Guan Renwei, Product Innovation Department, Qianchao Senwei

Project management ensures that established goals are achieved within the prescribed time frame, budget, and scope. It is crucial for optimizing resource allocation, enhancing work efficiency, and guaranteeing project success. Project managers serve as the backbone behind the scenes, ensuring the smooth implementation of projects—and Guan Renwei is one such manager. Guan Renwei joined Wanxiang in 2013 and currently plays a key role in planning, implementing, and overseeing the Qianchao Senwei project management system. He was awarded the title of Outstanding Communist Party Member for the 2023-2024 period by Wanxiang.

The Qianchao Senwei 2500T hot forging automated production line supports multiple key strategic customer projects. In the face of increasingly fierce market competition and a sharp rise in demand, enhancing production-line efficiency and achieving product lightweighting have become crucial pathways for the company to upgrade its technology and strengthen its core competitiveness.

Right from the start of the project, Guan Renwei was fully mentally prepared and encouraged his colleagues: “Encountering technical challenges during a project is perfectly normal. As long as we stay confident and keep trying multiple times, we’ll surely overcome any problem.” Under his overall coordination, they tackled the challenges by focusing on two key areas: improving cycle time and reducing material consumption per unit. At the same time, they made every effort to enhance the stability of both equipment and tooling. From day to night, they engaged in scheme design, trial runs, verification, and continuous refinement—success was hidden within one “try again” after another.

After attempting to increase the heating cycle rate of the medium-frequency induction furnace, the conveyor speed of billets on the production line accelerated, and the heating time was shortened. However, during the trial run, we observed that the internal color of the billets had become darker and even turned black, and the temperature fluctuations were also quite significant. Could the issue be related to either the raw materials or the equipment? After thorough investigation, we couldn't pinpoint the root cause. Guan Renwei suggested trying to heat billets of different specifications at different cycle rates. To find the optimal cycle rate, everyone repeatedly conducted tests and validations until they finally settled on the right one. Guan Renwei encouraged his colleagues on the project team, saying, “Stay calm and keep trying—there’s no doubt we’ll succeed.” He adjusted the heating curve, increased the heating frequency, and sped up the feeding rate of the billets, stabilizing the temperature of the billets as they came out of the furnace within a specific range. As a result, the problem was smoothly resolved.

Having barely managed to overcome the hurdle of equipment cycle time, they were immediately confronted with the issue of reduced mold life. Drawing on their recent experience, they became convinced that as long as they identified the right approach and kept experimenting, they’d eventually find a solution. To address the problem as quickly as possible, Guan Renwei spent nearly every day in the workshop. “Every project manager knows,” he said, “that a product can’t simply be made on-site just because it’s been drawn up on paper—and even if it is produced, there may still be discrepancies compared to the original design. That’s why it’s crucial to spend more time in the workshop: only by being on the shop floor can you truly grasp the operational status of the equipment and determine whether the process parameters are up to standard…” He meticulously analyzed and compared the mold life before and after the cycle time improvement, identifying molds whose lifespans had noticeably shortened. Through careful investigation, he pinpointed the root cause: insufficient mold strength, which led to wear and tear under prolonged exposure to high temperatures and rapid forming speeds. He then organized a team to redesign and prototype new molds, increasing their thickness to enhance both rigidity and wear resistance. As a result, the mold life of the mass-produced products returned to normal levels.

After stacking up one challenging work memory after another, a series of impressive results emerged—production takt time improved by 20%, mold life increased by 40%, production capacity rose by 28.5%, and material consumption was reduced by 35 grams per unit. Moreover, the company has been granted multiple authorized invention patents.

Technological advancement often accumulates gradually through a continuous process of trial and error; each failure is a step forward toward success. At work, whenever he encounters a tough challenge, Guan Renwei always adjusts his approach and tries multiple times. His colleagues frequently express their admiration when talking about him: “He’s a down-to-earth, results-oriented practitioner.” “He’s highly skilled and always on the front lines of production—whenever he’s around, we feel completely reassured.” “Under his leadership, everyone knows exactly what their role is, and when we face difficulties, we always work together wholeheartedly to overcome them.” Speaking about his future work, Guan Renwei said, “The honor of being named an Outstanding Communist Party Member by Wanxiang not only affirms my abilities but also recognizes my qualities—my willingness to embrace failure and my courage to take on challenges. I’ll continue to hold myself to the strict standards of a Communist Party member, tackle more ‘tough nuts’ in project management, and make even greater efforts toward product innovation.”