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 businesses. In the current situation, we, as a supplier of European equipment, are seriously considering developing a portfolio of Chinese pumping equipment suppliers.
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 the pharmaceutical, confectionery, chemical and other industries. 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 is 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 four companies that met our expectations. The others had a small model range and a rather unpresentable appearance, 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 the companies were positive about cooperation. All that was left for us to do was to analyse prices and 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, etc. All of them have production facilities in China that serve the Asian market and beyond.
The main goal is 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 four companies that met our expectations. The others had a small model range and a rather unpresentable appearance, 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 the companies were positive about cooperation. All that was left for us to do was to analyse prices and 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, etc. All of them have production facilities in China that serve the Asian market and beyond.
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, its own office building with 3 floors, 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 25,000,000. The manufacturer'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 one is Chinese companies that do business with the orientation on the domestic market. In this case, there are no priorities and no special emphasis on quality - business just goes on and that's it, the same product is produced for many years without much desire for improvement. The second one is the one that gradually replaces the first one, companies striving for development. The main priority here is the quality of the final product. We managed to find several manufacturers belonging to this second side. We hope that our co-operation with them will bring worthy alternatives to the Ukrainian market and help our domestic manufacturers in choosing the optimal technical solution.
