In 2025, driven by high-boom downstream sectors including new energy, data center liquid cooling, and smart manufacturing, the global quick coupling industry is witnessing a trend of volume-price growth coupled with structural optimization. Technologically, the sector is accelerating breakthroughs in leak-free, intelligent, and lightweight solutions. Meanwhile, domestic manufacturers are significantly expediting their penetration into the high-end market, though supply chain cost volatility and standardization barriers remain core challenges. Below is an analysis from five dimensions: market size, technological trends, application landscape, competitive dynamics, and challenges & opportunities.
In 2025, the market size of open-close hydraulic quick couplings in China reached RMB 3.42 billion, registering a 11.5% CAGR from 2020 to 2025—substantially outpacing the global average of 6.3%. The penetration rate of push-to-connect pneumatic couplings in industrial automation surged from 12% in 2020 to 18% in 2025.
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Leak-free (dry-break) couplings emerged as the mainstream in hydraulic applications, with their market share skyrocketing from 38% in 2020 to 67% in 2025.
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Medium-high pressure (21–35 MPa) couplings accounted for 58.4% of the total market share.
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Ultra-high pressure (42–70 MPa) products saw explosive demand in wind power and hydrogen energy sectors, hitting a market size of RMB 490 million in 2025 with a 32.6% CAGR over five years.
In 2025, shipments of smart quick couplings equipped with condition-sensing capabilities exceeded 2.1 million units, jumping 47.6% YoY. These products are predominantly deployed in high-end fields such as new energy and aerospace.
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Lightweight & Corrosion Resistance: Stainless steel 316L and aluminum alloys are rapidly replacing carbon steel. Hybrid plastic-metal materials are increasingly adopted in UQD couplings for data center liquid cooling, reducing both cost and weight.
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Sealing Material Bottlenecks: The localization rate of fluororubber has reached 52%, yet high-end sealing materials like perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) still rely on imports for over 90% of supply.
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Smart Manufacturing for Cost Reduction & Quality Improvement: Leading enterprises have adopted digital twins and fully automated assembly & testing lines, achieving a daily output of 300,000 units per production line with a defect rate controlled at 0.08‰—far superior to the industry average of 0.5‰.
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Tool-Free & Blind-Mate Technology Popularization: Push-to-connect couplings eliminate the need for tools, boosting assembly efficiency by over 80%. Blind-mate UQD couplings for data center liquid cooling enable efficient deployment, with compatibility driven by the OCP standard.
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Sensor & Protocol Integration: Couplings are embedded with MEMS sensors to monitor parameters such as plug-in cycles, pressure, and temperature. Data is transmitted to MES systems via CAN bus or IO-Link for real-time fault early warning.
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Case Study: The HT-Smart series titanium alloy couplings developed by the Shanghai Aerospace Precision Machinery Research Institute integrate strain gauges to detect micro-loosening risks with an accuracy of ±0.5 μm.
International leaders such as Stäubli and Parker monopolize high-end markets including data center UQD couplings and aerospace applications, leveraging core advantages in sealing technology and standard-setting authority.
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Technology Benchmarking: Domestic manufacturers like Jiangsu Hengli and Ningbo Eddy have invested in intelligent production lines, enhancing the performance of high-pressure and leak-free couplings to narrow the gap with overseas competitors.
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Cost & Customization Edge: By capitalizing on supply chain advantages, domestic firms are rapidly penetrating mid-end markets in construction machinery and new energy, offering tailored solutions.
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Standard Co-construction: Industry associations including the China Welding Association have formulated the General Specification for Quick Couplings Used in Electric Welding Machines, unifying interface parameters to promote cross-brand compatibility.
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Cost Pressures: Volatility in raw material prices (e.g., copper, stainless steel) has squeezed profit margins of mid-low-end products, with SMEs reporting a gross profit margin of less than 8%.
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Technological Shortcomings: Dependence on imports for high-end sealing materials and precision sensors remains a bottleneck, requiring heavy R&D investment for smart product development.
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Standard Fragmentation: Inconsistent interface standards across industries hinder interoperability and operational efficiency.
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Vast Localization Potential: In emerging sectors such as data center liquid cooling and hydrogen energy, domestic enterprises are gaining traction with cost-effective solutions. The high-end product penetration rate is projected to rise from 25% in 2025 to 40% in 2026.
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Policy Support: National strategies for manufacturing upgrading and high-end equipment localization are driving the domestic substitution of core components. Green manufacturing policies further incentivize the development of lightweight and low-leakage products.
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Global Expansion: The Belt and Road Initiative is fueling export growth, with surging demand from infrastructure markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
2025 marks a critical transition year for the quick coupling industry, shifting from quantity-driven growth to quality-driven development. Technological innovation and downstream demand upgrades are propelling the industry toward high-end, intelligent, and green transformation. Domestic enterprises must focus on core material and process breakthroughs, leverage cost and customization advantages to accelerate localization, and participate in international standard-setting to enhance global competitiveness. Over the next 3–5 years, sustained demand growth in new energy and data center sectors is expected to drive a new round of rapid expansion in the industry.
