Emergence of 'Chief Workers' in the Machine Tool Industry: Continual Inheritance of Craftsmanship

As the TV documentary series "Great Nation Craftsman" gains popularity, the term "Great Nation Craftsman" has become familiar to the public. Many well-known machine tool companies like CITIC Heavy Industries, Da Guang Long Rong, and Baoji Machine Tool are witnessing the emergence of skilled talents. How to nurture "Great Nation Craftsmen" in the machine tool industry? How can Chinese machine tool products be revered by the public as they revere Swiss watches and German machinery? Although the cultivation of "Great Nation Craftsmen" involves many aspects, it remains a significant focus in the development of the machine tool industry.

Cultivating the "craftsmanship spirit" and nurturing more "Great Nation Craftsmen" to help our manufacturing industry secure a place on the international stage is an urgent matter. To elevate the status of industrial workers in society, we need more than just superficial measures. The creation of "Chief Workers" is an important pillar.

"Chief Workers" are specialized positions designated for key roles within a company. Workers who receive this title typically possess higher occupational skill levels than their peers and have substantial practical experience. Embedding "Chief Workers" into the identity of skilled laborers is a tangible manifestation of respecting craftsmanship and signifies a conceptual innovation.

Currently, China's manufacturing is transitioning from "Made in China" to "Intelligent Manufacturing in China." Craftsmanship is particularly essential for the machine tool industry because machinery is composed of numerous components, each manufactured by hundreds of workers in various enterprises. If a critical step in the production process encounters problems, it can compromise the entire equipment's performance.

Indeed, according to the "barrel effect" theory, the quality of a machine tool is often determined by the critical process of a single component. The transformation of China's machine tool equipment from "usable but not very reliable" to "highly reliable and efficient" hinges on the overall improvement of industrial standards.

Quality and reliability are the result of design, manufacturing, and management processes, but they ultimately depend on the values, technical expertise, and business acumen of designers, workers, and management personnel. Especially noteworthy are the highly skilled workers who have created the "Tool King," the "Welding King," and the "Ni Zhifu Drill Bit." These great craftsmen emerged from practical experience.

Now, let's take a walk alongside the machine tool industry's "Chief Workers" to appreciate their craftsmanship. Witness how they continue the legacy of the "craftsmanship spirit."

Xie Haibo, Master Craftsman from a Great City: Breaking Through for China's Medal

Xie Haibo is a teacher at the Nanhai Technician Institute in Foshan, China. He is a member of the Communist Youth League and has received accolades such as "2011 Foshan Nanhai District Model Technical Expert" and "2013 Foshan Outstanding High-Skill Talent." In 2014, he was awarded the title of "National Model Technical Expert."

"Recently, the specimen's thin-walled piece, with a diameter of 92.985mm and a distance of 20mm between the two faces, passed inspection," Xie Haibo confidently states while instructing students at the Institute's nearly 10,000 square-meter CNC workshop. At only 25 years old, Xie Haibo, as a teacher, garners considerable attention due to his remarkable achievements in the field of technical skills.

Yao Rusheng: Exemplifying the Craftsmanship Spirit – From Programmer to Chief Engineer

After graduating from vocational school in 1993, Yao Rusheng has been working at Guangdong Jirong Air Conditioning Co., Ltd., in technical development and management roles. When asked if performing air conditioning product development for years gets tedious, he firmly replies, "No. I'm genuinely interested in air conditioning product development, and the company values technical talents. There are constantly new projects to challenge me, and I'm enthusiastic about immersing myself in the continuous learning process."

From a CNC machining center programmer to a product designer, factory manager, head of the design department, technical department head, and product business department head, Yao Rusheng's career trajectory is summarized as "continuous learning." He emphasizes, "We are now in the industrial air conditioning business, and the requirements for industrial air conditioning are different from other types. All air conditioners are custom-made and must align with the customer's specifications." Yao Rusheng explains that designing each air conditioner is a process of acquiring new knowledge.

In 2015, he participated as the second person in a research project titled "Key Technologies for Air Conditioning Equipment with Bimetal Composite Structure in Nuclear Power Plants," which won the third prize in the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Awards.

Great Craftsman Tan Zhiqiang: Steering Heavy Equipment Manufacturing

Tan Zhiqiang is a machine operator for critical equipment at CITIC Heavy Industries. Currently, he holds the position of the longest-serving CNC boring and milling machine leader. Tan Zhiqiang is also the leader of the "Tan Zhiqiang Great Craftsman Workshop."

In 1986, after graduating from high school, Tan Zhiqiang started as a machining apprentice, performing daily tasks involving the use of boring and milling cutters to process various components. According to industry standards, when operating machine tools, the allowable hole size error is within a range of 0.5mm, and the surface smoothness of components should be polished to a level of 6.5 for them to pass inspection. However, Tan Zhiqiang's ambitions surpassed these norms. He set more stringent standards for himself, reducing the allowable hole size error to 0.2mm and aiming for a higher level of surface smoothness at 3.2.

In recent years, Tan Zhiqiang, along with his Great Craftsman Workshop team, actively undertook 19 significant technology challenges and solved critical technical issues for the company, resulting in the creation of more than 12.8 million RMB in value. Tan Zhiqiang has been awarded the "Exemplary Communist Party Member" by CITIC Heavy Industries for seven consecutive years. Just before May 1st this year, Tan Zhiqiang was again honored with the "National May 1st Labor Medal."

The times are progressing, and changes are occurring in technology, equipment, and talent. However, upholding the spirit of craftsmanship remains constant. Achieving excellence in one's field not only promotes personal growth but also contributes significantly to the advancement of the era. The emergence of numerous "Chief Workers" in the machine tool industry brings fresh energy to "Made in China 2025."

The responsibility of creators is to journey with an eye for discovering beauty, lead with an innovative subconscious, and continually unleash inner motivation. Labor is honorable, skills are invaluable, and greatness is created. With the collective efforts of the "Chief Workers," it is believed that the machine tool industry will turn a new page and write even more glorious chapters.