Plumbing equipment is an integral part of any residential, commercial, administrative and industrial building. Choosing beautiful and comfortable plumbing (bath, sink, mixer), people pay less attention to the quality of engineering plumbing, which as a result leads to hassle and unpleasant surprises.
MasterProf Company is a wholesale supplier and manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, so choosing fittings, taps (shutoff valves), adapters for pipe installation and tools for installation and soldering of pipes, you can be sure of the quality of the products.
Currently, the plumbing fixtures market is represented by several major manufacturers of the following countries: Russia, China, Italy.
Plumbing fixtures from Russia
As a rule, plastic and rubber products are made in Russia, since it is not profitable to import them. These products include: sewer pipes and fittings, polypropylene, traps, plumbing gaskets, HDPE pipes and fittings. The production of these products requires an average cost of equipment, and the market for specialists working in this area is wide.
Plumbing fixtures from China
Most of the products made of brass and alloys originate from China. These are fittings, taps (shutoff valves), manifolds. The specifics of the production of these products: equipment for production is very expensive, highly qualified specialists are required, separate shops are needed for electroplating and remelting brass waste.
Plumbing fixtures from Italy
High-end plumbing fixtures, which are preferred by professionals, originate from Italy. Again, these are fittings, taps and metal-reinforced plastic pipes. In this category, the main thing is the strength of the brand, and Italy has been a trendsetter in plumbing engineering for several decades. For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that even Italian manufacturers of plumbing fixtures often outsource their products to the Chinese factories. Of course, they are made according to drawings and under the brand of the company, whose office is located in Italy. It allows to put "Made in Italy” label on the packaging.
Plumbing fixtures manufacturer
Anyone knows what plumbing is, but the plumbing fixtures term confuses many people, since mostly subject-matter experts are familiar with it. Usually, this term refers to all elements of the system that contribute to the normal functioning of plumbing devices. The uninterrupted operation of household plumbing (mixer, bath, toilet, shower, etc.) directly depends on the quality of plumbing fixtures.
Today, the plumbing fixtures are a whole range of products:
- Fittings and pipes;
- Various connection elements for pipelines;
- Shutoff valves;
- Expansion tanks;
- Heating radiators;
- Anti-vibration compensators;
- Gas and water meters;
- Thermal mixers;
- Flexible connectors;
- Plumbing collars;
- Consumables for sealing joints;
- Plumbing gaskets;
- Water purification systems;
- Accessories for radiators and heated towel drying racks.
Plumbing fixture production process
The process of starting the production of plumbing fixtures is lengthy and requires deep calculations and highly qualified personnel.
We can describe the specific stages of this process using the example of launching the production of brass fittings under the MPF brand.
At the end of 2017, the work began on the development of a line of threaded fittings under the MPF trademark. We analyzed a matrix of 21 fitting manufacturers, including all well-known European factories. Taking into account the statistics of the networks, the final matrix was formed, which became the basis for the further development of the line of fittings.
Designers with experience in developing products for the defense industry were involved in the development of the models.
Fitting market analysis
(duration - 6 months)
At the initial stage of the analysis of competitors, a strange fact became clear, that even European manufacturers did not have uniformity in quality, physical and technical characteristics and product design, namely:
- with a thread standard of 5 turns, some fittings complied with this, while others had only 3 turns, and the fitting was the heaviest of the analogues;
- roughly referring brands to a high quality-price segment, we found individual fittings (up to 30% of the entire line), which, according to their weight characteristics, were hardly comparable even to these of the economy segment (first of all, low weight, wall thickness, ’under-twisted’ thread, etc., gave them away), and, on the contrary, in the economy segment up to 30% of fittings could be attributed to the mid-price and / or premium;
- most of the manufacturers tried to reduce the weight and, accordingly, the cost of the product at the expense of the most important design features of threaded fittings, for example, wrench flats, , thereby negating the convenience of installing the product;
- on the contrary, some fittings, seemingly of the simplest design, had unnecessary elements, which led to an increase in the cost of manufacturing (7-9 turns of thread, excessive wall thickness, massive emphasis on the external thread, brand engraving on the top, unnecessary stiffeners that do not make sense, etc.).
Creation of technical task
(duration - 2 months)
The decision on how we wish to proceed turned out to be on the surface:
- it was necessary to take all the best practices from each of the 21 manufacturers;
- eliminate the design flaws of certain fittings;
- remove unnecessary elements from the fitting design;
- optimize the physical and technical characteristics;
- work out the uniformity of the product range (the same elements of different fittings must be identical);
- taking into account all of the above come to an optimal ratio of weight (and, accordingly, price) and quality.
The task was formulated, “Make a truly European product of high quality at an affordable Russian price!"
Brass of the European standard CW617N was chosen as the base material. Such an alloy rigidly establishes the permissible concentrations of the main elements in its composition:
- Copper (Cu) - 57 - 59%;
- Zinc (Zn) - 38 - 40%;
- Lead (Pb) - 1.6 - 2.6%;
- Iron (Fe) - no more than 0.3%;
- Nickel (Ni) - no more than 0.3%;
- Tin (Sn) - no more than 0.3%;
- Aluminum (Al) - no more than 0.05%.
It is this ratio of metals in the brass alloy that provides it with optimal physical and technical characteristics and compliance with sanitary and epidemiological standards.
Here are just some of the negative facts about using cheaper brands of brass:
- violation of the balance between copper and zinc leads to a change in the potentially achievable indicators of strength and ductility of brass;
- exceeding the permissible concentrations for aluminum and tin leads to an increase in brittleness in a cold state;
- an increase in the maximum concentration of lead can have a detrimental effect on human health.
A product of pipeline fittings can meet the criterion of reliability and durability if it is, at least, made of CW617N brass.
Creating drawings
(duration - 6 months)
Our work on the development of a line of threaded fittings under the MPF brand lasted almost 6 months. During this time, we got back to the starting point several times in order to take into account all the nuances that arose in the process of design development and experimental production batches and to obtain the desired result.
Development of technical task for coating fittings
(duration - 2 months)
3 practices for coating fittings were established in the Russian and European markets:
- without coating;
- with incomplete nickel plating, i.e. the thread and the inside of the fitting on the finished product are not covered with a layer of nickel;
- with full nickel plating.
Historically, since the beginning of the 2000s, the opinion that the fitting should be either yellow or with a yellow groove, "otherwise it is a silumin," has firmly settled in the minds of professional plumbers due to the fact that silumin was often offered in Russia under the guise of brass products.
In the course of a long debate, we decided to focus on the third practice:
«Bright nickel plating. It covers the entire surface of the fitting, including threads and internal walls. Thickness is not less than 7 microns.».
The main arguments for the final choice:
- nickel plating protects brass from corrosion (despite its high corrosion resistance, brass can be destroyed up to 0.025 mm per year on each side; nickel does not break down upon contact with the atmosphere and water);
- nickel plating prevents dezincification of brass - that is important for acidic and alkaline environments (use of detergents; the appearance of various impurities in water; use of a heat-transfer agent in heating systems);
- nickel plating provides protection from the appearance of Aluminum-Copper, Iron-Copper, Zinc-Copper and Steel-Copper galvanic pairs upon brass contact with aluminum, iron, zinc and stainless steel (connection of aluminum and bimetallic radiators; connection to galvanized and steel pipes, etc.)
- nickel plating does not allow lead, which is harmful to health, into the water (despite the permissible standards for the content of lead in brass of the CW617N brand, we strive for the European Pb-free trend, as lead accumulates in the human body and is not excreted during life leading, to health problems over time);
- nickel has 5 times lower electrical conductivity than copper contained in the brass alloy (if stray currents appear in the water supply system, this can save your life);
- nickel-plated products retain their appearance for a long time, not requiring special care (this is especially true in open joints, for example, when connecting a radiator);
- nickel, being a harder and more durable metal, protects brass from mechanical stress;
- shiny nickel, along with chrome, gives an ideal durable decorative effect;
- galvanic nickel coating smoothens the roughness left after machining the workpiece, which, in addition to the external component, minimizes the friction of water against the inner walls of the fitting, thereby reducing vibration and noise "effect" of the water supply system.
Thus, the total time from fittings line development to its production took us about 1.5 years.
Of course, there are smaller and simpler groups in plumbing engineering that will take less time to start production.
When choosing a supplier of plumbing fixtures, you should pay attention to the MasterProf Company. We offer our clients:
- Packaged plumbing fixtures under our own brand;
- Ready-made solutions for the correct formation of the point-of-sale matrix;
- Commercial equipment (stands, hooks);
- Advertising equipment (fascia, booklets);
- Audit of your point-of-sale in order to increase sales.
Scope
The purchase of plumbing fixtures is a very important stage in a construction or renovation. It determines how long it will take before you have to buy plumbing and redo the repairs. By purchasing plumbing fixtures from the MasterProf company, you can be sure of the quality of the products.
Elements of plumbing fixtures are used in the repair and installation of various systems:
- Water supply;
- Heating;
- Sewerage.
At the moment, products are manufactured using modern materials and advanced technologies. Plumbing fixtures are made of:
- Cast iron;
- Metal-reinforced plastic;
- Polypropylene;
- Copper;
- Steel;
- Brass;
- Low pressure polyethylene.
Plumbing fixtures - wholesale offer
If you need to buy high-class plumbing fixtures that meet all international requirements and standards, please contact MasterProf. The MasterProf Company specializes in the production and is a wholesale supplier of plumbing fixtures to independent shops, as well as to large DIY stores.
We provide a detailed price list for all our products, have wide range of payment and delivery methods, and also provide advice on any issue.
Over the years, we have established partnerships with many stores and suppliers. Examples of our work.
Our experts will help you organize your own business and select the suitable products.
Do you still have questions? Call or e-mail us, we will answer.
Phone: +7 812 309-53-81
E-mail: info@masterprof.spb.ru
Address: St. Petersburg, 5/1 Zastavskaya Street.
