Factory worker goes extra mile to raise production

Come rain or shine, Pang Qiwen spends 10 hours each day in a workshop full of machines. He puts on his protective overalls, hat and shoes, and buries his head in his work on the production line.

The 30-something is attached to the transmission division of Liugong Machinery, a heavyweight construction machinery supplier based in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

His impeccable record of precision with the numerically controlled machine tool he operates, has earned him the affectionate sobriquet of "commander".

"Like our teachers and predecessors, who focused on transmission research and development for over 40 years, we young people must strive for excellence in production," Pang says.

He believes that technical workers like him must keep working hard in the new era, and remain focused on details, and on delivering positive results, no matter what.

Pang has won many awards for his performance over the years, including the 2019 National Machinery Industry Model Worker award from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the China Machinery Industry Federation.

As a senior technician, Pang holds himself to a high standard, and is a model for colleagues. In addition to his routine responsibilities, he has kept up with developments in high-end numerical control equipment.

"I always learn new things, so that if the company needs to introduce new equipment for production, I can adapt, and master them faster," Pang says.

He has thrown himself into vocational competitions to hone his skills and even does his own research and development.

"It may be just a drawing at the beginning," Pang says, adding that he feels a sense of achievement when he manages to turn that drawing into an actual part for a loader or an excavator.

In 2017, a training workshop named after him was set up to encourage innovation and efficiency among young workers.

"The workshop is mainly for technical transformation and the trial production of new products, which is a test of an individual's overall abilities, and requires one to be proficient in related professional areas," Pang says.

The workshop has rapidly improved skills at the transmission division.

"In each section, employees with a good technical foundation can also lead their colleagues to progress together," he says.

The workshop has held a number of competitions to raise employee enthusiasm and creativity.

In the last few years, it has helped deliver eight technological transformations and 20 technological innovations for the company, earning it more than 20 million yuan ($3.14 million).

In 2020, Pang played a positive role in the development of 14 new products at the transmission division, and experimented with new gearboxes and reduction gear.

During the pandemic, Pang and his team worked overtime to program processing, and optimize bottleneck operations to meet the company schedule. He also took the initiative to communicate with suppliers whenever problems arose.

According to Cai Chengyang, a workshop section chief at Liugong, this played an important role in helping to ensure the efficient progress of production.

Recently, Pang has been studying human resource management through the Continuing Education Program of the China University of Labor Relations.

"I need to broaden my knowledge beyond technical skills," he says, adding that his goal is to accumulate expertise, and become a highly-skilled worker to help company development in the new era.