Garden hose nozzles

	Aifa offers the model 29-30 spray gun in two designs. The product comes with cone, jet, full, angle, fl at, vertical, mist, soaker and shower patterns.

Efficiency and conservation are the focus of R&D. Upgrades along these lines include multiple spray patterns and time settings.

Responding to environmental concerns, China suppliers of water-distribution systems for gardens and lawns are releasing “greener” models. At many companies, efforts are concentrated on mainstream categories, but a few makers are entering new lines or expanding their selections in these segments.

In traditional products such as sprayers, nozzles and sprinkler irrigation systems, improvements entail the provision of various stream patterns to increase water efficiency. Designs are also being adjusted to make such enhancements easier to use.

Ningbo Zhenhai Zhong Zheng Garden Tools Co. Ltd, for instance, has introduced an oscillating sprinkler fitted with a switch that controls the angle and diameter of the spray. The latter can be set from 10 to 15m.

For newer lines, many suppliers are focusing endeavors on instruments that will automatically supply and stop the flow of water to a specified area. Timers are the bestknown products in this segment, but a few enterprises have launched other types of regulators.

Aifa Hangzhou Lawn and Garden Accessories Co. Ltd is among the latter makers. The company has developed a humidity controller that prompts a system to begin distributing water when the dryness of the ground where it is installed reaches the specified parameter.

Model 1110, which is patented, triggers the flow of water at a dryness level of 20, 35 or 50 percent. The unit stops the supply automatically when the preset humidity of 65, 80 or 95 percent has been achieved.

A number of suppliers, Ningbo Zhenhai Zhong Zheng among them, have started offering products designed for markets where water is severely limited. One of the company’s new models is a tank that can store rainwater for gardening and other purposes. Made of 1000d PVCcoated fabric and aluminum alloy, it can hold up to 350L.

	The SCW-08(15M) hose reel set from Foshan City Shunde District Cheering includes a 15m hose and a fourpattern spray gun.

Handheld compression sprayers, spray nozzles and guns, hoses and reels are China’s main exports in the waterdistribution systems category. Models suitable for small lawns and larger areas are offered.

For compression sprayers, the selection consists mainly of PP or PE models that can hold 1 to 5L of water. These are fitted with steel or ABS pumps, and nozzles made of ABS or another type of plastic. Large designs may have aluminum alloy wands.

Spray nozzles and guns are offered in diameters ranging from 3/4 to 3in. Plastic types are often in ABS, while metal versions come primarily in zinc alloy and brass. TPR grips can be found among midrange and upscale options.

In hoses, PE and PVC models are common. Products can handle temperatures ranging from -10 to 70 C.

Reels for the aforementioned line have aluminum alloy and plastic parts, with the latter typically in ABS or PP. Models are designed to accommodate 15 to 45m of a 1/2in hose or 35m of the 5/8in variety.

For larger gardens and agricultural applications, drip irrigation systems are a growing line. Models are offered with plastic tubes that are 16 to 60mm or more in diameter, between 100 and 1,000m long, and at least 0.3mm-thick. Most have an operating pressure ranging from 50 to 400kPa.

Prices of the various water-distribution systems depend mainly on the materials used. Among plastic products, the adoption of recycled materials is common in the low end since these are 10 to 30 percent less expensive than virgin grades. The use of such is restricted in midrange and upscale models, which are often exported to North America and Europe, because of stringent standards governing PAHs and heavy metal content.

	Cixi Sanbei’s SB4601 model is a 17-hole oscillating sprinkler with aluminum and ABS parts.

Despite having shrunk about 10 percent in the past 12 months, China’s supplier base for watering equipment remains considerably large. At present, there are 1,800 companies offering the line.

Privately owned factories constitute 90 percent of the industry. The rest consists of joint ventures and state-run enterprises.

The majority of makers are small factories with a workforce that does not exceed 100. These small plants usually lack the capability to develop their own designs, relying instead on the orders of trading companies for revenue.

Midsize suppliers, which can have a production facility of up to 10,000sqm, account for approximately 30 percent of the industry. Employing between 100 and 500 people, these companies carry out 40 to 80 percent of manufacturing processes in-house. They have at least two R&D specialists and two QC inspectors.

Contract manufacturing is the primary source of revenue for this sector. Most businesses have export rights, but a number send products overseas via trading companies.

Larger operations constitute only 5 percent of the supplier base. With a workforce of more than 500, these enterprises typically perform the majority of processes in-house, including mold production.

Besides having greater manufacturing capability, most can develop their own designs and market these to overseas-based customers. Large companies often maintain a team of at least 10 members for new product development, as well as the creation of customer-specified samples. For QC inspection and testing, another group of 10 or more is usually assigned.

Mixed production is the norm in the industry, regardless of the maker’s size, since revenue from one segment is generally not enough to sustain operations. In addition, for convenience and economies of scale, buyers look for enterprises that can provide them a range of watering tools and irrigation systems.

Consequently, sprayers, hoses and reels can frequently be sourced from the same factory. Products with higher technological content such as timers, however, are offered mainly by large companies or specialists.

Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces are the centers of manufacturing. These three hubs account for more than 70 percent of China’s total output and 80 percent of exports.