(Xie Fengbo, Equipment Technician, Manufacturing Department II, Wanxiang Precision Engineering)

Another set of workwear blueprints was designed, another mechanical fault was identified, and once again, the production line’s normal operation was ensured... After finishing another day’s work, Xie Fengbo felt deeply fulfilled and at ease.

Since joining Wanxiang Precision in 2010, Xie Fengbo has been diligently dedicated to his work. Starting as an operator, he has now become an equipment technician in Manufacturing Department No. 2, where he is responsible for the design and maintenance of tooling and molds. What exactly does this job entail? Simply put, it involves tailoring process equipment precisely to meet production needs—and when equipment malfunctions, identifying the root cause and applying the right “remedy” to further enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

“I’ll produce high-quality drawings for them to use in manufacturing.” Designing tooling drawings is Xie Fengbo’s primary focus. To excel at this task, he has gained an in-depth understanding of the product’s entire production process, mastering every step—from heat treatment and turning to grinding—and tailoring his designs specifically according to different processes, equipment, customer requirements, and product models.

“Each customer has different requirements for product models, and the tooling required for each model and each process is unique. All of the tooling involved needs to be completely redesigned.” From collecting production data and developing design plans to assessing design feasibility and verifying design performance—throughout the entire process, he takes personal charge as much as possible, striving to get the equipment into production as soon as possible. “Right now, the entire production line is interconnected. If one particular process fails to meet the standard, it’s as if the line is interrupted in the middle, which would affect subsequent production stages.”

Love what you do and master it thoroughly. In the lathe chuck project for Company B in Germany, the customer requested chucks with irregular plum-blossom or five-pointed-star shapes, which made the original fixtures unable to clamp the chucks securely—resulting in issues such as insufficient clamping force and unstable holding. After consulting with the equipment manufacturer, we were advised that part of the equipment would need to be completely replaced, at a prohibitively high cost. Taking full responsibility, Xie Fengbo chose to independently redesign the fixtures. Given that each piece of equipment had two workstations, he designed two sets of fixtures for each unit, thereby saving the company hundreds of thousands of yuan.

“It turned out that the manufacturer of imported equipment had quoted us over 50,000 yuan for a single robotic arm,” Xie Fengbo said when introducing a robotic-arm retrofit project. “But since we needed more than ten robotic arms for each new product, the overall cost was simply too high.” He continued, “Later, we designed and drew the blueprints ourselves and then put out a tender for manufacturing. As a result, the cost of a single robotic arm came down to just over 10,000 yuan—and we were able to save nearly 400,000 yuan on each new product.” Thanks to his carefully crafted design, these robotic arms not only meet production needs but also significantly shorten the equipment manufacturing cycle, reducing the lead time from the original six months to just one month, with a remarkable boost in efficiency.

When asked how Xie Fengbo honed his exceptional skills, he replied: “Apart from working hard, I also make it a point to keep learning. Outside of work, I proactively study professional knowledge. On the internet, I take a look at how others design and improve their work, learning from outstanding examples—which helps me make even greater progress.” Today, Xie Fengbo has already obtained the Level-2 qualification certificate for mechanical repair fitters, and in the future, he plans to strive diligently to earn the advanced-level certification. As he spoke, his eyes lit up with enthusiasm: “In our line of work, only by continuously learning and improving can we avoid being left behind by the times. Achievements are always part of the past; every single day, we should start anew, striving to make today’s self just a little bit better than yesterday’s.”

Diligent study leads to true knowledge, and practical experience strengthens one’s skills. Over more than a decade of high standards and rigorous demands has enabled Xie Fengbo to achieve outstanding accomplishments in his professional field, making him a highly skilled and innovative expert in his position. He has been named a Young Craftsman of Zhejiang Province and has received numerous honors, including the Second Prize for the National Outstanding Management Team in the Machinery Industry, the First Prize for the Zhejiang Provincial Outstanding Management Team in the Machinery Industry, and the First Prize for the Hangzhou Outstanding Quality Management Team.

With dedication and craftsmanship, we turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Xie Fengbo fulfills his duties with a loyal professional attitude and superb skills, showcasing the “artisan spirit” and inspiring more Wanxiang employees to dare to innovate and pursue excellence. With their hands and wisdom, they work diligently and strive hard, shining brilliantly in their respective positions.