The precision of metalworking dies will continue to increase. Ten years ago, the precision of precision dies was generally 5 micrometers; today, it has reached 2 to 3 micrometers, and dies with 1-micrometer precision will soon be available on the market. This requires ultra-precision machining. The metalworking die industry will increasingly shift toward larger-scale production. This trend is driven by the growing size of parts produced by dies and the demand for high production efficiency, which has led to the development of multi-cavity dies. Multifunctional composite dies will see further development in the die industry. In addition to stamping parts, new multifunctional composite molds also perform assembly tasks such as stacking, tapping, riveting, and locking, placing increasingly higher demands on the properties of the steel used.

In China, the process of perfecting the socialist market economy system is inherently a process of rapid circulation. Without an understanding of circulation, one cannot understand the socialist market economy; modern circulation is a key factor in enhancing the speed, quality, and efficiency of economic operations. Therefore, to ensure the sustained prosperity of the hardware manufacturing sector and accelerate the development of the mold and hardware industry, several key areas must first be addressed.

We must strengthen the modern service sector within the hardware processing and mold industry, develop large-scale commerce, form a comprehensive and open distribution landscape, and establish efficient distribution platforms to thoroughly transform the current situation where hardware distribution platforms are small, fragmented, and weak; we must optimize every link in the industrial development process, form large hardware industry clusters through provincial-level industrial agglomeration, extend the industrial chain, create a production structure where each link is interconnected and complementary, and enhance the overall competitiveness of the hardware industry; We must promote technological innovation and brand development among hardware manufacturers; we must accelerate the integration of domestic and international trade as well as the integration of trade and industry to facilitate economic restructuring and a shift in the model of economic growth; we must prioritize market expansion and increased consumption, fully leverage e-commerce and online service platforms, and advance the development of a comprehensive hardware market system, a modern hardware logistics system, a hardware market monitoring system, and a hardware commercial credit system to achieve the modernization of the hardware industry’s distribution system as soon as possible; We must foster exchange and cooperation within the industry to achieve resource sharing. Hardware enterprises across the province should clearly recognize the various complex issues arising during the development process. We must pool our collective wisdom and strength, utilize shared resources, capitalize on opportunities while avoiding pitfalls, strengthen cooperation, promote multi-directional communication both within and outside the industry, jointly foster prosperity, create a synergistic effect for the industry as a whole, actively address potential international trade barriers, and proactively respond to the severe challenges of the international market.

Leaders of hardware processing and mold manufacturing enterprises, after determining their company’s development direction, must focus on the key priorities of leadership, clearly define the enterprise’s core tasks, and avoid wasting energy on other trivial matters. If a task fails to boost employee morale or contribute to the company’s profitability—whether in the short or long term—then it is unnecessary and can be disregarded.

As is well known, in the U.S. market, a medium-sized twist drill costs approximately $10 each, while low-grade twist drills manufactured in China are priced at just $1 and are used as hand tools. According to Jiuzheng Building Materials Network, China currently boasts the world’s largest automotive industry; however, 80% to 90% of the cutting tools used in the high-efficiency production lines imported from abroad—including those in domestic enterprises with foreign investment—are still imported.

In recent years, the majority of the high-efficiency, advanced cutting tools used in China’s machining industry have been imported from abroad, including those produced by foreign-invested enterprises in China. We currently export a significant number of cutting tools as well, but these are primarily low-cost, low-grade standard tools. In 2004, China produced approximately 2.5 billion cutting tools, of which 2 billion were low-cost, low-grade tools—most of which were exported. In the years that followed, exports continued to consist primarily of mid- to low-grade tools. Currently, China’s tool manufacturers primarily focus on the mass production of traditional standard cutting tools. Given the technological trends in the machinery manufacturing industry, the proportion of high-efficiency CNC machine tools in Chinese factories will increase year by year, leading to a rapid rise in demand for high-efficiency, advanced cutting tools, while the demand for traditional standard cutting tools will decline annually.

The current supply and sales situation for cutting tools in China is such that high-end, advanced cutting tools are primarily imported from abroad, while low-end cutting tools are being produced in excessive quantities and mostly exported. This situation must be changed as soon as possible. The extensive use of standard cutting tools in China’s machinery manufacturing sector, compared to the widespread use of high-efficiency, advanced cutting tools in developed countries, has resulted in China’s machining efficiency being significantly lower than that of other nations.