This story is about me, but it is also about every factory owner who continues to strive, overcome challenges, and build something meaningful.
It is the story of how Beikan Zhuang built Chengrong Ultrafiltration through setbacks, responsibility, engineering discipline, and a commitment to never compromise on quality.
I arrived in Shenzhen in 1993 with a junior high school education, no capital, and no business background. I started as a garment-factory worker. Later, I learned accounting, hardware processing, mold repair, machine setup, purchasing, delivery, and factory management—often by doing several jobs at once.
The business that became Chengrong began in a corrugated-metal workshop. We had equipment but no orders. I took on debt I could barely afford, sold the house my parents had built in our hometown, and once found myself three yuan short when the landlord came to collect rent.
This is not a story of overnight success. It is the story of how a small hardware workshop became a vertically integrated ultrafiltration water filter manufacturer—TOP 3 manufacturer in the China‘s pipeline ultrafiltration water filter industry—and how every difficult decision taught me that quality is not a slogan. It is a responsibility.
At a Glance
| Founder | Beikan Zhuang |
| Manufacturing base | Shenzhen, China |
| Chengrong manufacturing history | Since 2008 |
| Core technology | PVDF and PVC hollow-fiber ultrafiltration Membran Technology |
| Main applications | Whole house ultrafiltration (UF) system for city tap water and rural well water, Kitchen ultrafiltration (UF) system for direct-drinking water |
| Integrated capabilities | UF membrane R&D and production, tooling, metal processing, stainless-steel housing production, complete-system assembly, testing, and engineering water-treatment equipment |
| Business model | OEM/ODM manufacturing and ChengrongTimes branded products |
| Business Philosophy | Chengrong Ultrafiltration Water Filters— Reliable Household Water Treatment Solutions, Peace of Mind for Global Customers |
In This Story
- 1993: Learning to Work—and Learning to Learn
- 1997–2004: Seven Years Inside a Hardware Factory
- 2005–2008: Failure, Debt, and the Workshop That Became Chengrong
- 2008–2009: A Typhoon, a Trusted Partner, and an Unexpected Path into Ultrafiltration
- 2011–2012: What My Father’s Accident Taught Me About Responsibility
- 2011 Onward: From Metal Components to Complete Ultrafiltration Systems
- 2016: Why We Brought Ultrafiltration Membrane Manufacturing In-House
- What “Never Compromise on Quality” Means in Practice
- What Chengrong Manufactures Today
- 2025: Why We Created ChengrongTimes Brand
- Chengrong Factory: Built by More Than Its Founder
- Beikan Zhuang: My Closing Thought
1993: Learning to Work—and Learning to Learn
I grew up in a small village in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong. After graduating from junior high school in 1993, I left home for Kengzi in Shenzhen. My elder sister was a supervisor at a garment factory in Shatian, and I found a job there.
I knew almost nothing about working life. I was simply a young man who wanted to make his way in a city that seemed full of possibility. I worked hard, and after about a year the factory owner promoted me to team leader.
Life was simple in those early days. Whenever I received my wages, I handed them all to my sister. She helped me manage everything, from food to clothing. When my daughter got married, I suddenly felt that I might be alone. I couldn’t hold back my tears. I later realized how unnecessary that worry had been. She continued to support me, just as she always had.
More importantly, she encouraged me to continue learning. She enrolled me in an accounting course at Kengzi Adult School and urged me to take it seriously. I did my best and achieved a score of 95 on the final examination, ranking NO.1 in the class. That achievement gave me a confidence I had never experienced before and inspired me to continue my education through adult high school.
My first lesson in Shenzhen was not about business. It was that hard work matters, but hard work becomes truly powerful when combined with learning.
1997–2004: Seven Years Inside a Hardware Factory
In 1997, my brother-in-law opened a hardware-processing factory and invited me to join him. Little did I know that this decision would shape the rest of my life.
In a small factory, job titles mean little. What matters is doing whatever needs to be done. I handled purchasing, accounting, and deliveries. I repaired molds, adjusted machines, worked on the production floor, and solved any problem that stood in the way of completing an order.
There were nights when I repaired molds until two in the morning and returned to work again at eight. The pace was exhausting, but I was learning how a factory truly operates: how drawings are transformed into parts, how tooling determines consistency, how a delay in one process can affect the entire production chain, and how small details ultimately determine whether customers receive reliable products.
For the next seven years, I built the manufacturing foundation that Chengrong still depends on today. Our factory continues to maintain in-house tooling, stamping, and metal-processing capabilities because I learned early that quality problems often begin long before final assembly.
2005–2008: Failure, Debt, and the Workshop That Became Chengrong Factory
In 2005, a close friend invited me to start a business with him. I turned him down several times because I had never imagined becoming a business owner. But after discussing it with my sister and brother-in-law, I finally decided to take the chance.
The first venture lasted only about a year. When it ended, I had nothing left except more than RMB 30,000 in debt.
I was disappointed, but I was not ready to give up. I borrowed money from my sister, bought two punch presses, and started over. The second attempt lasted for more than a year, but progress remained limited.
Then, in 2007, another friend told me about a potential order worth around RMB 300,000 per month. I had no capital at the time, so I asked a trusted friend to invest in the business. Together, we rented a 1,000-square-meter corrugated-metal workshop and installed our first production equipment. That humble workshop laid the foundation for Chengrong Ultrafiltration Factory.
After the 2008 Spring Festival, everything changed. The expected orders disappeared. At the same time, the friend who had invested needed to withdraw because his own business was under pressure.
I felt responsible. I had asked him to trust me, and I could not accept that he might lose his money because of my decision. I took over his full investment as a personal debt and promised to repay it within three years.
My family strongly opposed the decision. They saw a factory with no orders, no working capital, and no clear future. They were not wrong. But I believed that even if the factory failed, I could work elsewhere and repay the debt. Walking away from my responsibility would have stayed with me for the rest of my life.
My parents and my wife eventually respected my decision. We sold the house my parents had built in our hometown. We temporarily took our son out of kindergarten because we could not afford the fees. On one occasion, when our landlord came to collect the apartment rent, I emptied every pocket and searched every drawer but was still three yuan short.
That period taught me what financial pressure really means. It also established a rule that has guided me ever since: when someone places trust in you, you must treat that trust as a debt of honor.
2008–2009: A Typhoon, a Trusted Partner, and an Unexpected Path into Inline Ultrafiltration Water Filter Industry
A severe typhoon struck Shenzhen in 2008 and badly damaged our workshop. The office, warehouse, and rolling shutters were all heavily affected. I stood outside in the rain and cried. It was one of the few moments in my entrepreneurial journey when I felt completely overwhelmed.
With very few orders at the time, we accepted almost any metal-stamping work we could find. One of those seemingly ordinary orders was for components used in stainless steel inline ultrafiltration water filters.
In the process of completing this order, I met Mr. Yuan, who later became a key partner of Chengrong. He specialized in hardware molds, while I focused on stamping and production. Our capabilities complemented each other, and we found that we shared a similar approach to work and business.
In 2009, I invited him to become part of Chengrong Factory. His arrival became a turning point. He brought strong technical expertise, while I focused on customers, operations, and the overall development of the business. Chengrong Factory was never built by one person alone. It grew because people with different strengths and shared responsibilities worked together.
The small ultrafiltration-component order that we took because we were desperate for work ultimately changed the direction of the factory.
2011–2012: What My Father’s Accident Taught Me About Responsibility, Family and Love
Just as the factory began to improve, my father was struck by a car on the day before the 2011 Spring Festival. He arrived at the hospital paralyzed, and the doctors issued a critical-condition notice.
On New Year’s Eve, I went home to collect daily necessities. My mother asked why my eyes were red. I said the wind had irritated them, but my wife knew I had been crying. When I saw the untouched food on the table, I could no longer hold back my tears.
My father remained in the hospital for nearly two months. During that time, Mr. Yuan took responsibility for the factory. My father eventually recovered well enough to return home, although numbness remained in his hands.
The accident changed my definition of success. A business matters, but the safety, health, and harmony of a family matter more. By the end of 2012, I had borrowed money to build a house for my parents in our hometown, and I began returning to the countryside regularly to spend time with them.
Responsibility is not only a business principle. It begins with the people closest to us.
The business matters, but the safety, health, and harmony of a family matter more.
2011 Onward: From Metal Components to Complete Ultrafiltration Systems R&D and Manufacturing
Also in 2011, a customer who manufactured pipeline whole house ultrafiltration filter products told us that he intended to sell his factory. We decided to acquire it, even though we had very limited capital. By the time Mr. Yuan arrived to discuss the purchase, however, the factory had already been sold.
We missed the factory, but we still wanted the ultrafiltration filter manufacturing experience behind it. After months of discussion, the customer’s team joined us as partners. That allowed Chengrong Factory to move beyond individual stamped parts and begin manufacturing complete stainless-steel housings for pipeline household ultrafiltration systems.
Mr. Yuan led a series of process improvements. Manual welding was replaced with automatic welding. Stamping methods were redesigned.
Some equipment was customized specifically for our production requirements. We also established a dedicated R&D function as the business moved from processing parts to developing complete UF systems.
The result was not simply greater output. It was better repeatability. We learned that innovation in manufacturing is often quiet: a more stable fixture, a better weld, a more precise mold, or a process that removes one source of variation. Customers may never see those changes, but they experience the difference over years of use.
That is why “innovation at the core” became one of Chengrong Factory’s values.
2016: Building Our Own PVC and PVDF Ultrafiltration (UF) Membrane Manufacturing Capability
As customer demand and market needs grew, we expanded our facility and established an assembly line for complete ultrafiltration systems, marking our transition from component manufacturing to integrated ultrafiltration system production.
We then faced a problem that could not be solved through metalworking alone: the quality of the ultrafiltration membranes we purchased from outside suppliers varied too much.
The ultrafiltration membrane is the functional heart of an ultrafiltration water filter system. Since any inconsistency in membrane fibers, formulation, flow performance, mechanical strength, or long-term stability can make it difficult for external suppliers to consistently meet Chengrong Factory’s quality requirements, we decided to develop our own PVC and PVDF ultrafiltration membrane manufacturing capability.
In 2016, we decided to bring membrane production into our own manufacturing system. We invested in an underperforming membrane operation and assigned an experienced colleague, Mr. Song, to lead its improvement.
I gave him one instruction: put quality first, even when doing so increased the short-term cost.
The improvement did not happen through one breakthrough. It came from repeated work on raw materials, formulations, fiber formation, process stability, testing, and feedback from actual applications. After sustained effort, the stability and performance of the membrane fibers improved significantly.
For me, vertical integration has never meant claiming that a factory can do everything better than everyone else. It means that when a critical component fails, we cannot point to a supplier and say, “That was not our responsibility.” We have to understand the problem and solve it ourselves.
What “Never Compromise on Quality” Means in Practice
Some people in the industry once questioned our approach, saying that Chengrong Factory invested too much in management, quality control, and product development, and that such costs would make the company difficult to sustain.
However, I saw the issue differently. Low cost can never compensate for unstable membranes, weak welds, poor material control, incomplete cleaning, or careless assembly. A product may appear acceptable when it leaves the factory, yet create problems months or even years later.
In the highly competitive household ultrafiltration water filtration industry, I have always believed that product quality must be among the industry’s top 1%. This is not an ambition — it is our baseline.
Years of experience have proven our belief. With the right principles, a commitment to making reliable products, and sincere service to customers, quality will eventually earn recognition.
Today, Chengrong Factory manufactures products for multiple leading brands in China and international markets, and collaborates with Shenzhen University on PVDF and PVC ultrafiltration membrane research and development.
Quality is not a slogan. It is a chain of responsibility.
- Membrane development and production:
Formulation, fiber stability, membrane strength, flow, and application testing. - Tooling and metal processing:
Molds, stamping, welding, polishing, and stainless-steel housing fabrication. - Complete-system assembly:
Component matching, installation logic, pressure and leakage checks, and final inspection. - Application design:
Matching membrane material, membrane area, flow, cleaning method, and pretreatment to the actual source water. - Customer feedback:
Tracing field problems back to their cause and improving the product rather than treating complaints as isolated events.
Ultrafiltration Membrane Performance Stability: Chengrong Achieves 7–15% Decline vs. 30–40% Requirement from a Global Leading Brand
One of the greatest challenges in ultrafiltration membranes is maintaining water flux stable performance over long-term operation.
In one customer validation project, a global leading brand required that Chengrong ultrafiltration membrane performance decline should remain within 30–40% after filtering 200 metric tons of test water.
To everyone’s surprise, under the agreed testing conditions, Chengrong’s ultrafiltration membrane achieved a water flux decline of only 7–15%. The customer found the result difficult to believe and conducted a second test to verify the accuracy of the data. The repeated test produced the same results, confirming the stability of Chengrong’s membrane performance.
This experience reinforced my belief that membrane quality comes from continuous investment in research, manufacturing discipline, and process control.
Compared with tested domestic competitors, Chengrong ultrafiltration membranes demonstrate:
- Lower performance decline:
approximately 7–15% after filtering 200 metric tons of water, compared with the 30–40% requirement in customer validation tests. - Higher membrane toughness:
approximately 40% higher in our comparison tests. - Higher water flux:
approximately 40% higher than tested domestic competitors.
Quality comes from controlling every detail — from membrane formulation and fiber production to testing and application verification.
2023 Breakthrough: Chengrong Develops Chlorine-Removal PVC Ultrafiltration Membrane Technology
In 2023, Chengrong successfully developed an advanced Chlorine-Removing Ultrafiltration Membrane, addressing one of the long-standing challenges in household drinking-water filtration.
By introducing functional groups into a 0.01 μm PVC ultrafiltration membrane structure, Chengrong created a membrane capable of reacting with residual chlorine in water through a functional removal mechanism, reducing chlorine levels while maintaining the advantages of ultrafiltration filtration.
This innovation was developed to overcome the limitations of conventional activated carbon filters, where chlorine adsorption capacity may decrease over time and where rapid water flow through the carbon media can limit sufficient contact time for effective chlorine reduction.
Chengrong’s chlorine-reduction ultrafiltration membrane provides an integrated solution that combines fine filtration, microorganism protection, and residual chlorine reduction for household drinking-water applications.
This innovation provides a new filtration solution for kitchen drinking-water ultrafiltration systems, requiring no electricity and producing no wastewater, combining chlorine reduction, microorganism protection, and mineral retention without relying solely on activated carbon filtration.
Key innovation:
- Developed in 2023
- 0.01 μm PVC ultrafiltration membrane structure
- Chlorine-reduction capability through functional membrane technology
- Designed for kitchen drinking-water ultrafiltration system applications
What Chengrong Ultrafiltration Factory Manufactures Today
Today, Chengrong Factory has become an integrated ultrafiltration water filter manufacturer in China, with in-house capabilities spanning membrane development, tooling, metal fabrication, stainless-steel housing production, complete-system assembly, and engineering water-treatment equipment.
Through this fully integrated supply chain, Chengrong Factory has earned recognition as one of China’s leading ultrafiltration manufacturers, with a rare end-to-end manufacturing capability covering the entire process from membrane materials to complete ultrafiltration filtration systems.
1) 0.1 μm PVDF Whole House Ultrafiltration Systems
Our reinforced PVDF hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membranes are designed for whole house water filtration systems serving both municipal tap water and challenging rural natural water sources.
Unlike conventional whole house filtration systems based mainly on PP sediment filters and activated carbon, Chengrong’s PVDF ultrafiltration membranes provide a filtration accuracy of 0.1 μm, offering significantly finer filtration capability for applications requiring higher protection.
With their advanced filtration performance, PVDF ultrafiltration systems can effectively retain fine particles, sediment, rust, colloids, microorganisms, and other suspended contaminants commonly found in complex water sources such as surface water and well water.
For many whole house water filtration systems with PP sediment filter, PVDF ultrafiltration can reduce the dependence on activated carbon as the primary filtration barrier. When activated carbon is included as part of the whole house filtration system design, PVDF ultrafiltration filter can also help protect the carbon media by removing suspended contaminants upstream, reducing fouling risks, and extending its service life.
By combining high filtration precision, strong mechanical durability, and long-term stability, Chengrong PVDF ultrafiltration membranes provide a reliable solution for whole-house water filtration system solution in diverse water conditions.
Today, Chengrong Ultrafiltration Factory has become the largest supplier of whole house PVDF ultrafiltration water filter in Southeast Asia, supplying more than 50% of regional market demand.
2) 0.01 μm PVC Ultrafiltration Membrane for High-Precision Whole House and drinking-water Filtration Systems
Our PVC hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membranes are mainly designed for municipal water or properly pretreated natural water sources and are widely used in whole-house water filtration systems and selected drinking-water ultrafiltration applications.
With a nominal pore size of approximately 0.01 μm, Chengrong PVC ultrafiltration membranes provide finer filtration than conventional 0.1 μm PVDF ultrafiltration membranes. This higher filtration precision enables effective retention of fine particles, sediment, rust, colloids, and a wide range of microorganisms commonly found in water, providing enhanced protection for household water quality.
Unlike reinforced PVDF hollow-fiber membranes that operate under an outside-in filtration mode, PVC ultrafiltration membranes use an inside-out filtration structure. Raw water first enters the lumen of the hollow fibers, typically around 1 mm in diameter, and then passes through the 0.01 μm micropores in the membrane walls. During this process, contaminants and microorganisms are retained while filtered water passes through the membrane.
Due to their finer pore size and internal-pressure filtration structure, PVC ultrafiltration membranes are better suited for relatively clean water sources, such as municipal water supplies or properly pretreated water. They should not be directly exposed to fine sand or excessive suspended solids, as abrasive particles may damage the membrane fibers and gradually reduce filtration performance.
For water sources containing sand or high levels of suspended particles, an appropriate sediment prefilter system should be installed upstream to protect membrane performance and extend service life.
It is important to note that conventional PVC ultrafiltration membranes are designed for physical filtration and cannot remove dissolved chlorine from municipal water. Recognizing this limitation, Chengrong developed chlorine-removal ultrafiltration membranes and now uses them instead of conventional ultrafiltration membranes in kitchen drinking-water systems, providing improved water quality for direct consumption applications.
3) Kitchen Drinking-Water Systems Powered by 0.01 μm Chlorine-Removing Ultrafiltration Membranes
During the transportation and storage of municipal tap water, a controlled amount of chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth and maintain water safety throughout the distribution system.
However, for kitchen drinking water ultrafiltration system, residual chlorine should be further reduced. While chlorine plays an important role in disinfection, excessive residual chlorine may affect the taste and odor of water and can contribute to the formation of disinfection by-products when reacting with organic substances naturally present in water.
Activated carbon is widely used as an effective method for removing residual chlorine. However, in the actual applications, its performance depends on factors such as carbon quality, carbon quantity, and contact time between water and activated carbon. When water flows through the filter quickly, there may not be enough time for complete adsorption, making it difficult to achieve stable and thorough chlorine reduction with activated carbon alone.
To overcome this limitation, ChengrongTimes Under Sink Water Filter with natural minerals retained water system adopts a multi-stage filtration process:
10 μm Pleated Sediment Filter → Activated Carbon Fiber → 5 μm PP Sediment Filter → Residual Chlorine Removal Ultrafiltration Membrane
Each filtration stage performs a specific function:
- 10 μm Pleated Sediment Filter:
Removes larger particles such as sediment and rust, protecting the following filtration stages. - Activated Carbon Fiber:
Reduces residual chlorine and improves water taste and odor. - 5 μm PP Sediment Filter:
Provides further particle filtration and provide structural support and fixation for the activated carbon fiber. - 0.01 μm Residual Chlorine Removal Ultrafiltration Membrane:
Effectively reduces bacteria, viruses, residual chlorine, sediment, and other impurities, delivering safe drinking water while preserving naturally occurring minerals.
Through the scientific combination of multiple filtration technologies, ChengrongTimes transforms municipal tap water into safe, clean, mineral-retaining drinking water directly from your kitchen tap.
4) Ultrafiltration Systems for Small-Scale Municipal Water Plants and Industrial Applications
Beyond household products, I have always believed that a reliable water purification solution requires not only high-quality components, but also strong engineering capabilities and long-term responsibility.
This is why Chengrong has continued to design and manufacture customized ultrafiltration systems for small-scale municipal water plants, rural drinking water projects, and industrial applications.
To ensure stable performance during long-term operation, we provide a 20% additional design margin based on the customer’s required flow rate at no extra cost.
We also provide a one-year after-sales warranty. For product failures caused by non-human factors, we offer free replacement service (excluding consumable components). Our service commitment is simple: respond within 20 minutes, provide a solution plan within 2 hours, and arrange on-site support within 2 days.
I firmly believe that quality should never be compromised — especially in areas that customers cannot see. Whether it is material selection, manufacturing processes, or internal components hidden from view, we insist on maintaining the same high standards. Because true quality is not only what customers can see, but also what they can trust.
5) OEM and ODM Manufacturing
For many years, Chengrong has manufactured products for domestic and international household water filter brands. With years of ODM/OEM manufacturing experience, Chengrong factory has become a trusted manufacturing partner for five leading global water filtration brands.
Today, approximately 70% of ultrafiltration water filter system in China are manufactured by Chengrong. As the pioneer behind the first generation of PVDF ultrafiltration whole house filtration systems, Chengrong has played a key role in shaping the development of the ultrafiltration water filter industry in China.
2025: We Founded ChengrongTimes — Building Our Own Brand After 18 Years of Manufacturing Experience
After 18 years of focusing on ultrafiltration water purification, Chengrong has accumulated deep expertise in product design, manufacturing, and engineering solutions.
From design and production to quality control, we pay attention to every detail. We believe that true quality is not created by shortcuts, but by continuous improvement and responsibility.
Through years of experience serving municipal water projects and household water filtration system brands, we have developed mature manufacturing capabilities and unique solutions that few manufacturers can match.
In 2025, we decided to take the next step — launching ChengrongTimes, our own factory brand.
After years of manufacturing for leading water filtration brands, we want to bring our expertise directly to customers around the world. Chengrong Times represents our commitment to reliable quality, thoughtful product design, and long-term customer service.
Our Promise
- 10 Years Without Rust
- 10 Years Without Leakage
- 10 Years of After-Sales Support
- Chengrong Ultrafiltration Water Filters — Reliable quality and worry-free service for customers worldwide.
My Philosophy: Quality Comes First, We Build with Integrity
For nearly 20 years, although entering the ultrafiltration filter system industry was partly a matter of opportunity, I have always believed that building a truly responsible business requires persistence. It is not easy to do one thing well for many years — it requires discipline, patience, and commitment.
I decided to create ChengrongTimes for two important reasons.
1) To Bring Better Ultrafiltration Solutions to the Market
I do not want to see the ultrafiltration water filter industry become trapped in endless price competition, where product quality and customer value are sacrificed.
Through ChengrongTimes, we hope to change how customers understand ultrafiltration filter system products — focusing on reliable quality, thoughtful design, and long-term value rather than simply competing on price.
2) To Create Products for Customers Who Value Quality
Our goal is to build products that meet the expectations of high-quality customers and stand alongside leading international brands in terms of manufacturing standards, product design, and service.
Price wars can damage a factory’s future, and they also make the hard work of our 280 colleagues less valuable.
Competing only on price is not fair to the people who dedicate themselves to creating better products every day.
— Beikan Zhuang
A Factory Is Built by More Than Its Founder
Although this is my story, Chengrong is not my achievement alone. It was built by my family, by friends who trusted me, by Mr. Yuan and other long-term partners, by the people who improved our membrane technology, and by colleagues in tooling, production, quality, assembly, engineering, sales, and service.
Some of them stayed when the factory had very little. Others joined later and helped make it stronger. What connects them is not a slogan but a shared belief that good work deserves patience and that responsibility should not be passed to someone else.
My Closing Thought
Doing one thing well over a lifetime is difficult. You have to resist distractions, endure slow periods, keep learning, and accept that improvement often comes from hundreds of small corrections rather than one dramatic success.
Whenever I feel uncertain, I return to a simple belief: focus on the work in front of you, do it honestly, and do it as well as you can. The results that should come will come in their own time.
That is the story behind Chengrong.
That is what ChengrongTimes means when we say: Never compromise on quality.
