The development of China's electric power industry has increased the demand for electrical contact materials
Electrical contact material is a key functional material of electrical alloys. It is used for high and low voltage switch contacts. Its performance directly affects the technical level of power generation equipment and power transmission and transformation equipment. Silver-based electrical contacts and copper-based electrical contacts are commonly used in various low-voltage electrical appliances and are the core components of low-voltage electrical appliances. They are widely used in power distribution systems, household appliances, transportation and control machinery and equipment. The market capacity of the low-voltage electrical appliance industry is closely related to the development of my country's power industry. At present, the development of my country's power industry is mainly reflected in two aspects: smart grid construction and rural power grid transformation.
Copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials can replace traditional silver-based electrical contact materials and bring opportunities
The traditional raw material for electrical contact materials is silver, but the global reserves of silver are relatively small. In recent years, the price of silver has fluctuated greatly, posing challenges to companies' raw material procurement, production cycle, supply capacity, and sales collection. At present, governments and research institutions in various countries are developing silver-saving and silver-saving technologies for electrical contact materials without affecting product performance. At present, in some low-voltage electrical appliances, such as circuit breakers, air switches, AC and DC contactors, it has been possible to replace traditional silver-based electrical contact materials with copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials, which gives copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials. The development of electrical contact materials has brought significant opportunities.
The core technology of this innovative product of copper-based special alloy electrical contacts is to add micro-diamond particles and other trace elements to the copper matrix and compound with the copper matrix. The addition of diamond particles can greatly improve the welding resistance of the material, thereby ensuring the safe use of electrical contacts and greatly reducing the risk of fire; at the same time, diamond itself has the characteristics of high hardness and high wear resistance, thereby improving the resistance of the material Mechanical wear and arc ablation resistance can also improve the arc extinguishing ability of the material. The addition of other trace elements to the copper matrix is also beneficial to greatly improve the oxidation resistance of the material at room temperature and high temperature. The formula of copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials is relatively new, and the amount of rare metals used is greatly reduced, so that the price of copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials is only one-third to five cents of the price of silver-based electrical contact materials One, greatly reduces costs and improves market competitiveness.
At present, after years of market application inspections, copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials have been growing year by year due to their good performance and low price. However, because this product is a new substitute product for the core components of electrical appliances, it still needs continuous testing and running-in with various manufacturers in the process of market sales and promotion, so the short-term market promotion process is slow.
But on the other hand, this material is the heart component of electrical appliances, and it is also a consumable product with large consumption. It is also a necessity in the development of the power industry. The market demand will increase year by year with the development of my country’s electricity and the increase in electrical appliances. Increase. my country plans to increase electricity consumption by 40 million KW each year. For every 10,000 KW electricity, it needs 40,000 electrical appliances and 0.5 tons of electrical contacts. It is expected that by 2020, my country’s electrical appliance sales will reach 100 billion yuan. Contact sales will reach 10 billion yuan. Therefore, the competitive advantage of copper-based special alloy electrical contact products is obvious, and the domestic market demand potential is huge.
Basic situation of the international industry
The international electrical contact market is showing a trend of rapid growth. Asia-Pacific regions such as China and South Korea have become the fastest growing areas in the electrical contact market, while the United States, Japan, and Germany are still the countries with the largest electrical contact market distribution. Copper-based special alloy electrical contact products are conducive to changing the pattern of the electrical contact market. The foreign power industry is very developed and the demand for electrical contacts is strong. The emergence of copper-based special alloy electrical contact materials will bring huge market space. It is estimated that the annual export capacity of electrical contact markets in Europe and Asia is 1,875 tons.
In terms of the international market, as far as the export of electrical contact materials is concerned: the United States, Germany, France and other technologically developed countries consume more than 1,000 tons of electrical contact materials each year. Only one company in Germany consumes electrical contact materials. It reaches more than 200 tons. Through the company's product and technological innovation, the technical indicators of China's electrical contact products will hopefully meet the internationally accepted IEC technical standards, and it will be possible for products to enter the international market in batches. Based on the forecast and analysis of the European and Asian low-voltage switchgear market, China's market share in Asia is calculated at 1/5, and the electrical contact market capacity in Europe and Asia should be at the level of 12,500 tons, if trade barriers and differences in technical standards are not considered Factors, with a market share of 15% as the business goal, the basic export capacity of electrical contact materials should be more than 1,875 tons, so the international market has great potential.
Industry competitive landscape
In the global market, the three companies with the strongest technical and economic strength in the electrical contact material industry are AMI DODUCO, METALOR and UMICORE. These three companies have entered the Chinese market in different forms and scales. In 1999, AMI DODUCO established a wholly-owned subsidiary in China, leading Daduke (Tianjin) Electrical Contact Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; in 2005, METALOR established Metalor Electrical (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in China; in 2006, UMICORE wholly acquired Suzhou Alloy Materials Factory Co., Ltd. and established a wholly-owned company Umicore Technology Materials (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
In the Chinese market, according to the statistics of the Electrical Alloy Branch, there are currently more than 60 Chinese local companies engaged in the production of electrical contact materials (only members of the Electrical Alloy Branch). Among more than 60 chapter members, about nine are private enterprises.
China's leading electrical contact material companies are as follows:
SHZX Alloy Technology Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1996, SHZX is an electrical alloy enterprise specializing in the production of expensive/low-cost metal composite tapes, electrical contact materials, and precision stamped contact components. The company's products are widely used in high and low voltage electrical appliances, military industry, electronics, home appliances and other fields.
FJFD Alloy Material Technology Group
Founded in 1999, FJFD is an electrical alloy enterprise specializing in the production of electrical contacts. The company's products are mainly used in high, middle and low voltage electrical appliances, electronics, home appliances, military industry and other fields.
WZHF Electrical Alloy Material Technology Group
Founded in 1997, WZHF is an electrician specializing in four major categories of leading products, including particle and fiber reinforced electrical contact functional composite materials and components, layered composite electrical contact functional composite materials and components, integrated components, and thermal bimetal composite materials. Alloy enterprises, the company's products are widely used in industrial electrical appliances, automotive electrical appliances, household appliances, communication electronics, aviation and other fields.