Knife tip revolution: transform traditional manufacturing with modern information technology

Wei Jianping assumes the important task of transforming traditional manufacturing with modern information technology without hesitation in Shougang Machinery & Electric Co., Ltd. He loves Shougang because it has built a broad stage for his growth. Others company offered to hire him at high salary many times, but he declined politely. He said, “I learned, practiced and exercised here. I must use my own skills to make more contributions to the development of the enterprise.”

The Machinery Factory of Shougang Machinery & Electric Co., Ltd. has set up a CNC tool management center to create a new space for him to play a role and display his talent. “This department is new in the history of Shougang Machinery Factory. In the past, the CNC specialty and the tool room were only a team of process flow.” Wei Jianping said that with the integration of CNC specialty and tool specialty, the CNC processing capability was immediately apparent.

Since 2005, Wei Jianping has made breakthroughs in researching the application of high-efficiency machining of new types of cutting tools and diligently studied the matching and program optimization of special materials and CNC machine tools to create a series of new processing technologies with small cutting depth and large feed rates, which has changed the traditional processing method and doubled the production efficiency. The processing efficiency of more than 40 CNC machine tools in the whole factory has generally increased by 10%, and the processing efficiency of the main products has even increased by more than 20%. The “knife tip revolution” triggered by this has caused the production records to be constantly refreshed, and the Company’s profits have doubled. Foreign equipment manufacturing giants compete to discuss cooperation, and the Company revives its vitality in the fierce market competition.

In order to adapt to the adjustment of product structure and accelerate the fundamental transformation of development methods, Wei Jianping focuses his attention on the changes in the production process. Combining modern information technology, especially computer software technology and CNC technology, he has achieved a turning point from quantitative change to qualitative change. The processing efficiency of the fan-shaped segment frame of the core part of the continuous casting machine catches up with the domestic professional manufacturers in less than one year, and the production efficiency reaches the level of the domestic top professional manufacturers. Due to the improvement of processing technology and accuracy, the qualified rate of products has increased from 69% to 99%. More than 2 million yuan can be saved in processing equipment in one year, and more than 5 million yuan of profits is created. The production capacity has increased by nearly 10 times, bringing more than 30 million yuan of comprehensive economic benefits to the Company. Wei Jianping’s self-developed rapid positioning device of half-body part center, the programming innovation method to process threads anywhere in rotary body parts, thin-walled bearing hole machining positioning device won the utility model patents.

In the manufacturing process of the slab caster, Wei Jianping used information technology and computer simulation processing technology to enhance the overall level of process manufacturing. He innovated the “one-click” mode of operation, eliminating the need for machine operators to set the cutting parameters of the machine with their work experience in the machining of work pieces, thereby greatly reducing tool wear and improving product quality. He used 3D modeling software and computer simulation technology to shorten the product manufacturing cycle. When the difficulty and production volume of piping increase exponentially, Wei Jianping implements the application of three-dimensional simulation piping technology, performs virtual assembly before operation, simplifies the extremely complex assembly process, and realizes the secondary optimization design of construction drawings, thus avoiding pipeline interference, low manual operation efficiency, and waste products. Now only through program control, it is possible to realize the prefabrication of pipelines with complex shapes, which improves the work efficiency by more than 10 times, and reduces the scrap rate from 30% in the past to less than 1% now. The information technology and simulation technology developed by him in the application of high-efficiency metallurgical equipment won the Shougang Science and Technology Award, and the third prize of the fourth national worker outstanding technical innovation achievements.

Wei Jianping is always happy to face the processing challenges, regard challenges as opportunities, and persistently explore the optimized and efficient processing methods and technologies. Faced with the requirements of Shougang’s overall relocation and the manufacturing layout of “one industry and multiple sites” of Shougang Machinery & Electric Co., Ltd., he focused on another new field, the remote processing and remote operation of the Internet. This on-line monitoring and operation process management of multiple points, multiple sites, and multiple devices on a terminal management platform enables operators to communicate online and solve problems in processing in a timely manner. Through this window, relevant personnel can also keep abreast of all equipment operation data and quota ergonomics, truly record process status, which greatly improves problem diagnosis, and improves the efficiency of processing. This is a project that subverts the traditional manufacturing production model. According to the professional planning budget, it needed at least 80 million yuan. However, Wei Jianping made a careful comparison of the implementation plan, conducted a test evaluation on the two operating equipments, and developed it, reducing the investment by 60 million yuan, and greatly increasing the production capacity. With the continuous improvement and scale implementation of this intelligent processing technology, the comprehensive competitiveness of Shougang equipment manufacturing has been improved.

In order to realize the potential of CNC machine tools, Wei Jianping continued to crack technical problems and overcome technical difficulties in the development and application of new technologies and new processes. After more than 40 experiments, he completed “machining no-slotted double-thread variable-pitch thread on CNC vertical lathe”. This innovative thread processing method has been applied in many domestic units.

Wei Jianping brings a series of changes to the factory and promotes management optimization, process reengineering, drives professionalization, standardization, lean production, and technology enhancement. More importantly, he promotes innovation in all aspects.

From him, we can learn that it is great innovations and improvements that make him a master craftsman.