Tech giant builds parts Kingdom

Put on the "little giant" of science and technology engine

Zhejiang Zhiyuan Valve Fittings Co., Ltd., which focuses on the production of valve stems and other valve accessories, is a model for scientific and technological innovation in Yongjia County. Since its establishment in 2006, companies have installed a powerful engine of “first productivity”, and through constant technological upgrading, they have obtained a continuous and vigorous development momentum.

Compared with some large valve companies that started earlier in Yongjia County, Zhiyuan Valve Parts Co., Ltd. is still an industry “newborn”. However, this "newborn" has a strong "heart", making this late starting enterprise catch up quickly and has become the "little giant" in the valve fittings industry.

In the leasing plant of Zhiyuan Valve Fittings Co., Ltd., the reporter saw that the enterprise technology R&D center on the same floor as the production workshop was impressively acclaimed. In its production workshop, the number of equipment far exceeds the number of laborers, and workers use their advanced equipment to make light work.

Since its establishment, the accumulated investment in technology research and development has exceeded 10 million yuan. Up to now, Zhiyuan Valve Parts Company has more than 20 sets of testing equipment such as more than 100 CNC machine tools and physics and chemistry experiments for metal materials. The valve stems of its production and research include more than 60 series and more than 1,600 kinds of products. With a capacity of more than 15,000, it is involved in the field of high-end valves such as valve stems for nuclear power valves.

Technology R&D not only brings high-efficiency production to Zhiyuan Valve Fittings, but also enables the company to have a competitive advantage that people don't have. For a long time, the “follow-up” phenomenon of the entire valve industry has been prevalent, and homogenization competition has become fierce. Some low-end “imitation products” have disrupted the market competition order with its low price. In this situation, Zhiyuan Valve Parts Co., Ltd. started to work on the protection of technological property rights.

In 2010, the company's self-developed "soft-seal valve stem" won the EU patent and got the "green card" to enter the international market, making a crucial step for China's valve stem to go abroad. In March 2011, Zhiyuan Valve Parts Co., Ltd.'s four patented valve stems, new valve stems, soft-seal valve stems and other four patented products were granted IPR registration at the General Administration of Customs and were plated with a protective film for intellectual property rights. ". So far, Zhiyuan Valve has 26 patented products, including 6 invention patents.

Zhu Zhiyuan said that the acquisition of intellectual property has brought a stable business to the company, attracting the attention and support of the government departments, and more importantly, it has contributed to the long-term development of the corporate brand.

Previously, the export products of a company in Jiangsu infringed on the intellectual property rights of Zhiyuan valve stems filed with the General Administration of Customs and were investigated by the Customs. In the end, the company turned its orders to the Zhiyuan valve stem and became a long-term partner with the company. In addition, Zhiyuan’s multiple product projects have won the government’s financial incentives for project approval for science and technology projects at all levels of government departments.

The "sweetness" brought about by technological innovation has further stimulated the innovative energy of enterprises. The "snowballing" generally forms a virtuous cycle of enterprise development. Recently, Zhiyuan Valve Fittings Co., Ltd. has newly developed a high-frequency continuous furnace that can be applied to high-precision mechanical parts. According to reports, the equipment draws on advanced technology from Japan and uses microwave technology instead of traditional heating technology for heating wires. It has performed well in terms of energy saving, consumption reduction, productivity improvement and product quality. “This device can reach a high temperature of 1200 degrees Celsius in two hours, and the original heating wire could not reach such a high temperature for more than 10 hours. The product produced by this device has no oxide layer, is not deformed, and the uniformity is accurate. The cost can also save about 40%.” In addition, in the heat treatment workshop, the reporter also saw a big guy with a bed length of about 10 meters and a shaft hole diameter of 160MM. After introduction, it turned out that this was a custom-made processing equipment for companies to fill the gaps in production of large and long shaft stems in China.

Plans to create a valve fitting "Kingdom"

In recent years, the annual output value of Zhiyuan Valve Parts Co., Ltd. has maintained a growth rate of over 30%. Its products are exported to high-end markets such as the EU and Japan, and established long-term cooperation relationships with Hitachi and other internationally renowned enterprises. In the current downturn of the overall economy, the company's business still maintains its steady growth as always. The company is listed as a member of the Zhejiang Pump Valve Industry Association and a member of the China Valve Association. It has won the title of Wenzhou Patent Demonstration Enterprise, Zhejiang Province's Most Growing SME, and Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Enterprise.

However, Zhu Zhiyuan is not satisfied with the status quo of "outstanding." According to Yongjia County's industrial development orientation, his idea is that through the joint development of other valve accessories companies, Baotuan Group will enlarge and strengthen the valve accessories industry in Yongjia County, making it another "gold card" for the hometown of valve and valve. . According to this concept, Zhiyuan Valve Parts Co., Ltd. is currently negotiating with the production enterprises of several valve accessories in Yongjia County and outside the county. It is planned to register and establish a regional group company in Yongjia County next year through joint reorganization. At present, the preparatory work for the early stage has been promoted in an orderly manner. The name “China Zhiyuan Technology Co., Ltd.” has also been approved.