When history entered the modern industrial society, the metal hardware industry developed rapidly. The hardware industry played an immeasurable role in the development of the national economy, and hardware products have become an indispensable industrial link in industrial manufacturing.

      It is used as supporting products, semi-finished products and tools used in the production process of industrial manufacturing. Only a small part of daily hardware products are the necessary tool consumer goods for people's life.

      In the national economic industry classification of the National Bureau of Statistics, the manufacturing industry is the third largest industry. These include: production and manufacturing of means of livelihood, such as agricultural and sideline products, food and beverage, tobacco, textiles, clothing, leather, wood furniture, printing and sports goods, and pharmaceutical manufacturing; Manufacturing of means of production, such as petrochemical industry, chemical fiber, rubber and plastic, non-metallic products manufacturing, metal smelting and processing, metal products manufacturing, general equipment manufacturing, industry specific equipment manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing, electrical equipment, communication electronics, etc.

      The metal products in the manufacturing industry and the general parts and components in the manufacturing of general equipment constitute the "hardware" in the general sense. It can be seen that 'hardware' is not an existing industry category, but a cross combination of the above-mentioned metal products - hardware products. In the whole manufacturing industry, the responsibility of 'hardware' is to provide spare parts and production tools for manufacturing enterprises, rather than being used as industrial special equipment. Nevertheless, we cannot deny the important role of "hardware" in the social production process: "hardware" and manufacturing industry are an inseparable whole intertwined with each other.