Thread Content
As is well known, the development of China’s chemical industry has gone through a process from nothing to something, from a preliminary stage to an intermediate level, and now to a relatively advanced state. The development of the chemical engineering design industry has also progressed in close connection and synchronization with this process. At different stages of development, the requirements of the chemical engineering design industry for the valve manufacturing industry also vary. I. Brief overview of traditional requirements: During the initial and intermediate stages of development in China’s chemical industry, due to a weak economic foundation, the construction of chemical projects focused on minimizing investment costs and ensuring economic viability; as a result, the requirements for the valve manufacturing industry were not very high – what was important was low cost and affordability, as long as the valves could meet their functional needs. At the same time, valve manufacturing is primarily based on imitation, with some development as well. The content of the sample materials for valve products is also relatively simple, with limited options regarding the specified parameters and materials. The design industry approaches the selection of valves in a tentative and cautious manner, and the collaboration and partnership between the design industry and the valve manufacturing sector are also relatively simple. II. Current developments in the chemical engineering design industry and new requirements for the valve manufacturing sector Since China’s reform and opening up in the 1980s, its chemical industry has experienced rapid development and profound changes. The chemical engineering design industry has also undergone significant changes. Thanks to the continuous introduction of advanced foreign technologies and increased efforts in the development of domestic chemical technologies, the variety of chemical products is constantly increasing, with an ever wider range available. As the **economic level improves, the chemical engineering design industry places increasingly higher demands on the valve manufacturing sector, especially with regard to the reliability and durability of valve performance, while also considering the cost-effectiveness of these valves (i.e., reasonable prices). At the same time, the chemical engineering design industry is placing increasingly higher demands on valve data samples. As the chemical engineering design industry gradually integrates with international standards, the original design firms that focused solely on engineering design have transformed into chemical engineering companies that undertake the general contracting for large-scale chemical plant construction. The specialization within this field has become increasingly refined, which has made cooperation with valve manufacturers more complex; as a result, the requirements for the valve manufacturing industry have also increased significantly. Due to the rapid development of the chemical industry, along with changes in the design sector, an increasing variety of chemical processing units, and larger-scale constructions, the chemical engineering design and construction industry has the following requirements for the valve manufacturing industry: ① Valves should come in a complete range of types and specifications, with reliable performance that is close to or at the international advanced level. At the same time, consideration should be given to existing domestic types and specifications; it is ideal to be able to produce both international and American standard products. There is a wide range of choices for materials. Many companies produce only products that meet national standards or only those that meet American standards, yet claim to be able to manufacture products according to both standards when placing orders. In fact, they simply process the flange bolt holes of a standard valve according to another connection standard. This is actually a non-standard product that has an adverse effect on the quality of the project; it is very dangerous. Valve manufacturers should also continuously improve product quality and develop new products to meet the operational requirements of chemical production facilities. For example, automatic vent valves used for venting the high points of equipment or pipelines in liquid handling systems, as well as pressure stabilizing relief valves that can discharge fluid continuously or intermittently without requiring frequent adjustment to maintain a stable operating pressure ahead of the valve – it is understood that these issues have not yet been properly resolved, neither domestically nor internationally. We have always considered this to be a problem that needs to be solved. Our institute has carried out some work in this area and achieved certain breakthroughs; we welcome valve manufacturers to cooperate with us. Additionally, the existing types of valves also need to be improved. For example, ball valves are a good type of valve, but their stem sealing performance still needs to be improved before they can be safely used in applications involving flammable and explosive gases such as liquefied gas and liquid ammonia. A plunger valve is characterized by its good sealing of the valve stem, but after using it in one of our projects, the leakage occurred at the valve stem itself, which was a serious issue that required modification. And so on; there’s no need to list more examples in this regard. Valve manufacturers are welcome to work with us to address these issues and reach world-class standards. ② The valve samples and related documents must have complete parameters and specifications, in order to meet the new usage requirements. For example, the notation for valve models (or order numbers) should be concise and easy to remember, while also enabling differentiation between different valves to ensure uniqueness during ordering. For newer (or more important) types of valves, the guidelines for selecting them and the calculation methods should be provided, so that users can make better choices. The sample should also indicate the manufacturing standards, acceptance criteria, testing conditions, etc., of the valve; in some cases, the number of times it has been opened and closed should also be specified. There is also art to sending sample materials to the design department. Due to the restructuring of the design department, some institutes have established a piping control specialty; it is very important to ensure the availability of sample materials for this specialty. ③ The production capacity needs to be upgraded, and the use of external suppliers for product components should be minimized to ensure the stability of product quality. At the same time, efforts should be made to shorten the delivery cycle in order to meet the increasingly shorter project construction timelines. ④ It is necessary to continuously improve the management systems of the sales department, as well as the methods and relationships of cooperation with the chemical engineering design and construction departments, in order to ensure the accuracy of orders and the quality of the projects. Some valve manufacturers often set up sales outlets in various regions across the country, with responsibilities divided by region. And projects in the design department are often cross-regional. The connection between valve manufacturers and the design departments is in one area, while ordering takes place in another; this often results in certain requirements not reaching the manufacturer, with the ordering specifications not matching the design requirements, which affects the quality of the project and damages the company’s reputation. This is clearly an internal coordination issue within the sales department of the valve company. ⑤ Valve manufacturing companies should actively participate in the construction of projects contracted by engineering firms, take part in the subcontracting of such projects, and forge closer cooperation with those engineering firms. Valve manufacturers need to learn how to respond to inquiries and tender calls from engineering companies, standardize their bidding practices and improve their bidding capabilities. They should also gain a better understanding of the requirements of chemical engineering companies in order to achieve better collaboration. III. With the impending accession to the WTO, it is crucial for valve manufacturers to continue innovating, improve product quality, and strengthen production management. China’s upcoming entry into the WTO poses a significant challenge to both the chemical industry and the valve manufacturing sector. The influx of foreign valve products will lead to more intense competition in the domestic valve manufacturing industry. Valve manufacturers can only remain competitive by continuously innovating and improving product quality, while also strengthening production management, ensuring strict control over raw materials and product quality, and maintaining a good reputation in the market. Strengthening collaboration with chemical engineering design departments or chemical engineering firms is also one of the effective ways for the valve manufacturing industry to gain a competitive advantage in the international market. I believe that our country’s valve manufacturing industry will have a brighter future. IV. Conclusion The chemical engineering design industry is evolving. While maintaining its strengths in traditional areas such as paints, titanium dioxide, and water supply and drainage, the company has further expanded its advantages in areas like phosphate fertilizers, methanol, synthetic ammonia, urea, municipal environmental engineering, melamine, sodium vanadate, sulfuric acid, inorganic salts, and magnetic materials; thus, its business situation is favorable. Valve manufacturers are welcome to collaborate with our institute to contribute to the construction of chemical industry projects in our country.