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Migrant worker reinvents herself as an innovative individual
By Lu Xiaofeng and Xu Wei |
July 25, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IN 1995, a farmer named Li Fengjuan was encouraged by her friends to leave her hometown of Binghai County in Jiangsu Province for Jiading District, where she became a worker for the newly built Shanghai Ge'er Automobile Accessory Co Ltd.
Over the past 16 years with the company, she has frequently asked herself a question in the workshop full of the smell of engine oil: how to perform better than others? Many failures have finally resulted in success.
"In fact, I just want to save my time and energy on the work," Li says. "Technological updates and innovation have helped me finish my daily work within five hours, three hours less than my colleagues."
Due to her four patentable inventions, Li was recently honored as one of the city's 10 worker-inventors during 2008 and 2010. She is also the first-ever migrant worker in the city to receive this award.
"What is this stuff in front of me?" At first sight of all the machines in the workshop when she arrived, Li, who only has a middle-school diploma, felt confused and helpless. She was baffled with numerous questions: How can the main-roller rotate? Why can the carriage move? How can such a small knife cut through hard iron? With the development of her company and the increase of the machines, Li decided to gain a strong grasp of all the machines' operational methods. Li has spent a lot of her leisure time studying from the veteran workers in her company and followed the old saying: The early bird catches the worm.
At that time, knives were required in the component production process. In order not to waste time, Li arrived at the workshop early in the morning to sharpen the knives so they would be more effective. In that way, she produced many more components each day than other workers.
"However, it was at the cost of my leisure time," Li says.
She was not satisfied with the working model of "time for output." The routine working approach remained unchanged for quite a long time, but Li wondered if it was the most sensible way. In many eyes, it seemed impossible for a migrant worker to challenge the traditional production methods. But Li didn't buy that.
Patentable inventions
When manufacturing the valve core of an automobile steering gear, it appeared to be inefficient to produce a component with a lathe. But it didn't guarantee quality producing too many components with one lathe.
Although Li didn't have much expertise, she suggested to the workshop chief to remake the lathes based on her own operational experience. Her suggestion was favored.
She discussed many times with the lathe factory on the reconstruction details, such as the length of the cutting tools and the manufacturing capacity of the valve core. Half a year later, the brand-new lathe which simultaneously produced four components was presented.
"It proved to be the most sensible production capacity after our countless tests," Li says. "Therefore we increased our efficiency four times."
The unexpected success strengthened Li's confidence in getting involved in six more technological innovation projects. Four of them received patents and three of them have already been put into practice, generating a profit of about 3.5 million yuan (US$541,887). Additionally, Li also participated in the research and development of a steering system for new-energy cars during the World Expo Shanghai.
Besides technological innovation, Li has also founded an emergency team to tackle sudden technological problems and situations. The accessible approaches offered by the team have largely improved the product quality.
Li's technological innovation has not only brought about revenues and profits for her company, but given herself frequent publicity and media exposure as well. In April, Li was invited to Shanghai Television Station in a special Labor Day program called "Brain Storm." She, as a guest speaker on behalf of the city's migrant workers, shared her experience with famous model workers Bao Qifan, Li Bin and Xu Xiaoping.
In May, Li also made a speech on innovation and service at the opening ceremony of Shanghai 4th Workers' Science and Technology Festival.
Li stays calm and modest despite all her unexpected honors. "Invention used to be far from my life," Li says. "I never expected that one day I would become an inventor too."
She still seems embarrassed by her new title as an inventor. On the corner of her left eye there is a scar caused by a scalding piece of scrap iron. Her finger was also hurt by the long-time knife-sharpening process.
"All these marks remind me of my grassroots identity as a migrant worker," Li adds. "I know the hardness of work. But compared to many other people, I also enjoy the fun of work. In fact, operation technicians at the forefront of work do have a loud voice in technological innovation. But they should really love their job.
Over the past 16 years with the company, she has frequently asked herself a question in the workshop full of the smell of engine oil: how to perform better than others? Many failures have finally resulted in success.
"In fact, I just want to save my time and energy on the work," Li says. "Technological updates and innovation have helped me finish my daily work within five hours, three hours less than my colleagues."
Due to her four patentable inventions, Li was recently honored as one of the city's 10 worker-inventors during 2008 and 2010. She is also the first-ever migrant worker in the city to receive this award.
"What is this stuff in front of me?" At first sight of all the machines in the workshop when she arrived, Li, who only has a middle-school diploma, felt confused and helpless. She was baffled with numerous questions: How can the main-roller rotate? Why can the carriage move? How can such a small knife cut through hard iron? With the development of her company and the increase of the machines, Li decided to gain a strong grasp of all the machines' operational methods. Li has spent a lot of her leisure time studying from the veteran workers in her company and followed the old saying: The early bird catches the worm.
At that time, knives were required in the component production process. In order not to waste time, Li arrived at the workshop early in the morning to sharpen the knives so they would be more effective. In that way, she produced many more components each day than other workers.
"However, it was at the cost of my leisure time," Li says.
She was not satisfied with the working model of "time for output." The routine working approach remained unchanged for quite a long time, but Li wondered if it was the most sensible way. In many eyes, it seemed impossible for a migrant worker to challenge the traditional production methods. But Li didn't buy that.
Patentable inventions
When manufacturing the valve core of an automobile steering gear, it appeared to be inefficient to produce a component with a lathe. But it didn't guarantee quality producing too many components with one lathe.
Although Li didn't have much expertise, she suggested to the workshop chief to remake the lathes based on her own operational experience. Her suggestion was favored.
She discussed many times with the lathe factory on the reconstruction details, such as the length of the cutting tools and the manufacturing capacity of the valve core. Half a year later, the brand-new lathe which simultaneously produced four components was presented.
"It proved to be the most sensible production capacity after our countless tests," Li says. "Therefore we increased our efficiency four times."
The unexpected success strengthened Li's confidence in getting involved in six more technological innovation projects. Four of them received patents and three of them have already been put into practice, generating a profit of about 3.5 million yuan (US$541,887). Additionally, Li also participated in the research and development of a steering system for new-energy cars during the World Expo Shanghai.
Besides technological innovation, Li has also founded an emergency team to tackle sudden technological problems and situations. The accessible approaches offered by the team have largely improved the product quality.
Li's technological innovation has not only brought about revenues and profits for her company, but given herself frequent publicity and media exposure as well. In April, Li was invited to Shanghai Television Station in a special Labor Day program called "Brain Storm." She, as a guest speaker on behalf of the city's migrant workers, shared her experience with famous model workers Bao Qifan, Li Bin and Xu Xiaoping.
In May, Li also made a speech on innovation and service at the opening ceremony of Shanghai 4th Workers' Science and Technology Festival.
Li stays calm and modest despite all her unexpected honors. "Invention used to be far from my life," Li says. "I never expected that one day I would become an inventor too."
She still seems embarrassed by her new title as an inventor. On the corner of her left eye there is a scar caused by a scalding piece of scrap iron. Her finger was also hurt by the long-time knife-sharpening process.
"All these marks remind me of my grassroots identity as a migrant worker," Li adds. "I know the hardness of work. But compared to many other people, I also enjoy the fun of work. In fact, operation technicians at the forefront of work do have a loud voice in technological innovation. But they should really love their job.
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