These ballpoint pen tips were made of homemade stainless steel at Taiyuan Iron and Steel (Group) Co Ltd (TISCO), in Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi province, Jan 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]
China, the world’s biggest manufacturer of ballpoint pens, has finally developed its own pen tips, ending a long-term reliance on imported supplies.
Steel components for the pen tips are displayed at TISCO, in Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi province Jan 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]
Domestic manufacturers recently made 2.3mm ballpoint pen tips using the first batch of the stainless steel materials, Taiyuan Iron & Steel (Group) Co Ltd (TISCO) in North China, officially announced on Jan. 10.
After five years of laboratory trial and error, the research and development program finally achieved success.
The pen tips produced with the new components show an edge of smooth writing and wear-resistance, with the quality equivalent to imports.
A worker measures steel components for pen tips at TISCO, in Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi province, Jan 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]
Both the machines and raw materials needed to produce ballpoint pens require precise technology, which has challenged the Chinese industry for years. In the past, China spent 120 million yuan ($17.3 million) annually on importing such special materials.
The Chinese steel-maker TISCO said the company is now able to mass produce these new materials and imports will be replaced in the next two years.
A worker checks newly-produced steel components for pen tips at TISCO, in Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi province, Jan 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]
A worker tends to a production line for pen tips at TISCO, in Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi province, Jan 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]
A worker measures steel components for pen tips at TISCO, in Taiyuan, North China’s Shanxi province, Jan 10, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]
