I come from Changsha PDM Machinery(Group) Co.,LTD. As a professional technician with nearly 30 years of experience in the pump industry and a manager in the export trade department, I have always been concerned about the development prospects of industrial pumps in China and internationally. My job requires me to conduct market research every quarter, as well as predict the future based on the current situation, and adjust plans from time to time to achieve synchronization between predictions and plans.

I wrote an article 10 years ago to predict the development of industrial pumps in China. Ten years have passed and I am still exploring the pump industry, especially in terms of technological innovation, constantly striving to adapt to the development of China and the world. In the rapidly developing China, 10 years is a milestone, and the development of industrial pumps is also undergoing leaps and changes at every stage. Let's review the development history of industrial pumps in China again.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it went through a process from introduction, imitation to independent research and development. The following are the main stages of development:

1. Early stage (from the early 20th century to 1949)

Introduction and imitation: In the early 20th century, China began to introduce industrial pumps from abroad, mainly used in mining, metallurgy and other fields. Due to weak industrial foundation, it mainly relies on imports and imitations.

Initial development: With the rise of national industry, some small pump factories have emerged, but their technological level is low and their production scale is limited.

2. Initial development stage (1949-1978)

Promotion of Planned Economy: After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the industrial pump industry developed under the planned economy system, and the country invested a large amount of resources to establish multiple pump production enterprises.

Technological progress: By introducing Soviet technology, China began to independently produce industrial pumps, gradually improving its technological level and increasing the variety of products widely used in agriculture, petroleum, chemical and other fields.

3. Rapid development stage (1978-2000)

Promotion of Reform and Opening up: After the reform and opening up, the industrial pump industry experienced rapid development, and enterprises improved their production capacity and technological level by introducing advanced foreign technology and management experience.

Market competition: With the introduction of market economy, competition among enterprises has intensified, driving technological innovation and product quality improvement.

4. Modernization stage (2000 present)

Independent research and development: In the 21st century, China's industrial pump industry has gradually shifted towards independent research and development, mastering multiple core technologies, and some products have reached the international advanced level.

Internationalization: Chinese industrial pump enterprises are beginning to enter the international market, participate in global competition, and export volume is increasing year by year.

Green and Intelligent: In recent years, the industry has focused on green environmental protection and intelligent development, developing industrial pump products that are efficient, energy-saving, and intelligently controlled.

 

Around 2015, more than half of China's industrial pump production enterprises were passed down from several generations. After experiencing various stages of development, the industry entered a mature period. China's era of large-scale infrastructure provided a broader market, with continuous emergence of new technologies and products, creating a golden age. The manufacturing of industrial pumps has gradually shifted from simply buying drawings and processing to gaining profits, to specializing and refining pump technology to gain technical value. After years of development, pump manufacturers have accumulated considerable wealth and advocated the spirit of craftsmanship. Production enterprises and universities work together to fully invest in technological innovation, layout research and development, and make R&D expectations for each stage. By around 2000, some of China's industrial water pump products had reached or approached international standards, and domestic end customers were more willing to accept domestic industrial pumps that could replace their international brands. International brands such as Japan's Ebara Pump, KSB Pump, ITT, etc. were gradually replaced by domestic brand pumps in the Chinese market. After 2020, the development of energy-saving pumps and intelligent pumps has achieved results, and the technology is becoming increasingly mature.

1. Centrifugal pump

Technical level: Domestic enterprises have approached the international advanced level in design, materials, and manufacturing processes, and the efficiency, reliability, and service life of some products are comparable to those of foreign countries.

2. Submersible pump

Technical level: Domestic submersible pumps have approached international standards in terms of efficiency, corrosion resistance, and service life, and are widely used in municipal, mining, and other fields.

3. Chemical pump

Technical level: Domestic chemical pumps have approached international standards in terms of corrosion resistance, high temperature and high pressure resistance, and are widely used in industries such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

4. Vacuum pump

Technical level: Domestic vacuum pumps have approached the international advanced level in key indicators such as pumping speed and ultimate vacuum degree, and are widely used in fields such as semiconductors and photovoltaics.

5. Reciprocating pump

Technical level: Domestic reciprocating pumps have approached international standards in terms of high pressure, high flow rate, and other performance, and are widely used in fields such as petroleum and chemical engineering.

6. Pumps for nuclear power plants

Technical level: The safety, reliability, and service life of pumps used in domestic nuclear power plants have approached the international advanced level, and some products have been localized.

7. Seawater desalination pump

Technical level: Domestic seawater desalination pumps have approached international standards in terms of corrosion resistance and high efficiency, and are widely used in seawater desalination projects.

China has made significant progress in multiple industrial pump fields, with some products being able to replace similar foreign products and widely used in multiple industries. With the advancement of technology and industrial upgrading, the competitiveness of domestic industrial pumps will be further enhanced in the future.

5. Trends for the next 10 years

Technological Innovation: In the future, the industrial pump industry will continue to promote technological innovation, especially in materials, design, and manufacturing processes.

Intelligence and automation: With the advancement of Industry 4.0, intelligence and automation will become important development directions.

Green environmental protection: The increase in environmental protection requirements will drive the industry towards a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly direction.

 

 

summary

The Chinese industrial pump industry has gone through multiple stages of development from initial introduction and imitation to independent research and development, and now has strong international competitiveness. In the future, technological innovation, intelligence, and green environmental protection will be the main development directions of the industry.

Policy benefits: The country has introduced multiple policies to support the development of high-end equipment manufacturing industry, promoting the transformation of industrial pump industry towards high-end, intelligent and green. Green manufacturing: Environmental protection requirements promote the development of industrial pumps towards green and low-carbon direction.

Intelligent manufacturing: Intelligence and digitization have become the mainstream of the industry Customized services: With diversified customer needs, customized services will become more common.

The Chinese industrial pump industry needs to strengthen the following aspects:

Core technology: In the field of high-end pumps, there are still some key technologies that need to be broken through domestically Brand: Foreign brands dominate the high-end market, while domestic brand recognition needs to be improved R&D: Domestic enterprises still have a gap in R&D investment and innovation compared to foreign countries.

I believe that in 10 years, by 2035, China's industrial pumps will have fully reached the international level and become a leader in the industry, leading the global pump industry towards a more scientific and sustainable development path.