The rubber hose industry is witnessing diverse development opportunities

Driven by multiple demands such as thermal management of new energy vehicles, liquid cooling of computing power, energy storage, and major infrastructure projects, the rubber hose industry is experiencing diversified development opportunities. At the same time, technological innovation and the transformation of intelligent manufacturing are continuously promoting the high-quality development of the industry.

Downstream demand continues to expand, and emerging scenarios have become a new engine for growth.

Recently, Chuanhuan Technology disclosed that with the increasing demand for thermal management in various downstream fields, many leading enterprises both at home and abroad have successively visited the company to conduct technical exchanges, on-site factory inspections and project collaborations. The cooperation covers multiple scenarios such as computing liquid cooling, energy storage thermal management, and automotive piping. In the computing liquid cooling sector, most of the cooperating customers have completed their qualification certifications, and the projects are steadily advancing. A relevant official from the company stated: "At present, all the cooperation projects in various fields are progressing in accordance with the schedule. The application matching rhythm of rubber and plastic piping for downstream customers is continuously accelerating."

According to market data, the global plastic hose market is projected to reach 10.72 billion US dollars by 2026 and is expected to grow to 16.92 billion US dollars by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.56%. The automotive rubber hose market is also showing a growth trend, with the market expected to increase to 19.34 billion US dollars in 2026 and 28.55 billion US dollars in 2032. In the Chinese market, the hydraulic hose industry exhibits the dual characteristics of "stable growth during the mature stage and explosive growth in emerging fields", with a projected market size growth of 5.6% in 2026.

Significant breakthroughs in technological innovation have been achieved, and a large number of enterprise patent achievements have emerged.

In terms of technological innovation, the rubber hose industry has witnessed several breakthroughs recently. Henan Hulun Hydraulic Technology Co., Ltd. has continuously obtained multiple patent achievements in June: On June 12th, it received the patent authorization for "A Fire-resistant Hydraulic Rubber Hose"; on June 19th, it announced the invention patent "A Flame-retardant and Anti-static Rubber Hose Material and Preparation Method and Its Application"; and on June 26th, it again received the patent authorization for "A Heat-insulating and Fire-resistant Composite Rubber Hose". Among them, the flame-retardant and anti-static patent enhances the anti-static and flame-retardant properties of the rubber hose by using polyphosphoric acid ester flame retardants.

In the field of large-diameter rubber hoses, Qingdao Erliu Rubber Hose Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Qingdao Liufu Fluid and Qingdao Chenyang Fluid, has obtained the patent for "A Large-Diameter Rubber Hose Forming Machine". By applying inward pressure to the surface of the formed rubber hose using the compaction rollers, the interlayer air is effectively removed, thereby enhancing the overall integrity and structural strength of the hose.

The major national water conservancy project - the second phase of the Longjiang River Water Diversion Project - achieved a breakthrough in the beginning of this year. The core part of the project, the DN2800 ultra-large diameter ductile iron pipe, was successfully laid. The DN2800 special rubber sealing ring developed by Ji Hua 3517 (Yueyang) Rubber Products Co., Ltd. was successfully applied to this project. The diameter of this rubber ring is 2.8 meters, and it needs to withstand huge water pressure and adapt to complex environments. Ji Hua 3517 Company, with over 70 years of research experience in the rubber field, has achieved a new breakthrough in the one-time molding process of ultra-large diameter pipes.

The enterprises have accelerated their layout, and a series of major projects have been successfully implemented.

At the industrial investment level, there have also been numerous activities. In April this year, the hydraulic transmission research and production base project, funded by Xi'an Baoliqiang Hydraulic Transmission Co., Ltd. with a total investment of 550 million yuan, was started in Fengdong New Town, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The planned total area is approximately 55,000 square meters, and it will introduce 8 rubber hose assembly production lines. After the project is completed and put into operation, it is expected to have an annual output value of 600 million yuan, and will provide high-end hydraulic supporting products for well-known enterprises such as China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, China Railway Equipment Corporation, and AVIC.

Zhongyu Technology has been continuously expanding its market presence both domestically and internationally. Recently, the company participated in the Hannover International Fire Safety Exhibition in Germany, using the exhibition platform to communicate and connect with global customers. Its investment project product, steel-lined modified polyurethane wear-resistant pipe, received an order of 48.81 million yuan in January 2026. The company holds 292 patents, including 48 invention patents.

The process of industrial upgrading is accelerating, with intelligent manufacturing and data empowerment proceeding simultaneously.

From the perspective of industrial clusters, Hebei Jingxian, known as the "China (Jingzhou) Rubber and Plastic Pipe Industry Base", has gathered 2,813 rubber and plastic manufacturing enterprises, among which 86 are large-scale enterprises. The overall scale of the industry accounts for approximately one-third of the national total. The domestic market share of hydraulic reinforced hoses exceeds 40%. In January this year, Jingxian Intelligent Manufacturing Brain Co., Ltd. was awarded the first batch of "Cluster Data Property Rights Registration Certificates" across the country. Currently, 152 enterprises in Jingxian have signed digital transformation contracts, and the first case of characteristic cluster data asset pledge financing has been implemented here.

At the industry operation level, according to data from Zhuochao Information, the domestic rubber hose industry's operating rate in May was 58.61%, a decrease of 5.87% compared with the previous month. Affected by the traditional off-season in June and the expected weakening of terminal orders, the expected operating rate of the rubber hose industry continued to decline. However, from a long-term perspective, with the continuous expansion of emerging application scenarios such as new energy vehicles, computing power liquid cooling, and energy storage thermal management, as well as the deep advancement of intelligent manufacturing and digital transformation, the rubber hose industry is expected to enter a higher-quality development stage.