In times of economic crisis, due to the situation in the east of Ukraine, domestic companies are forced to abandon many imported goods, such as raw materials, consumables, equipment, etc. The currency crisis has forced many Ukrainian companies to suspend production indefinitely. Those who are trying to stay in the market today are actively looking for alternative and effective ways to support their business. In the current situation, we, as a supplier of European equipment, have seriously considered developing a portfolio of Chinese suppliers of pumping equipment.
What do we know about China? In addition to its rich history and interesting culture, this country is an industrial giant in all industries. Chinese engineering is no exception, and it is gaining momentum every year. 10 years ago, when the phrase "Chinese equipment" was used, the first associations of domestic manufacturers were "fake" or "disposable". Today, Chinese engineering products can often be found in pharmaceuticals, confectionery, chemistry and other areas. The first difference from European technical solutions is the price, which is very, very attractive to the Ukrainian consumer. The second difference is the quality, which is always in question and can be quite good or terribly low. The Steiner-Ukraine team decided to find out and visited one of the largest exhibitions of pumping equipment and valves Flowex, which took place in Shanghai.
The main goal was to find a high-quality and reliable supplier of pumping equipment. During our inspection of the pumping equipment pavilion, we saw quite a few pneumatic diaphragm pumps, which were exactly what we were looking for. We looked at and talked to more than ten different suppliers in this area and identified 4 companies that met our expectations. The others had a small model range and looked rather unrepresentative, which immediately determined the level of quality. The ones we liked had a full line of diaphragm pumps from a quarter inch to 3 inches with a variety of casing and diaphragm materials. These manufacturers also had good experience in exporting to Europe and the US. All companies were positive about cooperation. All that was left for us to do was to analyse the prices, technical features and make a decision on the choice of supplier. In addition to diaphragm pumps, we met several other manufacturers of centrifugal and cam pumps, but there was not much to choose from. In addition to Chinese brands, we also saw well-known global manufacturers at the exhibition, such as Grundfos, KSB, Wilo, SEKO, Pentair, Festo, Burkert, and others. All of them have production facilities in China, which work for the Asian market and beyond.
During the meeting, one of the diaphragm pump manufacturers invited us to see their assembly facilities, which we readily accepted. This was the second stage of our visit to China. The production facility is located 60 km from the centre of Shanghai and is a modern 4-storey building with an office, production and warehouse. The shop employs about 15 people, each of whom is responsible for assembling a particular unit. During the day, individual parts are assembled, and in the afternoon, the units are ready. There are a number of interesting aspects of the pumps. For example, their engineers have developed a plastic central section for large sizes (over 1 inch), which is not found in some European analogues. In addition, this central section is one-piece, with only the membranes and side cheeks attached to it. Particular attention is paid to the construction materials: the moving parts are made of wear-resistant POM material, the pneumatic valve distributor plate is made of molybdenum disulfide, the pump casing itself is made of PP-H with higher chemical resistance than conventional polypropylene, and the pneumatic valve cover is made of PVDF. All the materials used are supplied by global brands such as Dupont, Daikin, SaintGobain, Exxon, etc. There are also improvements in the attachment of the membranes to the operating stem. In short, after talking to the managers of this company, we realised that they are not doing a simple copycat business, but are striving to improve the quality and competitiveness of their products. The proof of this is the annual turnover of USD 7,500,000, about 15,000 pumps are produced annually, 10,000 of which are exported.
The next no less interesting step was a visit to a company that manufactures cam pumps, which was recommended to us by the same diaphragm pump manufacturer. Upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised - a 5000 m2 area, a 3-storey office building, and several production facilities. The production process involves the manufacture of all parts of the pump, except for the electric motor. This approach ensures maximum quality control of each part. The workshops are equipped with modern CNC machines, and the control of dimensions, gaps and surface roughness is carried out using German laser equipment. In total, the company employs about 300 people and has an annual turnover of about USD 25 million. The company's clients include many multinational corporations such as P&G, Coca-Cola, Frontera, Heinz, etc. The meeting resulted in a preliminary agreement on cooperation between our companies.
After that, we visited several other manufacturers of pumping and packaging equipment, where it was no less interesting. To summarise the trip, I can say that we were able to see two sides of the Chinese manufacturer. The first is Chinese companies that do business with a focus on the domestic market. In this case, there are no priorities and no special emphasis on quality - the business just goes on and on, producing the same product for many years without any particular desire to improve. The second is the one that is gradually replacing the first, companies that are striving for development. The main priority here is the quality of the final product. We have managed to find several manufacturers that belong to this second group. We hope that our cooperation with them will bring worthy alternatives to the Ukrainian market and help our domestic producers in choosing the best technical solution.
