"Intelligent Manufacturing Empowers, Transforming the Steel Ball Industry to Break Through and Go Global"
"The Forged Steel Ball Industry: Seeking Breakthroughs Amid Challenges, Pursuing Development Through Innovation"
Recently, the forged steel ball industry is undergoing a fierce market transformation. Amid the competitive wave, various enterprises not only face unprecedented challenges but are also actively seeking new development opportunities.
The market competition is intense, and the price battle is severe.
In recent years, the competition in the forging steel ball market has become increasingly fierce. The intensity of the price war among competitors is beyond imagination. Some enterprises in the casting industry, in order to diversify their products, expand their sales channels, and enhance their competitiveness, have begun to set up forging hot-rolled production lines. This undoubtedly further intensifies the competitive situation in the market.
The mining processing plants, as the main consumers of steel balls for ball mills, have a significant impact on the forging steel ball market due to changes in their demand. Currently, except for large mines which are relatively less affected, many small and medium-sized mines have shut down or reduced production due to increased environmental protection requirements, industry downturn, and other factors, resulting in a sharp drop in steel ball demand. Large enterprises purchase through bidding and wear-reduction contracting methods, causing suppliers to earn meager profits when there is sufficient supply; while orders with small demand volumes are difficult to increase in price. Additionally, some steel ball factories, affected by export or production capacity factors, have accumulated large inventories waiting to be sold, causing market quotations to continue to decline. Competitors are trapped in a price competition situation, and the industry situation has become increasingly severe. It is expected that some steel ball factories may face closure or transformation in the next two years.
Enterprises actively transform and explore new development paths.
Despite the difficult market environment, many enterprises are still actively seeking ways to break through. Some steel ball factories have chosen to establish joint ventures with large mining groups. Through this cooperation model, they can achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages, thereby reducing market risks. At the same time, some steel mills, in response to the problem of reduced steel demand, have newly launched forging and hot rolling production lines to optimize product structure and increase product value-added.
Technological innovation leads to enhanced product competitiveness
In terms of technological innovation, some enterprises have achieved remarkable results. Wang Chengke, a forging worker at Guangping County Gangnu New Materials Co., Ltd., has been working for over 20 years. With his meticulous craftsmanship, he has become the leading figure in steel ball forging technology. He focused on the automation of steel ball loading and developed an intelligent method for automatically adjusting and cutting steel rods, which increased production efficiency by over 70% and significantly reduced the labor intensity of workers. He also led his team to develop over 100 innovative achievements, including an automatic oxide scale extraction device and an automatic ball separation device without power. Among them, 74 were granted national patents, generating economic benefits of over 40 million yuan for the company.
The company has spent three years developing a fully computerized and intelligent production line. From the heating of steel rods to the forging process, all operations are fully automated. The product quality is more stable, with uniform performance. The production efficiency has increased by 1.5 times compared to the original line. In addition, this year the company has established a research and development cooperation relationship with seven universities, built multiple research platforms, and formed a high-level technological innovation team led by academicians. Currently, the company's two new metal wear-resistant materials and five new products based on these designs have entered the final trial stage. They are expected to be launched in the market in September. These new products will save about 10% of electricity in mines and increase the wear resistance of raw materials by 15% - 25%.
Expanding overseas markets and enhancing international influence
In terms of market expansion, some enterprises have actively responded to the national "Belt and Road" initiative, adhering to international marketing strategies and continuously laying out and expanding overseas markets. Shangnu New Materials Co., Ltd., as a supplier and service provider of mining steel balls, has been continuously exploring markets in South America, West Africa, South Africa, Central Asia, etc. this year, strengthening cooperation with local enterprises and expanding the international market share of mining steel balls. The company's product export ratio has reached 85%, and its sales cover 20 or more countries and regions around the world. At the beginning of this year, the company received annual contracts from well-known mines in countries such as Chile, Poland, and Australia. Currently, the production of orders has been scheduled until the end of June, and the total and proportion of effective orders in the overseas market have both reached new historical highs.
In the current complex market environment, the forging steel ball industry is facing numerous challenges, but it also holds new development opportunities. Through means such as technological innovation, cooperation transformation, and expansion of overseas markets, enterprises are expected to break through the difficulties and usher in new development in the industry.
