The drawbacks in the valve manufacturing industry have led to an increasing gap between domestic and international levels
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As a national industry, China’s valve casting sector has seen particularly rapid development in recent years. Although it has faced various challenges along the way, overall, its development trend is one of stability and growth. It has also gradually become one of the industries with the fastest development in China’s domestic machinery sector. Valve casting forms the foundation of China’s foundry industry as well as the development of the entire industrial sector, and it plays a significant role in promoting the growth of the country’s economy. According to statistics from industrially developed countries, the output value of valves equals the combined economic value of compressors, fans, and pumps, accounting for about 5% of the total output value of the machinery industry. At the same time, as an important element of technical equipment, valves play a crucial role, especially in industries such as metallurgy, petrochemicals, chemicals, power generation, and urban pipeline drainage. In recent years, the increasing investment in infrastructure development in China has also brought significant opportunities for valve manufacturing. Nevertheless, the valve casting industry also faces the same problems that are common to the development of China’s industrial machinery sector: a low level of industry development, low technical content of products, a limited range of product types, unstable quality, and a lack of high-end products – all of these issues pose challenges to the development of this industry. China’s valve casting industry is still in a stage of development; it lacks core technologies, automated control systems, and a highly skilled management team, which means it has a long way to go compared to the valve casting industry abroad. Against the backdrop of continuous development, why is there such a large gap between valve casting in China and that abroad? Here, relevant experts have put forward four views: 1. A lack of talent in technological innovation. The most fundamental reason is **that the company does not make an effort to develop talent. 2. There is no spirit of breakthrough in terms of technology. 3. Gaps in quality management and equipment. 4. Differences in the product production process. Taken together, these four factors are contributing to the widening gap between China’s cast valves and those abroad.
Oh, I just want to know what this casting \"gap\" is – what are the specific core technologies and technical parameters? Thank you! :)
The main issues are investment costs and product quality problems. Domestic valves fail to meet the standards of imported valves in terms of precision in calculations and machining. Additionally, the initial molds produced through casting require cold treatment and heat treatment, processes that many Chinese companies do not carry out, which results in valves of substandard quality. If you visit a large factory that produces imported valves, you’ll understand what the difference is.
1. When it comes to investment cost and quality, it should be called cost-performance ratio； 2. When comparing the precision manufacturing of domestic valves, it is still the cost-performance ratio that matters ； 3. The processing technology for molds is best when it is aimed at practicality ； 4、、、、、、、。 In summary, regarding the manufacturing quality and processes of valves, as well as cost-effectiveness, market demand should serve as the benchmark. “Many Chinese companies do not do these things,” which means that many refrain from doing them because there is no need to. But there are also a small number of projects in progress, due to market demand as well. By import, it should refer to those of the highest quality. Suitable for a few special users. If it’s a regular valve for general use, choosing such an expensive device would not be worth it. If there is a high demand in this market, it’s likely that people from China will buy it. It is undeniable that domestic products are not omnipotent, but they are not incapable in every regard either. For example, aero-engine development is a project that is currently under intensive effort. For example, BOE’s thin glass is ahead of other international companies. Workshop products cannot be compared with imported ones; workshop products have their own market due to cost-effectiveness. Because for imports, higher requirements apply, and they are suitable for more demanding applications. Otherwise, no one would spend a lot of money showing off their wealth in this regard. Personal opinion, for reference only.
Value for money takes practicality into account! What is discussed is the gap, the technical gap. In the domestic industry, due to concerns over cost-effectiveness, no one is willing to devote effort to developing technology (as it requires significant investment and presents great challenges). When using valves in the chemical industry, practicality must be taken into account. The domestic valves used in one of our factories have been in use for 5 years, and problems have arisen every year, requiring maintenance (the valve stems deform, and the torque is insufficient) ； Severe internal leakage ； The valve discs of butterfly valves keep falling off ； . . . ), and later, with no other choice, they switched to a joint venture model; from a practical usage perspective, it really doesn’t offer good value for money. To truly narrow the gap, it is still necessary to focus on technology. Domestic valves are only used in ordinary applications, and it is difficult for them to develop. For the chemical industry, oxygen valves, hydrogen valves, high-end ball valves – those that require high levels of sealing performance – we don’t dare to use domestic products; we can’t afford the risks associated with them. Only by acknowledging the gaps can we make progress! Personal opinion, for reference only!
The gap between domestic and imported products is quite large. One of the imported brand ball valves that we represent is not very well-known in China. Many well-known European and American brands produce their ball valves through our manufacturing services; these valves have a very attractive appearance, and their flow channels are precisely engineered. They are indeed superior to domestic ball valves, including those produced by joint ventures. . .
I joined a chemical plant in 1978; back then there were three major chemical companies, and later I worked at a metallurgical company. There are valve failures, but they are mainly due to environmental issues, inadequate maintenance, as well as problems with the conditions of the media used. I’m an operator from the air separation field; I’ve worked with oxygen at pressures as high as 15 MPA, and flow rates in the tens of thousands of cubic meters. It’s not as bad as you say. Indeed, I’ve also used valves made in workshops, and they really can’t be used. But there’s nothing to be done about it; it’s what’s known as a non-technical issue. It’s best not to even bother with me. But I cannot agree with the claim that domestic valves are completely worthless just because of this. When discussing issues, I prefer to base my arguments on facts; a general approach that relies on broad principles seems too macroscopic to me. So regarding this issue, it’s not the case that no one is working on it; various industries are currently undergoing reforms and improvements. Some new technologies are also being continuously developed and adopted. The world consists of various markets; buy what is needed. It’s not about having the best product – what matters most is practicality.