**Analysis and Outlook on the Development Prospects of the Fan Industry

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I. The WTO and the Development of China’s Fan Industry. Joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) is of great significance for improving China’s international trade environment, expanding exports, attracting foreign investment, introducing advanced technologies and equipment, developing international economic and technological cooperation, accelerating the pace of reform, promoting the improvement of China’s socialist economic system, and enhancing China’s international status. However, while enjoying rights, one must fulfill the obligations stipulated by the WTO ； The further opening up of our country’s market will affect the development of certain industries, putting them in a difficult situation. Products in the fan industry are part of general machinery; after joining the WTO, the impacts on mechanical products also extend to fan products. The impacts on mechanical products can be roughly divided into the following three situations. (1) Industries that produce labor-intensive products or have low product costs, thus enjoying a price advantage. The products of such industries already possess a certain level of export competitiveness in the international market; therefore, after joining the WTO, it will be easier for them to expand their exports, and the opening up of the domestic market poses little threat to these industries. (2) Industries that are capital- and technology-intensive, or relatively technology-intensive, are affected to varying degrees depending on the specific circumstances. ①World-renowned companies and multinational corporations have formed joint ventures or partnerships with domestic Chinese enterprises. The products they manufacture feature advanced technology and competitive prices (that is, lower than those of imported products after the reduction of import tariffs in China). Once China’s market opens up, unless new, more competitive rivals emerge, these companies are not likely to face much competition ； On the contrary, since joint ventures enjoy \"super-national treatment\" in terms of taxation, and import tariffs on key components used in production will be reduced, this helps to further lower production costs, making prices more competitive. ②Industries where the technical level of products is somewhat behind that of foreign countries, but the gap is not large, and where there is a significant price advantage. Products from such industries are less affected by market opening. ③High-tech industries and newly developed high-tech products that lack competitiveness or have prices higher than those in the international market will suffer significant impacts. (3) A number of enterprises will be restructured, shift to other production areas, or cease operations. There are enterprises that produce products in bulk or in small quantities; due to the large number of production sites they have and the lack of sufficient economic scale, they lack competitiveness in the market. These enterprises will face serious difficulties and will either be merged and restructured, shift to other types of production, or stop operating altogether. The main products in the fan industry are divided into two categories, and after joining the WTO, the impact on companies that produce different products also varies in two ways. ①Turbine compressors and blowers: There are not many companies in the fan industry that produce such products, but they represent the technical level of this industry. Products of this type fall between those mentioned earlier in terms of technical level – there is a certain gap compared to foreign products, but it isn’t very large – and they offer significant price advantages (mainly referring to centrifugal blowers as well as centrifugal and axial flow compressors for general use). However, they are not competitive against high-tech industries and newly developed high-tech products (mainly referring to centrifugal compressors used in ethylene plants with a capacity of over 600,000 tons, compressors for natural gas pipeline transportation, compressors for high-pressure gas injection in oil fields, and compressors used in large-scale air separation units). These products exist somewhere in between the two categories mentioned above. In the former case, the degree of impact is low after the market opens. However, enterprises that produce such products must feel a sense of urgency, focus on enhancing their innovation capabilities, improve the technical level and quality of their products, and narrow the gap with foreign countries. In the latter case, it will suffer a significant impact after the market opens. ②Small and medium-sized ventilators for general use: These products constitute the vast majority of the fan industry and are items that are produced in large quantities and used widely. It corresponds to the situation mentioned earlier, where the product cost is low and there is a price advantage. After joining the WTO, it will be conducive to expanding exports, and the opening up of the domestic market basically poses no threat. For example, the more well-known ventilator manufacturers in the world include the German company TLT, the British company Houden, the Danish company NovoK, the German company K.K.K., and the Japanese company Ebara Corporation. Among them, Shanghai Blower Factory Co., Ltd. has adopted German TLT technology, Shenyang Blower Factory has adopted technology from the Danish company NovoKem, while Chengdu Electric Machinery Factory and Shenyang Blower Factory have adopted German K.K.K. technology. The British company Horden has established a wholly-owned enterprise in China and has long been involved in the domestic market for ventilators. Looking at price comparisons of such products, taking the prices of Japanese manufacturers as an example, the cost of ventilation fans produced by Japanese manufacturers is currently twice that of domestic ventilation fans. Although tariffs have decreased since Japan’s accession to the WTO, their prices are still 50% to 60% higher than those of domestic products. This shows that such products will not have a greater impact on the domestic market after joining the WTO. However, a common issue with such products is that, across the entire industry, the surface or appearance quality is generally very poor. Whether it is welding, sheet metal work, or painting, the visual quality of the products manufactured by most companies does not meet the requirements for export. According to the limited understanding of the wind turbine industry association, among the enterprises that produce such products, only a few companies such as Zhejiang Shangfeng Group Company, Beijing Xinghua Ventilation Equipment Factory, Lushun General Wind Turbine Factory, and Beijing Jingfeng Ventilation Equipment Factory have products whose appearance quality is good enough to meet or come close to the requirements for export products. In response to this situation, the secretariat of the fan industry association decided to hold a on-site technical exchange meeting in October 2000 at Zhejiang Shangfeng Group Company to improve the surface quality of fans, thereby promoting an improvement in the surface quality of fan products across the industry and preparing for increased exports following China’s entry into the WTO. Joining the WTO presents both opportunities and challenges for the wind turbine industry. The fan industry should make full use of the rights and preferential conditions granted after joining the WTO to develop international economic cooperation, expand exports, and attract foreign investment ； At the same time, it is necessary to carefully study the impact on certain enterprises, make good use of the 5–6-year transition period to adjust the structure and accelerate development. The following four measures should be taken to promote the development of the wind turbine industry. (1) Understand and become familiar with WTO agreements to enhance foresight and proactivity. Leaders of enterprises in the fan industry should first strengthen their learning, understand and become familiar with WTO agreements, and, based on the actual conditions of their respective companies, explore how to apply the basic principles of the WTO to foster international economic and technological cooperation ； Secondly, it is necessary to analyze whether, after joining the WTO, the company’s products can gain a foothold in the domestic market, whether it can take advantage of the favorable conditions to increase exports, what advantages it has in terms of quality and price, and whether it is possible to invest abroad to set up factories or carry out processing and assembly using imported materials ； Once again, for those enterprises whose product technology levels, quality, and prices put them at a disadvantage in competition and thus are likely to be affected, it is necessary to make full use of the transition period to achieve economic scale, develop a wider range of products, improve quality, and reduce costs in order to become competitive. If it is difficult to reverse the situation even during the transition period, decisive actions must be taken to adjust the structure and find new paths forward. (2) Adopt an export-oriented development strategy and vigorously expand exports. After joining the WTO, China’s export products can enjoy the most-favored-nation treatment granted by WTO members; in some developed countries, even more favorable GSP terms are available (lower than preferential tariffs). Currently, there are 28 countries offering such benefits, and China has received these advantages from 21 of them). These products will also receive fair trading conditions in those markets, thereby improving the environment for exports. After joining the WTO, the system for granting foreign trade rights will change from one based on approval to one based on registration; manufacturing enterprises will be able to operate directly in the international market on their own, with their scope of business also expanding as a result. Companies in the fan industry, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, should take advantage of this favorable opportunity to actively expand exports and promote their own development. At present, only a few companies in the wind turbine industry have products for export; there will surely be further growth after joining the WTO. (3) Actively expand international economic and technical cooperation. After joining the WTO, the environment for economic and technical cooperation between China and WTO members will improve significantly, and China’s investment environment will also be further enhanced, making it easier to attract foreign investment, introduce advanced technology and equipment, and develop joint ventures or cooperations with foreign parties, as well as to bring in technology through the integration of trade and technology. Enterprises in the wind turbine industry that are in a favorable position will surely seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to approach well-known foreign manufacturers with competitive products and sufficient financial resources, engage in exchanges and negotiations for cooperation, and use the market to obtain funds and technology, thereby improving the technical and management standards of the wind turbine industry. (4) Intensify structural adjustments. Enterprises in the fan industry, like those in other industries, follow the principle outlined by **** regarding \"a public-owned economy as the mainstay, with multiple forms of ownership developing together, while adhering to a strategy of advancing in some areas and retreating in others, and knowing what to do and what not to do.\" They have already taken, are taking, or will take the following four main measures: first, carrying out shareholding system reforms; enterprises that meet the conditions strive to have their stocks listed on stock exchanges, while small and medium-sized enterprises pursue diversification of ownership structures ； Second, select products with large import volumes and high technical content to form joint ventures and collaborations with foreign parties, in order to shift the production of such products from abroad to within the country for supply ； Third, through asset restructuring and mergers, the core operations are streamlined while auxiliary and subsidiary departments are reorganized; this helps to strengthen the technical equipment and production capabilities related to the main products manufactured or the newly developed products, thereby enhancing competitiveness ； Fourth, some enterprises should shift to producing products with market demand or providing services to society, while simultaneously adjusting the employment structure. In short, while joining the WTO brings significant benefits to China, it also poses severe challenges to some of its industries and related enterprises. This is no exception in the fan industry either; some companies may be eliminated in the competition. For the overall and long-term interests of **, this is a price we must pay. International experience has shown that no developing country has collapsed as a result of joining the WTO; on the contrary, it has enhanced their competitiveness and promoted the development of their economies. Yes, the same is true for the wind turbine industry; after joining the WTO, it will surely promote the development of this industry, with only a few companies likely to be eliminated in the competition. Even now, before joining the WTO, some companies in the wind turbine industry have already been eliminated in the fierce market competition. Joining the WTO represents a major transformation in China’s economic sphere, and many new situations and problems will arise. The above is our prediction based on the information currently available to us. Due to limitations in policy understanding, the information we have is not entirely comprehensive; as a result, the conclusions drawn and the recommendations put forward may not be suitable for every wind turbine company. They are intended solely as a reference for leaders in the wind turbine industry when making decisions. II. The development of China’s fan industry from the perspective of imports and exports. Fan products are divided into two main categories: one is the large volume of medium and small-sized fans, and these enterprises constitute the vast majority in the fan industry ； Another category consists of centrifugal or axial flow compressors, blowers, and large-scale ventilators that are part of major equipment sets. To discuss the development of China’s wind turbine industry in terms of its imports and exports, an analysis is also carried out separately for these two main types of products. (1) Export situation: To facilitate the identification of trends, the export figures for member companies of the fan industry association from 1991 to 2000 are listed first; see Table 1 for details. Table 1: Export sales performance of product units by member companies in the fan industry from 1991 to 2000
Year: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Compressors & blowers: Number of units exported (units): 69 18 21 10 43 9 29 11 56 87; Amount (10,000 yuan): 444 1094 2059 570 365 24 679 4068 2108 1478
Ventilators: Number of units exported (units): 4559 10185 882 1575 6581 11887 12453 12974 3545 7882; Amount (10,000 yuan): 2183 2212 2192 3907 8713 7939 8210 13305 6523 6638
Total: Number of units exported (units): 4628 10203 903 1585 6624 11896 12482 12985 3601 7969; Amount (10,000 yuan): 2627 3305 4251 4477 9078 7963 8907 17371 8631 8116
No overall trend can be identified from these export sales figures over the 10-year period. Regarding the exports of compressors and blowers, the highest numbers were recorded in 1991 and 2000 ； Judging from the fan outlet conditions, the highest values were recorded in 1998 and 1995 ； In terms of the total value of export fan products, the highest values were recorded in 1998 and 1995 respectively. Among the companies that produce export-oriented fan products, Shenyang Blower Factory is the one that manufactures the largest number of export centrifugal compressors and centrifugal blowers ； The company that exports the largest number of small and medium-sized ventilation fans as well as air-conditioning fans is Zhejiang Shangfeng Group Company ； The company that manufactures the most rotary vane blowers for export is Changsha Blower Factory. In terms of the share in fan product exports, during the 10-year period from 1991 to 2000, the companies that were members of the fan industry association exported a total of only 747.248 million yuan, which is a very small amount. The main reason for the low export volume is product quality issues. Products such as turbine compressors (including centrifugal and axial flow compressors), although expensive, are essential supporting equipment required for major projects and large-scale installations (some of them can even be regarded as the \"heart\" of such systems); therefore, they are necessary products that users must acquire. However, when it comes to such products, users usually don’t focus on the price, but rather on their quality and reliability. Since turbo compressors play a crucial role in large-scale plant systems, a shutdown of just one day can result in losses of hundreds of thousands of yuan in some cases. Therefore, for such products, the price is not the top priority for users; instead, product quality and reliability are given priority. Even domestic users sometimes prefer to pay a high price to import similar products from abroad rather than buying domestic ones. It’s as if color televisions produced domestically had not yet reached a mature stage; since imported color TVs are more expensive, people are still willing to buy them because of their reliable quality and the peace of mind they provide. People are reluctant to buy domestically produced color TVs, even though they are cheap. With domestic color TVs having reached a mature stage today, it is natural for people to accept them. The same is true for turbine compressor products; it also takes some time. If this is the case for domestic users, it is no different for foreign users either; they also place the quality and reliability of such products at the top priority. Most of these products exported domestically are sold to industrially underdeveloped regions, and their prices are often lower than those of products from industrially developed regions. For the reasons mentioned earlier, the export volume of such products is very low; on the contrary, the import volume is relatively high. According to incomplete statistics and estimates, domestic products and imported products account for around 50% each in this market segment. This further illustrates that there is still a large potential market for the localization of such products, while also indicating that there is still a certain gap in the quality and reliability of domestically produced versions of these products. For the large number of small and medium-sized ventilator products, the export volume is not stable, and it is relatively low compared to the total production volume; the main reason for this is the poor surface quality (or appearance quality). This surface quality mainly includes profiling, welding, and surface painting. The overall quality is poor compared to foreign products. These products imported from abroad are almost like handicrafts, with very beautiful appearances. In China, insufficient attention is paid to the surface quality of such products; it is generally believed that as long as they function properly, that’s enough ； Coupled with the chaotic competition in this sector, there is a constant pursuit of reducing costs, which results in poor surface quality of the products. The products manufactured by most companies do not meet the requirements for export, which is why the volume of exported products is very low. To improve the surface quality of small and medium-sized fan products in China’s fan industry, it is necessary to start with the tooling and manufacturing processes – by adopting standardized molds for production and eliminating manual handling methods. This approach provides a fundamental guarantee for enhancing the surface quality of the products ； Next is welding quality. The welding processes used for small and medium-sized ventilators account for the majority of all the manufacturing processes involved in these ventilators; therefore, the quality of welding directly affects the surface quality of the ventilators. At present, the vast majority of manufacturers use manual arc welding, and the welding skills and sense of responsibility of the workers determine the quality of the welds. Manufacturers should make appropriate investments to increase the use of methods such as TIG welding and carbon dioxide gas shielded welding. Those with the necessary resources should also adopt robotic welding, just as is done in industrially advanced countries abroad ； Another factor is the surface quality of the paint. At present, aside from a few manufacturers such as Zhejiang Shangfeng Group and Beijing Xinghua Ventilation Factory, which use special painting processes on the surfaces of their fans to meet export standards, most companies still apply paint to the surfaces of fan components without any treatment; some even use the most basic brushing methods. To significantly improve the quality of the painted surface of components for small and medium-sized industrial ventilators, it is recommended to adopt the surface treatment process used for air-conditioning fan casings. This involves acid washing (or phosphating) the casing after it has been processed, followed by cleaning and air-drying; after that, powder coating is applied and the casing is baked in an oven. After being treated with this process, its surface quality is excellent. For larger-sized ventilators, due to the limitations imposed by the volume of the pickling tank (or phosphating solution container), the aforementioned process cannot be applied; instead, sandblasting or shot blasting can be used, followed by painting (with grain-oriented paint yielding better results). The surface quality obtained in this way also meets the requirements for export products. (2) Import situation: There are a total of 19 well-known manufacturers of turbine compressors worldwide (excluding domestic manufacturers), of which 7 are from Japan: Hitachi, Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, Ishikawajima, Ebara, and Kobe Steel ； There are 6 companies in the United States, namely Drayson, Ingersoll Rand, Delaware, Elliott, Cooper, and Aris ； Germany has a total of 3 companies, namely Demag, GHH, and Pölsig ； Italian company New Pilon ； Sulzer Switzerland ； Neva Plant in Russia. The companies with an annual production of turbine compressors that ranks among the top 3 in the world are: the American company Draxel-Lande, the German company Demag, and the Italian company Novilon – all of them produce around 150 cylinders per unit. (According to international standards, turbine compressors are measured by the number of cylinders rather than by the number of units; each unit can have one, two, or three cylinders.) According to roughly accurate statistics, in China, the number of various types of turbine compressors imported each year from the aforementioned foreign companies is equal to the number produced domestically, accounting for 50% of each category; this amounts to around 80 units per year. It is evident that the proportion of imports for such products is quite high; therefore, domestic efforts to develop these products in order to reduce imports and save foreign exchange represent the direction in which the wind turbine industry continues to strive for development. The imported products of this type mainly include the following types of compressors: centrifugal compressors for large-scale fertilizer production facilities, centrifugal compressors for large-scale ethylene production facilities, centrifugal compressors for large-scale air separation plants, large-scale axial flow compressors, axial-flow/centrifugal composite compressors, and multi-axis assembled centrifugal compressors. With the commencement of key projects such as the West-to-East Gas Transmission project, centrifugal compressors for long-distance natural gas pipelines still need to be imported. Although Shenyang Blower Factory, the main domestic manufacturer of centrifugal compressors, introduced in the 1970s the design and manufacturing technology for PCL series natural gas pipeline transport centrifugal compressors from the Italian company Snamprogetti, this technology was not put into practice at that time, and as a result it has become outdated today. Domestic manufacturers do not have any experience in producing such products, and since these products are installed and used in field conditions where higher reliability is required, it is inevitable to import them. Domestic manufacturers can only pursue cooperation with foreign parties in production in order to counter imports and achieve development in this field. Domestic manufacturers of centrifugal blowers can basically meet the needs of various sectors of the national economy. Only for some large-scale projects, such as those undertaken by Shanghai Baoshan Iron and Steel Company, or the Beijing Gaobeidian sewage treatment plant built with loans from the World Bank, are these blowers not produced domestically; rather, they represent a small part of the complete sets imported from abroad. The number of imports of Roots blowers is decreasing. In particular, after the major manufacturers of Roots blowers, such as Changsha Blower Factory and Shandong Zhangqiu Blower Factory, adopted advanced Japanese design and manufacturing technologies for Roots blowers, they are now able to meet the needs of domestic users to a large extent. For the large quantity of small and medium-sized ventilators, as there is already an oversupply in the domestic market, competition is fierce with manufacturers undercutting each other’s prices, resulting in low prices; therefore, even less of these products are imported. Some small quantities of imports are also brought in as part of larger complete sets of equipment. III. Strive to Achieve New Advancements in Scientific and Technological Development (I) The Current Situation and Gaps in the Fan Industry (1) Current Situation ① Main products and technical levels 1) Centrifugal compressors with a horizontal split structure are at a level comparable to that of advanced products worldwide, with a small number of such products reaching world-class standards. 2) The multi-axis isothermal centrifugal compressor is at the international level of the 1980s. 3) The gear-mounted centrifugal compressor is at the international level of the 1990s. 4) The single-axis high-speed centrifugal blower is at the international level of the 1990s. 5) Axial flow compressors are close to the advanced level of similar products worldwide, with a small number of them reaching the world’s highest standard. 6) Centrifugal blowers for general use are at the international level of the 1980s. 7) The Roots blower is at an advanced level compared to similar products worldwide. 8) The boiler draft and exhaust fans are at the international level of the 1980s. 9) The adjustable-blade axial flow ventilators used in power stations are at the international level of the 1980s. 10) The meridional forced draft fan is at the international level of the 1990s. 11) The inclined-flow fan is at the international level of the 1990s. 12) The axial flow fans in the mine are at the international level of the 1980s. ②Capacity for supplying fans for major technical equipment: 1) Centrifugal compressors for carbon dioxide can be provided for plants with an annual urea production capacity of 52 tons. 2) Cryogenic centrifugal compressors for syngas, air, and ammonia can be supplied for plants with an annual synthetic ammonia production capacity of 300,000 tons. 3) Centrifugal compressors for pyrolysis gas, ethylene, and propylene can be used in plants with an annual ethylene production capacity of 300,000 tons. 4) Centrifugal compressors for rich gas can be provided for catalytic cracking plants with an annual production capacity of 3 million tons. 5) Air centrifugal compressors can be used for air separation units with a capacity of 30,000 m3/h. 6) Both centrifugal and axial flow compressors can be utilized for blast furnaces with a capacity of 1,000 m3. 7) Large axial or centrifugal ventilators can be supplied for thermal power generators with a capacity of 300,000 to 600,000 kW. 8) Aeration blowers can be used for wastewater treatment plants with a treatment capacity of 1 million m3/day. (2) Gaps: ① The capacity to supply fans for large-scale technical equipment needs to be further improved. As the scale of petrochemical, metallurgical, and power generation facilities increases, the capacity of the fans required also tends to increase. For example, the ethylene production capacity has reached 450,000 to 780,000 tons per year, the synthetic ammonia production capacity has reached 680,000 tons per year, the catalytic cracking capacity in unit refineries has reached 60 million tons per year, and the capacity of thermal power generation has reached 600,000 to 1.3 million kilowatts. These high-capacity fans are yet to be developed by various companies in the fan industry. ②There is a gap in product quality; most of the technologies introduced into the fan industry date back to the design and manufacturing standards of the 1970s and 1980s. Although continuous updates and developments have taken place over the years, certain aspects still fall short. For example, the existing series of high-efficiency basic compressors are incomplete and have lower efficiency. ③The gap in manufacturing capabilities: At present, manufacturers in the foreign wind turbine industry use advanced techniques for producing the triple-impeller assemblies of centrifugal compressors; for example, the Italian company Novellis employs slotted welding technology, while the German company Demag uses brazing technology. In China, however, these technologies have not yet been applied in production ； In terms of milling impellers using five coordinates, advanced foreign manufacturers achieve a processing efficiency 2 to 3 times higher than that of domestic manufacturers ； In terms of impeller welding, foreign countries use CNC automated welding, while China still relies on the outdated manual arc welding method. ④There are differences in terms of the product’s appearance and painting. The appearance quality of small ventilation fans abroad is comparable to that of handicrafts, while the painting on the compressors is both durable and attractive ； It has improved in recent years in the domestic market, but there is still a certain gap. (II) Development Goals (1) Product Development Goals ① Compressors 1) Improve the capacity and level of supporting major technical equipment. Building on the existing capacity of 300,000 tons per year for synthetic ammonia, 520,000 tons per year for urea, 300,000 tons per year for ethylene, a catalytic cracking unit with a capacity of 3 million tons per year, a hydrocracking unit with a capacity of 2 million tons per year, an air separation plant with a capacity of 20,000 m3/h, and thermal power units with capacities of 300,000 to 600,000 kilowatts, research is being conducted to increase the capacity and technical level of these fans in order to adapt to the trend toward larger-scale manufacturing facilities, thereby bringing them up to the advanced level of similar products abroad. 2) Conduct a feasibility analysis on expanding the capacity and improving efficiency of compressors used in various facilities within China’s existing petrochemical and metallurgical industries (including both imported and domestically produced ones). Thoroughly evaluate the technical solutions, address the technical challenges involved, and develop detailed plans for technical upgrades. 3) Develop and improve modular compressors to create a complete series. 4) Develop long-distance pipeline centrifugal compressors in line with the market demands of the Western Development and West-to-East Gas Transmission projects in China. 5) Based on the introduced technology, axial flow compressors are upgraded to meet the requirements of blast furnace blower systems and catalytic cracking units. 6) Develop axial-flow-centrifugal hybrid compressors. ②Blower 1) Upgrade the existing high-speed centrifugal blower series by replacing the two-stage impellers with semi-open three-stage impellers to improve the overall efficiency of the unit ； Replacing the cast casing with a welded casing improves the appearance quality, bringing it to or near the advanced level of similar international products. 2) Upgrade the existing large-scale sintering and converter blowers to improve product efficiency and technical standards; make structural improvements, simplify the manufacturing process, and reduce costs. 3) Continuously update and improve upon the introduction of high-speed centrifugal blowers for wastewater treatment ； Joint development of low-speed multi-stage centrifugal blowers for wastewater treatment. 4) Develop rotary vane blowers by adopting a combination of introducing technology, forming joint ventures, carrying out cooperative production, and conducting independent development. ③Ventilators: The technological development direction for ventilators is to give priority to energy conservation. Since ventilators are products that are widely used and produced in large quantities, and they are also major energy consumers (accounting for about 10% of the total electricity consumption in the national economy), the main focus is on further developing energy-efficient ventilator models, upgrading existing products, and phasing out outdated ventilator models. The fan industry has currently developed some high-efficiency, energy-saving products, such as the 4-71 and 4-74 models, whose blades are of three-dimensional flow design. However, due to high technology transfer costs and manufacturing expenses, these products are not yet acceptable to manufacturers and users. This requires further cost reduction before it can be widely adopted. (2) Objectives for technological development ① Aerodynamic and thermodynamic calculations 1) Development and application of software for 3D viscous gas dynamics analysis 2) Development of a series of high-efficiency semi-open basic stages 3) Development of model stages for heavy media and high Mach number conditions 4) Development of model stages for compressors with high efficiency and low hub ratios 5) Development of three-dimensional impeller series with high energy heads, large flow rates, and medium flow rates 6) Development of high-efficiency narrow binary basic stages ② Stability and strength calculations of rotor systems 1) Software for designing the nonlinear stability of squeeze film dampers 2) Development and application of systems for diagnosing compressor rotor failures 3) Software for analyzing the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of rotor-bearing-seal systems 4) Development of software for calculating and redesigning the properties of sliding bearings 5) Utilization and application of software for analyzing structural components ③ Structure 1) Research and application of cast impellers for centrifugal compressors and blowers 2) Research and application of medium and low-pressure dry gas seals 3) Development of welded casing series for centrifugal blowers 4) Development of welded casings for gear speed increase units 5) Development of new types of high-speed, energy-saving bearings ④ Auxiliary equipment and components 1) Development of 3D numerical simulation software for compressor intercoolers 2) Development of diaphragm couplings ⑤ Computer applications 1) Development and application of CAD for equipment design 2) Integration of computer-based process documentation 3) Promotion and application of CIMS 4) Use of fieldbus instruments in compressor control ⑥ Process development 1) Utilization and application of various CNC machining software 2) Research on martensitic age-hardening stainless steel impeller materials and manufacturing processes 3) Research on babbitt processes for high-pressure ratio bearings 4) Research on high-strength, tough, sulfur-resistant impeller materials and manufacturing processes 5) Research on automatic welding of impellers for centrifugal compressors and blowers 6) Research on welding materials and processes for impellers 7) Research and promotion of grooved impeller welding processes (III) Basic strategies ① Establishing a technological innovation system and effective operational mechanisms Companies in the fan industry can establish and improve their own technological development systems based on their specific circumstances, creating an operational mechanism that coordinates market activities, marketing efforts, production processes, and research activities, thereby enhancing the company’s ability to innovate technologically and respond quickly to market changes. ②It is necessary to foster collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions in order to improve the technical level of products. In the fan industry, companies generally have weaker research capabilities compared to universities and research institutes; therefore, they can leverage the research strengths of these institutions to address the research challenges that are urgent for businesses as well as those related to the forefront of fan technology. This approach helps to overcome key difficulties in fan design and manufacturing, thereby enhancing the technical quality and standards of the products produced by these companies. ③Accelerate the transformation and application of scientific research results. While speeding up research and development, it is necessary to convert scientific research outcomes into productive forces as soon as possible. Enterprise technicians usually have their own production tasks, with little investment in research and development ； Colleges and universities have strong research capabilities but weak production capabilities. Only by combining the two can the transformation and application of scientific research results be accelerated. For example, Shenyang Blower Factory has collaborated with Xi’an Jiaotong University and Northeastern University ； Zhejiang Shangfeng Group Company collaborates with Shanghai Jiao Tong University ； The cooperation between Tsinghua University and Beijing Xishan Fan Factory has yielded relatively significant results. ④Increase investment in technology development; without investment, there can be no output. Companies should raise funds through various channels and increase investment in technology development. Based on the experience of relevant domestic companies, the ratio of expenses spent on technology development to sales revenue should not be less than 1.5%, with 3%–5% being an ideal figure. Moreover, when using these funds, it is necessary to develop a plan based on the annual funding requirements for research activities, ensuring that the funds are used for their intended purpose. ⑤Implement science and technology award policies effectively and strengthen the development of scientific and technological talent; whether in enterprises or universities, scientific research achievements are created by people. Therefore, further establishment of effective incentive and restraint mechanisms is necessary to motivate scientists and engineers to engage in research and the development of new products. Create a positive atmosphere of \"respecting knowledge and respecting talent,\" and provide scientific and technical professionals with a favorable working and learning environment. 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