The users are mainly low-voltage electrical power industry, in addition to the petrochemical, coal, metallurgy, construction, and civil and other low voltage electrical products manufacturer purchased by the vast majority of low-voltage equipment manufacturers, and then assembled into a distribution panel, power distribution electrical boxes, protective screen, control panel and other low-voltage devices and then sell to the user.

1, which is characterized by:

 (1) different specifications (voltage, current, protection, number of poles), complex environmental conditions (altitude, temperature, humidity, pollution, etc.).

(2) large wide sectors of the national economy can not be separated from said low-voltage electrical appliances. People's daily lives, but also inseparable from the low-voltage electrical appliances.

 (3) the quality of low-voltage electrical user (appearance, reliability, longevity, volume, etc.) are increasingly concerned about the low quality products at high prices, both energy without polluting the environment of popular products.

2, the structure of demand

All walks of life to demand structure of low-voltage electrical products vary, but in general the following rule:

(1) mining and coal chemical industry more number of products with a vacuum breaker.

(2) frame molded case circuit breakers and circuit breaker usage ratio of approximately 1:9.

(3) self-control industry, electrical transmission sector with a contactor, fuses, limit switches, limit switches, buttons and lights and other very large amount.

 (4) the protection of low-voltage electrical motor products such as starters, fuses, contactors, thermal breaker, buttons and lights and other very large amount.

(5) The current high level of product usage is small (eg smaller amount 1600A breaker over, 3000A less than the amount), and 100A and below the product very large amount, the greater the amount of small molded case circuit breakers.

3, Industry Concentration and economies of scale

Of low-voltage electrical appliances manufacturing enterprises are mainly concentrated in Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong, the distribution of the whole enterprise is reasonable. Corporate presence on several aspects of the economic scale:

 (1) small-scale and scattered organization. Lack of competitiveness and advantages. At present, China low-voltage electrical enterprises to enter the country one of the few manufacturers of large enterprises, while SMEs account for over 90% (annual sales revenue and total assets were 500 million yuan and above for large enterprises; 5,000 million and above for medium enterprises, and the rest for small businesses).

(2) regional structural convergence, failed to reflect the comparative advantages and synergy. 20 years since the 1980s, more than 600 low-voltage electrical plant from the original, now increased to more than 1,000. As the blind on the project, setting up shops, regional industry convergence serious, economically inefficient, low-level redundant construction, resulting in product backlog, a waste of energy, materials, low economic efficiency of adverse consequences.

(3) technical structure is irrational, the low level of technical equipment major industries. According to statistics, the major technical equipment of enterprises, technical and economic performance than advanced only 1/3. Backbone enterprises leading products reach international technical level 90s accounted for only about 18%.

 4, the structure of the market sales

Sales of low-voltage electrical products in the domestic market, mainly for power generation equipment, automatic control equipment and other facilities. According to statistics, every additional 10,000 kW of power generation equipment, about 40,000 with all types of low voltage electrical products supporting frame which is about 230 units of air circuit breakers, molded case circuit breaker is about 2200 units. In addition, low-voltage electrical appliances and motors than the total installed capacity of approximately 0.5 / W. That is a 300,000 kW of power generation equipment to be 1.2 million with matching various types of low voltage electrical components, including low-voltage circuit breakers 6900 sets the framework, MCCB 66,000 units.

5, product import and export trade structure

 Low-voltage electrical products import much variety, not quantity, subject to government policy restrictions. Typically, only the key projects in need of low-voltage electrical components can not be produced before they can be considered imports, there is a situation of a large foreign company must use designated foreign products, only to be considered imports.

Low-voltage electrical products exports small quantities, the amount is not high, exports are the following situations:

(1) offshore processing, product exports.

 (2) the introduction of foreign technology or equipment, products sold back to each other - compensation trade.

In recent years the development of measures to encourage the export of electromechanical products to support the State Economic and Trade Commission, the State Administration of Machinery Industry. In 1999, the Ministry of Foreign Trade to propose 9 comments, then the amount of low-voltage electrical products exports have significantly increased.

6, the product market prices

China's current low-voltage electrical products, price is a bit confusing:

 (1) SOE product prices generally perform at industry self-regulation, sales of products between Industry Association member units by discipline price not exorbitant, nor dumping.

(2) non-industry association members tend to cf Industry Association "price discipline", according to his company's need to develop a product selling prices. Ex-factory price, price, retail price and bulk ex-factory and other sorts, harm the interests of the customer, is not conducive to fair competition and economic enterprises.

 (3) foreign companies in the country to do some electrical some sole proprietorship or joint venture product prices are higher than the price of domestic products. The past two years some large foreign companies in order to squeeze the domestic low-voltage electrical appliances market, there are price trend, but the reduction is not too large.

Domestic price is very competitive, forming a buyer's market, supply exceeds demand, prices will inevitably lead to war, the recent market prices fell slightly, profits are down.

7, the market capacity forecast

Domestic market capacity and low voltage electrical power industry development are closely linked. It is estimated that from 2001 to 2005 nationwide power generation increased by around 4% from 2006 to 2010 at around 4.5%; 10 years in power coefficient of elasticity of about 0.6 on average, so the country each year from 2001 to 2005 need to increase power from 660 to 77 billion kWh, 2006 ~ 2010 annual average additional annual capacity from 660 to 77 billion kWh, according to the 1997 national average electricity unit 131h run daily basis, from 2001 to 2010 the average annual newly installed capacity of about 21GW. Experience supporting ratio calculated in accordance with the annual framework for low-voltage circuit breaker needs about 48 million units, MCCB 4,620,000 units, other types of low-voltage electrical products requirement is also very impressive.

Of low-voltage electrical products exports relatively large number of Southeast Asian countries, due to the national attention on the export of electromechanical products, support and encouragement to improve the Southeast Asian financial crisis are conducive to low-voltage electrical outlet.

In short, the market can be expected of low-voltage electrical capacity will be steady growth, the outlook is optimistic.

8, the market is characterized by competition

(1) the market is large, too many domestic low-voltage electrical manufacturing companies, some foreign companies have entered the domestic market, the competition is fierce.

Our low-voltage electrical industry is facing a severe situation of oversupply. Due to the great development of electric power, petrochemical, construction and other industries, to the development of low-voltage electrical manufacturing industry provides a good opportunity, but the number of companies increased too much, plus some foreign companies facing this electrical China is a huge market Chung on, exacerbated by the intensity of competition.

(2) competition and inequality, the market may not be excellent quality.

China is in the process of economic transition, a variety of unfair competition in the supply and marketing aspects of the phenomenon exists. According to market rules, should be under the quality excellent price, or the same quality product sales price conditions should be better, but the reality is not necessarily so.

 9, comparing the strength of competitors in the market

 In the domestic market, Chinese enterprises in low-voltage electrical products still account for 60% to 70%, in other words state-owned enterprises are still the main force. These companies after 50 years of development, design and manufacturing has been greatly improved, to design and manufacture products to meet the basic needs of the national economy, but it should be noted that our low-voltage electrical industry companies manufacturing process behind the special process less equipment, production poor reproducibility, reliability level is not high. Heavy burden on enterprises, coupled with the impact of payment default by, cash-strapped state-owned enterprises is a common problem, too little money into technological innovation, product level is not high, do not form the bulk of economies of scale and economies.

SOE has two main competitors in the market, a joint venture, and the other is private enterprise.

Foreign joint ventures are usually out of technology and equipment, the Chinese side of the plant and workforce. Products of high starting point, serialization, tooling good, and not as a heavy burden on state-owned enterprises can be described as economic strength and technological strength are more powerful. Because of the time the joint venture established by a short, relatively small-scale, joint venture product price is too high, the competition does not prevail.

Fast growth of private enterprise, is now slowing in growth since 1985, but the rate of increase is still faster than other types of ownership, initially engaged in low-voltage electrical small-scale private enterprise, much products of different specifications, in recent years the economy expanding economic benefits become more apparent. There are a number of such enterprises in the country has reached a scale and medium-sized enterprises, their products have an advantage over low-cost, state-owned enterprises in product prices, business ideas in line with the law of the market economy, sales system strong, efficient, thus rendering their economies rapidly growing trend.

 10 product and technology development direction and trends

 In order to catch up with the circuit breaker of the international advanced level, decided to develop intelligent circuit breaker as "eight five" key development projects. To around 1997 after another Shanghai Hua Tong Electric Factory, Shanghai People's Electric Factory, Shanghai Electric Factory Lean DW45 series, Beijing Switch Factory DW914 series, march nine plants MA45 series intelligent circuit breaker through product identification, has been able to bulk supply.

The successful development of intelligent circuit breaker represents the development direction of China's low-voltage electrical appliances. It has four sections in addition to selective protection and ammeter, voltmeter, display, memory, test, self-diagnosis.

 Broken, regional fault display, alarm and load monitoring, intelligent functions, but also with computer communication interface with the host computer connection can achieve remote control, remote adjustment, remote telecommunications, computer control system to meet the power and automation requirements. It combines modern electronics, measurement, control and computer technology, high-tech product. Some plants are currently working to develop intelligent circuit breaker 4000A, 5000A's.