China's cemented carbide market changed from supporting role protagonist

In 2011, the output of cemented carbide in China was 23,500 tons, the sales revenue of cemented carbide industry was 20.9 billion yuan, the cemented carbide exports were nearly 5,000 tons, the foreign exchange earned through exports exceeded 360 million US dollars, and the output of carbide deep processing products reached 6,600 tons, accounting for the total amount of alloys. One-third of production. The varieties of carbide products produced are basically complete with more than 40,000 specifications and models, and the output and varieties can basically meet the needs of various economic sectors in China.

The main problems in the cemented carbide industry in China are as follows: First, the scale of the company is small, and the degree of industrial concentration is not high. According to incomplete statistics, the average annual production capacity of 199 cemented carbide enterprises is 176 tons, the average annual output is only 86 tons, and there are only 4 enterprises with an annual output of more than 1,000 tons. The second is less investment in science and technology, lack of high-end technical personnel, and weak technical research and development capabilities. China's hard alloy industry has invested less than 3% of its sales revenue in technology. The level of scientific and technological research and development is not high, and there are few original core technological achievements. Third, the level of product quality is low, and the product structure needs to be adjusted. China's cemented carbide production accounts for more than 40% of the world's total production, but carbide sales revenue is less than 20% of the world's total, mainly due to high-performance ultra-fine alloys, high-precision high-performance grinding coated blades, superhard tool materials, and complex The production of high-value-added products such as large-scale special products, precision cemented carbide CNC cutters, insufficient deep-processing support, and incomplete varieties resulted.

With the rapid expansion of China's auto industry, the demand for cutting tools for auto parts processing is increasing, and the demand for hard alloys in China's steel, transportation, and construction sectors is also growing. In the strategic picture of foreign cemented carbide multinationals, the Chinese market has quietly changed from a supporting role to a protagonist.

The analysis pointed out that by the end of the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan”, China’s cemented carbide production will reach 30,000 tons, sales revenue will reach 30 billion yuan, and the output of deep processing products will account for more than 40% of the total amount of cemented carbide. Compared with the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan”, exports will double and strive to exceed US$1 billion. Cemented carbide will be developed in the direction of deep processing and tooling; it will develop in the direction of ultra-thin, super-thin, and coated composite structures; it will develop in the direction of circular economy, energy conservation and environmental protection; and it will develop in the direction of precision and miniaturization.