1. Current status and trends of raw material price fluctuations
As the core filtering material for filters, glass fiber has seen multiple rounds of price hikes in 2025. The price of electronic yarn has increased by 19.8% – 22.22% year-on-year, with the mainstream quotation reaching 8,800 – 9,200 yuan per ton. The price of electronic cloth has risen by 15.15% – 22.8%, mainly driven by the demand from fields like 5G base stations and new energy vehicles. Chinese leading enterprises have巩固了prizing power through technological upgrades, and the industry CR5 concentration has reached 74%, further strengthening the bargaining power. Glass fiber accounts for about 30% – 40% of the filter material cost, and its price increase will directly drive up the filter production cost, especially having a significant impact on high-performance oil and gas separation filters.
2. Raw material cost proportion and transmission mechanism
Characteristics of the filter cost structure
Screw air compressor filters usually consist of three main parts: a metal frame, filtering media (glass fiber/synthetic fiber), and seals. Referring to industry data, raw materials account for about 60% – 70% of the total cost, among which glass fiber has the highest proportion (35% – 45%), followed by steel (15% – 20%), and auxiliary materials such as rubber/plastic account for 10% – 15%. This structure makes the impact coefficient of glass fiber price fluctuations on the total cost reach 0.4 – 0.5, that is, a 10% increase in the glass fiber price will lead to a 4% – 5% increase in the filter cost. While the cost – dilution effect of steel price reduction is relatively limited (the impact coefficient is about 0.15) because it is mostly used for non – core structural parts in filters.
Time lag and elasticity of price transmission
Filter production enterprises usually adopt a quarterly pricing model, and it takes 1 – 2 quarters for raw material price increases to be fully transmitted to the terminal selling price. After the glass fiber price hike in Q2 2025, some manufacturers buffered the cost pressure by reducing promotional discounts (instead of direct price increases), resulting in a 2 – 3 percentage point decline in the gross profit margin. Downstream customers’ price sensitivity shows a divergence: industrial customers (such as petrochemical enterprises) have a higher acceptance because filters account for less than 5% of the equipment operation and maintenance cost; while small and medium – sized air compressor manufacturers will turn to low – cost substitutes, intensifying market competition.
3. Enterprise coping strategies and industry adaptive adjustments
Dynamic supply chain management
Leading enterprises hedge risks through “dual – source procurement”: purchasing steel domestically to enjoy the low – price dividend, and at the same time signing long – term agreements with Thai glass fiber manufacturers to lock in 70% of the demand. Small and medium – sized enterprises adopt the “peak – avoiding procurement” strategy, stockpiling 3 – 6 months’ inventory when the glass fiber price is low, but they have to bear the cost of a 1.5% – 2% increase in warehousing costs.
Technological substitution and process innovation
Some manufacturers have developed composite filtering materials to replace pure glass fiber, reducing the glass fiber consumption per filter by 20% – 30%. On the production side, laser cutting + automated winding technology is promoted, reducing the steel scrap rate from 8% to 3%, partially offsetting the impact of raw material fluctuations.
Post time: Aug-01-2025