How Chinese Pneumatic Accomplishes the Development of the Pneumatic Industry in the World

Chen Qifu, professor-level senior engineer, graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Northeastern University in 1958. Director of Wuxi Institute of Pneumatic Technology under the Ministry of Machinery Industry, President of the Pneumatic Branch of the China Hydraulic and Pneumatic Sealing Industry Association, and Deputy Director of the Pneumatic Subcommittee of the National Hydraulic and Pneumatic Standardization Technical Committee. He was responsible for drafting the 7th, 5th and 9th plans for the pneumatic industry in the country. Retired in 1994 and enjoy special allowance from the State Council.

The initial contact between Chen Qifu and Fenghua Pneumatic Industry was in the 1980s. At that time, there was a state-owned Fenghua Pneumatic Component Factory. Although it was small in scale, it was also one of the 14 companies that the Ministry of Machinery Industry had to focus on. Therefore, as the director of the Wuxi Institute of Aerodynamic Technology, Chen Qifu has to come to Fenghua once or twice a year to understand the situation, guide production, and arrange the layout. In his impression, there are also three or five privately-owned pneumatic companies.

“My understanding of the Fenghua pneumatic industry can be considered a major turning point in 1998.” Chen Qifu told reporters that this year, the National Order for Hydraulic and Pneumatic Seals organized by the Ministry of Machinery Industry was held in Fenghua. In the memory of the exhibition hall, the exhibition hall was set up in a hall similar to the factory building. The stalls were erected with bricks, and a piece of wood was placed on it. The product was placed on it.

It was on the “showcase” that the simpleness could not be simplified. Chen Qifu discovered three “surprises”.

The first surprise was that there were more than 20 companies exhibiting third-generation products in a series. He said that China's pneumatic products can be divided into three generations. The first generation was a product jointly designed by the Ministry of Machinery Industry in the 1960s and 1970s. It is bulky and consumes a lot of power. The second generation was the mid-1980s. Shanghai Pneumatic Complete Plant introduced the product of German Hilong Company's technology research and development and became the leading product of the industry. After 1993, the products represented by Yadeke and SMC entered the Chinese mainland market. This is the third generation. It is characterized by its small size, low power consumption, and connection to computers.

The second surprise is that these small and refined products are not machined by advanced machines, but are made by instrument cars.

The third surprise was that the cooperation between enterprises was very good at that time, and a supply chain was formed within the industry that was manufactured according to the division of parts and supported by products. Chen Qifu said that these products contain high design technology and manufacturing technology, and they look very similar. It is not easy. So he thinks China's pneumatic hope is in Xikou. But also gave him a lot of inspiration, in order to shorten the gap with previous international level, presided over the industry when planning and product development, affected the academic path, often start with the theoretical beginning of the study, excessive frame of mind, over the pursuit of advanced structure , increasing the difficulty of manufacturing, so the pace of development is slow.