that of ordinary steel.
In 2025, Fushun Special Steel posted operating revenue of 7.783 billion RMB, down 8.26% year-on-year, with a net loss of 805 million RMB attributable to parent companies, plummeting 820.76% year-on-year.
Listed steel enterprises recorded a total profit of 7.5 billion RMB in 2025, of which the special steel segment contributed 4.5 billion RMB, versus only 3 billion RMB from ordinary steel.
China exported 13.8 million tons of special steel in 2025, rising 10.2% year-on-year. Southeast Asia and the Middle East accounted for 35% and 22% of total exports respectively.
From January to May 2025, cumulative exports of special steel bars reached 1.1628 million tons, surging 58.57% year-on-year.
Nearly 60% of mainstream high-end NDT testing equipment in China’s special steel sector relies on imports, while over 90% of high-end flaw detectors in university labs are imported.
The overall domestic market scale of non-destructive testing equipment stands at about 30 billion RMB, with the high-end segment long monopolized by European, American and Japanese brands.
The import substitution rate of testing equipment for aerospace superalloys rose from 35% in 2024 to 48% in 2025.
The market size of special steel dedicated machinery hit 48.73 billion RMB in 2025, up 6.8% year-on-year, and is projected to reach 52.05 billion RMB in 2026.
A sudden breakdown of inspection equipment on a steel mill’s production line often leads to weeks-long response times from overseas original equipment manufacturers, putting the entire production line at risk of shutdown.
We provide one-on-one on-site support for clients without requiring adjustments to your existing operation workflows. Our domestic equipment and spare parts are fully compatible with the interfaces, probes and other components of your existing Tuboscope or Foerster systems.
Our high-speed MFL pipe inspection unit can test 4 to 5 steel pipes per minute at a maximum running speed of 3 meters per second, over 30% faster than conventional equipment. Matching the peak throughput of domestic production lines, it delivers both high efficiency and precise detection performance.
Domestic equipment has reached the technical capability to substitute imported counterparts. Examples are as follows:
Domestic MFL testing equipment supports pipe specifications ranging from φ16 mm to φ630 mm, with a maximum testing speed of 3 m/s.
Its magnetic concentration inspection technology can identify tiny cracks and pinhole defects as shallow as 0.1 mm.
In areas such as high-frequency magnetic flux leakage, intelligent algorithm analysis and user-friendly operation, it even outperforms imported products in partial technical indicators.
The following table compares the technical features and main parameters of the application of this technology with similar foreign technologies.
| serial number |
Compare points |
United States
TUBOSCOPE |
Germany
FÖERSTER |
this project |
| 1. |
Maximum detected wall thickness |
15mm
|
15mm
|
25mm
|
| 2. |
Detection Sensitivity for Internal & External Cracks (Percentage of Wall Thickness) |
External Crack Depth |
5%
|
5%
|
5%
|
| Internal Cracks for 10mm Wall Thickness |
5%
|
5%
|
5%
|
| Internal Cracks for 12.5mm Wall Thickness |
10% |
10% |
|
| Internal Cracks for 15mm Wall Thickness |
15% |
12.5% |
10% |
| Internal Cracks for 25mm Wall Thickness |
Cannot detect |
Cannot detect |
15% |
| 3. |
Maximum testing speed |
1.5m/s
|
1.5m/s
|
3.0m/s |
Technical Specifications
Maximum Detectable Wall Thickness: 25 mm
Detection Sensitivity for Internal & External Cracks (depth as percentage of wall thickness):
External Crack Depth: 5%
Internal Crack Depth (10 mm wall thickness): 5%
Internal Crack Depth (15 mm wall thickness): 10%
Internal Crack Depth (25 mm wall thickness): 15%
Maximum Inspection Speed: 3.0 m/s
Application Fields and Scope
Civilian: Petroleum, petrochemical, coal, special equipment, and steel pipe manufacturing enterprises.
Military: Components with ferromagnetic structures in the defense industry.
Ruicheng enters the field through magnetic flux leakage testing, pursuing genuine knowledge through rigorous physics, and driving forward with unwavering commitment and hands-on execution. In the arena of steel pipe inspection, we have shattered foreign technological dominance—transforming ourselves from pursuers to peers, and now to pioneers.
Case:
In September 2021, Jingjiang Special Steel Co., Ltd.'s magnetic flux leakage testing equipment had aged, and its flaw detection performance had severely deteriorated, failing to meet inspection requirements. We therefore carried out the disassembly and overhaul of the equipment. After a week of intense work, we successfully restored the customer's equipment to its original performance level, meeting the testing standards. This marked the first time a Chinese enterprise had disassembled and repaired imported equipment of this kind.
Our facility is equipped with American-style nondestructive testing equipment, enabling us to carry out comprehensive pre-delivery debugging and testing. This ensures that every product is fully validated and performs flawlessly before it reaches our customers.
On-site participation in customer equipment commissioning services.
Professional MFL NDT Equipment Manufacturer | Import Substitution Solution for Seamless Steel Pipe Inspection
