The price composition of PVC drainage pipes: the proportion of raw materials, processing and transportation costs

When decorating and buying pipes, many people will wonder: the same PVC drain pipe, why is the price so much worse? In fact, the price of PVC drain pipe is not determined by "beating the head", but by the three core costs of raw materials, processing and transportation. Today we will "take these costs apart" to help you understand the logic behind the price.

is the first raw material cost that accounts for the largest proportion, usually accounting for 60% -70% of the total price. The core raw material of PVC drain pipe is PVC resin powder - a white powder polymer, whose quality directly determines the strength, toughness and anti-aging properties of the pipe. Good resin powder has high purity and few impurities, so the price is naturally expensive; while inferior resin powder may be mixed with recycled materials. Although cheap, the resulting pipe is easy to crack. In addition to resin powder, there are also several auxiliary materials: such as stabilizers (to prevent the material from breaking down during processing), lubricants (to make the material easier to extrude), fillers (to adjust the cost and performance, such as calcium carbonate, but adding too much will reduce the toughness of the pipe). These auxiliary materials account for 10% -20% of the raw material cost, but choosing environmentally friendly or ordinary will also affect the final price - for example, environmentally friendly calcium and zinc stabilizers are about 30% more expensive than traditional lead salt stabilizers.

Next is the processing cost, which accounts for about 20% -30%. The cost of the processing process mainly comes from four aspects: the first is equipment depreciation - the production of PVC drainage pipes requires extruders, molds, cutting machines and other equipment, the price of these equipment is not low, and the daily depreciation cost will be spread to each pipe; the second is energy consumption - the extruder needs high temperature heating (usually 160-180 ° C), and the power consumption is very large. For example, a production line needs 50-80 degrees of electricity per hour; the third is labor - the operation of equipment, quality inspection, and packaging all require workers. The salary of skilled workers is higher than that of novices, but the quality of the product can be guaranteed; the fourth is the process complexity - for example, to make "sockets" (the part where the pipe is connected), additional molds and processes are required; to ensure uniform wall thickness, the pressure and speed of the extruder must be adjusted, which will increase Processing time and cost. For example, a drain pipe with uniform wall thickness and smooth socket can be 15% more expensive to process than one with uneven wall thickness.

Finally, transportation costs account for 5% to 15%, but they are easily overlooked. There are many variables in transportation costs: the first is the distance - the factory is in Guangdong, and to be shipped to Beijing, the freight of each pipe may be 2-3 times more expensive than that to the surrounding cities; the second is the packaging - although the PVC drain pipe is lighter than the metal pipe, it is afraid of extrusion and falling, so it needs to be wrapped in a carton, then wrapped with a winding film, and some foam corner guards. The cost of these packaging materials can account for 20% of the transportation cost; the third is the mode of transportation - the whole vehicle transportation (such as a truck with 500 pieces) is cheaper than the LTL transportation (not enough for one car), because the LTL needs to be carpooled, and the intermediate transfer will increase the cost; the fourth is the special requirements - for example, the construction site is in a remote mountainous area, and it needs to be transferred by a minivan, which will add another cost. A friend who does decoration said that the pipe he bought last time was shipped from Hebei to rural Shanxi, and the transportation cost actually accounted for 12% of the total price, because the last few kilometers were pulled by tricycle.

Seeing this, you should understand that the price of PVC drainage pipes is not "inflated", but every penny corresponds to the specific cost. Don't just look at the "low price" when buying - if a pipe is 20% cheaper than the market price, it is likely that recycled resin powder is used, or cutting corners during processing (such as thinning the wall thickness), which is easy to block and crack when used later, but more expensive. Why don't you ask more: "Are you using new resin powder?" "How is the wall thickness controlled during processing?" "Is there any protection for transportation packaging?" These questions can help you avoid the "low price trap". After all, pipes are "hidden projects" buried in the wall and underground. If you choose the right one, you can save yourself for ten years.