Exchanging Heart for Heart, Taking Responsibility Bravely—A Profile of the Small-Parts Production Team at the Machinery Company
Release Date:
2017-12-25 14:09
Small parts serve as the collective term for all components of automated parking‑garage equipment, with as many as 213 distinct types. Their manufacturing process is relatively complex, and currently, 105 sets of molds are in use. Production of these small parts spans the entire lifecycle of automated parking‑garage assembly, encompassing raw‑material cutting, punching, tapping, forming, welding, and grinding. Once completed, the small parts are supplied to other work teams for integration into subassemblies. Thus, despite their size, these components play a pivotal role in the overall production of automated parking‑garage systems. Against the backdrop of rapid market shifts and tight project timelines, the efficiency of small‑part production largely determines the manufacturing throughput of the entire system; accordingly, the small‑part team occupies a critical position within the production workshop.
At present, the Small-Parts Team comprises 10 employees, led by team leader Zhang Jianhua and deputy team leader Pu Tiansong. Both are members of the Communist Party of China, with many years of experience in forging, pressing, and punching operations, extensive expertise in mechanical manufacturing and machining, and over two decades of team-management experience. The team also includes two mechanical repair fitters; among them, Sun Tao, though young, is diligent and eager to learn, and his technical skills have improved markedly since joining the Small-Parts Team, while he remains politically motivated and actively seeks progress. Huang Dexiang serves as a forklift operator; not only does he possess solid technical proficiency, but he also demonstrates exceptional diligence as a finished‑goods administrator. Among the remaining operators, several are women; despite their relatively modest educational backgrounds, they all exhibit a conscientious and responsible work ethic. Through the concerted efforts of the entire team, the quality and output of small‑part products have remained consistently stable, making the team both reliable and highly effective, and earning unanimous praise from other teams and company leadership.
Team leader Zhang Jianhua, while diligently performing his own duties, also led the team members in carrying out the following tasks, which are summarized as follows:
1. Building Team Cohesion and Unity Through Empathy: Team leader Zhang Jianhua maintains high standards in daily management, insisting that both quality and output are equally essential. Yet when his team members need assistance, he is always quick to step in and resolve their issues. In the team, several older female workers were unfamiliar with sharpening drill bits. Whenever they asked him to do it for them, he never hesitated—setting aside his own tasks to swiftly sharpen their tools, enabling them to work more efficiently and earn higher wages, since their pay is based on piecework. On another occasion, with a tight deadline and the entire workshop racing to meet production targets, the small-parts group was equally busy. After finishing a batch of small components, they had to rush over to galvanizing. Just as everyone was working overtime to complete the task, one out-of-town female worker’s child suddenly fell ill with a fever. Overwhelmed with worry, she turned to her supervisor. Without hesitation, Zhang Jianhua said, “Your child’s health comes first—take them to the hospital right away. I’ll handle the rest of the work.” Grateful, she took her child to the hospital. By the time Zhang Jianhua finished his own tasks, it was already past eight o’clock in the evening. He then took on the remaining work assigned to that employee. Seeing their team leader still laboring on, the other team members quietly stayed behind, eager to help finish the job. “You all should go home now,” Zhang Jianhua urged. “We’ve got work to do tomorrow.” But when he noticed no one was ready to leave, he assigned two employees to head home while the rest remained to rest. Thanks to their support, Zhang Jianhua and his team completed all outstanding work around eleven o’clock—finishing the day’s production, smoothly moving on to galvanizing, and ensuring they could report to work the next morning fully rested and ready to tackle the day’s challenges. Zhang Jianhua often says, “A team leader should always give more, building trust through empathy. When you keep your team members in your heart, they will, in turn, hold you in theirs.”
II. Emphasizing the role of mentorship and knowledge transfer across generations. As a relatively senior employee, Pu Tiansong not only exemplifies the vanguard spirit expected of Party members in his daily production work but also shares his technical expertise generously with younger colleagues. Meanwhile, Sun Tao, a young team member, is eager to learn and highly motivated, actively acquiring diverse production skills from senior colleagues like Pu Tiansong and making rapid progress. Sun Tao often remarks: “These days, there are very few seasoned mentors left for us young workers; I must cherish this opportunity.” At present, he has independently mastered the mold‑making techniques used by the small‑parts team. Team leader Zhang Jianhua maintains rigorous standards in production management while showing genuine care for his team members’ personal well‑being. He also encourages employees to align themselves ideologically and politically with the Party organization; as a result, Sun Tao has now become an active candidate for Party membership. Throughout the small‑parts team, members enjoy harmonious relationships built on mutual support and trust. Earlier this year, at the Group’s Spring Festival gala, their performance of the “Little People Dance,” led by the small‑parts team, won top honors with a commanding number of votes. The routine required seamless coordination among performers—precisely the kind of rapport that naturally develops through everyday teamwork.
III. Embodying the spirit of “division of labor without division of responsibility, and courage to take on accountability,” we strive to realize the value of being true owners of the enterprise. Once, our company received an order for steel‑structure fabrication, with a single condition: 305 steel components for parking spaces had to be delivered within 15 days. For us—whose standard product line did not include these items—it was an almost impossible task. To begin with, one batch alone comprised 320 rear beams, each requiring 5,120 small holes; moreover, the large holes, with a diameter of 52 millimeters, demanded multiple processing steps and considerable time. Under normal conditions, such work would take eight days; factoring in the other columns, front beams, and longitudinal beams, the total turnaround would stretch to at least 20 days. Just as everyone was hesitating, the small‑component team—the backbone of our steel‑fabrication operations—stepped forward. After preliminary discussions and analysis, they proposed that they could handle the hole‑drilling for those rear beams, estimating the job would take three days. With this commitment on the timeline, the sales team breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the contract. During the procurement phase, the small‑component team formed a dedicated task force led by Zhang Jianhua and Pu Tiansong. Drawing on his many years of hands‑on production experience, Pu Tiansong spent his evenings devising mold designs and organized mold fabrication and testing during the day. While ensuring the team’s regular production schedule remained intact, he and his colleagues managed to prototype two sets of punching dies in just three days. By adopting this die‑based approach, the actual time required to drill the holes in that batch of rear beams was reduced to two days, boosting efficiency fourfold. The operators involved remarked: “Although this method is somewhat more demanding than conventional techniques, completing the customer’s order is what matters most.” Looking back, team leader Zhang Jianhua said, “To be honest, at first we weren’t 100% sure our plan would succeed. But as Party members and cadres, we should step up and shoulder the responsibility. Through our own efforts, fulfilling this task for the company is our duty—no ifs, ands, or buts. Division of labor does not mean division of responsibility; we are all employees of Yuegong, and it’s simply what we ought to do.”
Thanks to our outstanding performance in completing this production and fabrication job, we earned high praise from the client. Subsequently, the client entrusted us with the more challenging task of fabricating the steel components for a seven‑story lift‑and‑slide parking system. This move by the client is, without a doubt, the greatest recognition and encouragement we could have received.
IV. Effectively implementing the principle that “quality is the lifeblood of our products.” Under the guidance of workshop management, Zhang Jianhua sought to ensure product quality through technological and process improvements. As previously mentioned, the small parts are numerous and varied, with many sharing similar shapes, making them极易 prone to confusion and errors. In addition to strengthening daily operational controls, Zhang Jianhua and his team devised various measures to prevent defective products: first, they prioritized the use of molds for manufacturing small components; when production volumes were low, they opted for simple, non‑quenched molds to reduce mold‑making time and costs. For molds intended for long‑term use, they selected high‑quality materials and employed superior manufacturing processes to ensure durability. They also implemented a “poka‑yoke” (error‑proofing) approach, which offers several advantages: it simplifies work motions, eliminates reliance on skill or intuition, and minimizes potential hazards. For example, through technical and process refinements, Zhang Jianhua and Pu Tiansong developed a specialized mold in which the part can only be inserted in one orientation, thereby ensuring machining accuracy while significantly boosting operational efficiency.
5. Taking 5S as the cornerstone, we have strengthened on-site team management and ensured full participation from all employees. As mentioned earlier, with a vast array of small parts, there are numerous handling and transfer stages—from raw materials through semi-finished goods to finished products. To prevent errors during these transfers, Zhang Jianhua and his team devised several innovative solutions. In addition to standard 5S practices, they designed a variety of specialized storage bins, each designated for specific types of components. Each bin is clearly marked with graduated scales, so when parts are loaded to a certain height, the quantity becomes readily apparent. This approach not only boosts production efficiency but also keeps the shop floor clean, organized, and easy to manage at a glance.
VI. Safety in Production: A Constant Vigilance The small‑parts team operates equipment such as shearing machines, bending machines, punching presses, and drilling machines—machines that are among the most prone to mechanical‑injury accidents. Team leader Zhang Jianhua places particular emphasis on workplace safety, conducting daily checks to ensure that all team members are properly wearing their personal protective equipment. Any shortcomings are met with firm, no‑nonsense criticism. “We guide our work by the safety‑management philosophy of ‘better to endure their scolding than to hear their cries,’” says Zhang Jianhua. “The responsibility for ensuring safe production is as weighty as Mount Tai.” By strengthening safety awareness within the team, firmly adhering to the “Four No‑Harms” principle, enhancing job‑specific skills training, and rigorously supervising compliant operating procedures, the small‑parts team has maintained a flawless safety record since 2013.
In our daily work, the small‑parts team has achieved certain results with everyone’s support, yet there is still much room for improvement. As the fundamental unit of the enterprise, the quality of team building directly impacts overall corporate performance. With a mindset of starting from scratch, we will remain true to our mission, steadfastly uphold the principle of safety first, and, aligned with the company’s business objectives, strive toward even higher goals with renewed enthusiasm, thereby putting into practice the corporate philosophies of “Quality Beyond the Palace” and “Happiness Beyond the Palace.”
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