Source: China Steel Barrel Packaging Network
In June 2020, Xin Qiaojuan, the editor in chief of China Steel Barrel Packaging Network and an industry expert, visited barrel related enterprises in Qingyun Town, Wujiang, Suzhou. One of them, a professional barrel hoop production enterprise called "Wujiang Pan's Hardware Factory", attracted industry attention.
It is reported that Wujiang Panshi Hardware Factory was established in 2010 and is a professional supporting enterprise that produces and operates steel barrel hoops. Although the company is not large in scale, it produces a wide range of steel barrel hoops in various sizes, including open barrel hoops ranging from 18 liters to 230 liters. The product shapes include bolt type and lever type, and the cross-sectional shapes of barrel hoops include C-type, V-type, and T-type. Special barrel hoops can be made according to customer requirements.
During the visit, Xin Qiaojuan visited the factory's barrel clamp locking ear automatic welding equipment, barrel clamp locking ear convex welding machine, stamping barrel clamp wrench accessory production line, and clamp strip automatic forming unit. These devices demonstrate the evolution of barrel hoop manufacturing from manual operation to automated production. More noteworthy is that these devices are mostly independently developed and transformed by enterprises, reflecting the flexible innovation ability of small and medium-sized supporting enterprises in technology.
Industry insiders point out that "hidden champions" like Wujiang Pan's Hardware Factory are not uncommon in the Chinese barrel hoop industry. Although they are not well-known to the public, they play an indispensable role in the industrial supporting field. Although the barrel hoop is small, it is a key guarantee for the sealing and structural strength of the steel barrel, and its quality directly affects the safety performance of the packaging barrel.