China mostly produces low-end gear molds, while high-end gear molds are mostly imported. There are limited specialized factories in China that focus on gear molds. Instead, most gear factories manufacture their own gear molds by establishing dedicated sections or workshops. This situation presents challenges for the development of China's gear mold industry. Experts emphasize that in order to foster the advancement of the domestic gear mold industry, the problem of dependency must be addressed at its core. Efforts should concentrate on enhancing professional expertise to better serve the needs of the local gear mold industry.
Due to the fierce competition in the gear industry, mergers and acquisitions and capital operations among large gear enterprises have become more frequent. As a result, domestic gear manufacturers are ramping up their market research efforts, focusing on the development environment of enterprises and changes in customer demand trends. Consequently, many excellent domestic gear brands have emerged and are quickly becoming leaders in the industry. This demonstrates the importance of in-depth market research when it comes to staying competitive in the gear business.
The gear industry's sales volume in 2011 saw a significant surge, reaching 178 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 23%. Although the amount of imports remained higher than exports, the growth rate of exports surpassed that of imports. Despite the gap in import-export numbers, the increasing export growth is a positive sign for the industry's development.
The gear industry in 2012 is expected to experience a moderate growth pattern, characterized by a downward trend in the front and an upward trend in the back. This trend will further persist, resulting in a slowdown of industry growth in the fourth quarter. However, the second half of the year will witness significant improvements due to the implementation of national policies aimed at expanding domestic demand and promoting strategic emerging industries. The modern equipment manufacturing sector, in particular, will play a crucial role in driving a fresh wave of growth across the entire gear industry. With this optimistic outlook, it is estimated that the sales revenue of the gear industry will exceed 10% growth, and the sector's exports may even increase by 15%.