A Welding Bolt Forges Artisan Spirit — Reprint of an Exclusive Interview with Wu Bingyang, Rising Tide on the Coast
Release Date:
2024-12-16 10:08
----This article is reprinted from Chaoqi Binhai.
“I’m a true ‘new Shaoxing native,’” Wu Bingyang of Zhejiang Yuegong Steel Structure Co., Ltd. said with a smile to the reporter. Originally from Anqing, Anhui, he came to Zhejiang Yuegong after completing his studies in 1999 and has been working as a welder ever since. For 25 years straight on the shop floor, he has honed solid hands-on welding skills and amassed extensive experience in production management, serving as a leading figure in welding technology at the front line. Recently, Wu Bingyang was named among the first cohort of “Binhai Craftsmen” in the Binhai New Area. 
Exceptional skills are always the result of hard work and time. In 1999, shortly after joining Zhejiang Yuegong Steel Structure Co., Ltd., Wu Bingyang began his career as a frontline welder in the shop floor. To hone his welding expertise, he proactively sought out Zhang Gaozhang, the company’s “welding master” who receives a special government allowance from the State Council, and became his apprentice.
Under the meticulous guidance of Zhang Gaozhang, Wu Bingyang quickly mastered the techniques for handling various types of welds—adjusting everything from electrode selection and welding posture to the precise control of current and voltage, with every detail firmly in hand. Fully aware that “the master shows you the way, but it’s up to you to cultivate your skills,” he made the most of his lunch breaks and after-work hours, practicing diligently and refining his approach through repeated experimentation, steadily progressing from “learning to do it” to “mastering it.”
Welding overhead and flat seams is among the most challenging techniques in welding, requiring single-sided welding with double-sided bead formation. To master this skill quickly, Wu Bingyang would lie on the workshop floor whenever he had a moment, patiently fine-tuning the electrode travel speed and the current‑voltage settings. Lying flat on the ground, the scorching slag generated during welding inevitably landed on his body, making burns almost inevitable. The heavy protective mask and suit often left him drenched in sweat. “Scars from electric welding are hard to heal, but once you’ve mastered the technique, it becomes your own asset—no one can take it away,” Wu Bingyang said with a smile.
Through day-after-day practice, Wu Bingyang has mastered a wide range of welding techniques, including vertical‑up, horizontal, and overhead welding. He actively participates in skill competitions organized by the company’s trade union, winning first place in events such as manual arc welding and gas-shielded welding, and has earned widespread recognition as a seasoned technical expert.
From a frontline welder to team leader, section chief, and ultimately the head of his department, Wu Bingyang has steadily advanced through the ranks. Today, he serves as a core member of the Zhang Gaozhang Steel Structure Welding Skills Master Studio in Zhejiang Province, overseeing welding‑skills training for newly hired employees. In mentoring and knowledge transfer, he shares his expertise without reservation, having already trained more than 40 skilled workers at the operational level—many of whom have earned Level‑2 Welding Technician certifications—thereby providing a vital talent pool to fuel Zhejiang Yuegong Steel Structure Co., Ltd.’s transformation and growth.
Today, as the deputy manager of the Manufacturing Department, Wu Bingyang oversees workshop operations such as welding and painting, and is also responsible for the shipment of steel components.
Every morning at the crack of dawn, he moves through the factory workshops, guiding and overseeing frontline production tasks such as H‑steel component assembly and welding, as well as box‑section column welding. In the vast workshop, with hundreds of welders at work, he can identify problems simply by relying on his keen eye and a ruler. “I spend at least six hours a day in the shop; years of hands‑on welding experience have given me the ability to spot many welding defects at a glance,” Wu Bingyang said with evident confidence.
As the deputy manager of the company’s manufacturing department, Liu Tianyou, who has worked alongside him for more than 20 years, sees in Wu Bingyang a blend of intelligence and adaptability.
“Old Wu once said, ‘It’s not people who go to work; it’s work that teaches people how to do it,’” Liu Tianyou said.
In 2011, under the guidance of Teacher Zhang Gaozhang, Wu Bingyang served as team leader and led seven team members in performing S‑shaped box‑section beam welding for the Jinghu Sports Arena project in Shaoxing City. Initially, with multiple team members working simultaneously, uneven heating caused severe distortion and deformation of the welded components. Drawing on his extensive hands-on experience, Wu Bingyang proposed a strategy of localized, segmented welding and consulted with Zhang Gaozhang to jointly refine the approach. After revising the welding procedure, the welds were formed in stages, significantly reducing distortion and enabling high‑quality delivery of the fabricated components, which earned unanimous praise from the client.
“Be diligent in thinking, adaptable in responding to change, and skilled at drawing lessons from experience; leverage innovative approaches to enhance both efficiency and quality,” said Wu Bingyang. In 2020, to boost the welding efficiency of the company’s green prefabricated “bolt–pipe concrete seismic wall” system, Wu Bingyang and his team pooled their expertise to design and fabricate a groundbreaking “bolt–pipe concrete seismic wall seam‑welding machine.” This equipment integrates six individual welders into a single unit, enabling one‑button operation, single‑operator management, and automated welding. As a result, it significantly increases welder utilization and welding productivity, streamlines the welding process, minimizes distortion caused by uneven heating, and ensures superior weld quality. The innovation has saved Zhejiang Yuegong Steel Structure Co., Ltd. nearly RMB 1.6 million in equipment costs and generated direct economic benefits exceeding RMB 3.7 million.
Related News
Copyright © Yuegong Holding Group Co., Ltd.Website Development: China Enterprise Dynamics Shaoxing