China's super-sized shield machine ready to go into operation Xinhua | Updated: 2021-07-12 09:43 "Jinxiu", a super-sized earth pressure balance shield machine, rolls off the production line on July 10, 2021. [Photo/China Railway Construction Corporation] BEIJING - China has manufactured a super-sized earth pressure balance shield machine, which is ready to be put into operation, according to China Railway Construction Corporation. The shield machine, named "Jinxiu," rolled off the production line on Saturday. Boasting a tunneling diameter of 12.79 meters, it is the largest of its kind developed by China with complete proprietary intellectual property rights, said the company. With a total length of 135 meters and a weight of 3,000 tonnes, the machine will be used for the construction of the Jinxiu Tunnel, a part of the Chengdu-Zigong high-speed railway project.