Is "counterattack" just because "I don't want to work overtime"?, From migrant workers to chief technicians with over 20 invention patents

"I am a post-85 migrant worker from other places who came to work in Shanghai." This is the first definition Hu Zhenqiu gave himself when he introduced himself, and then he was called the leader of the labor model innovation studio of Shanghai Shenzhou Jingyi Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., the inventor of Shanghai's top ten workers, the first batch of Shanghai craftsmen, and the national model worker.

16 years ago, with the determination to challenge himself, 21-year-old Hu Zhenqiu came to Shanghai from his hometown of Anhui. In order to find a job, this young man with only a high school education and no other skills except for welding rode a second-hand bicycle purchased for 60 yuan and traveled through the streets and alleys of Shanghai all day. Finally, on the 21st day of consecutive setbacks, he was recruited by Shanghai Shenzhou Jingyi Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. as a trial production worker.

The hard won job opportunity has strengthened Hu Zhenqiu's determination to strive for progress. Since joining the company, Hu Zhenqiu has been continuously learning and has successively passed the exams of Intermediate Engineer, Senior Engineer, Technician, and Shanghai Chief Technician, continuously consolidating and improving his theoretical foundation and technical abilities. From a migrant worker who can't even read blueprints, to a leader who has completed more than 60 technological innovations, solved more than 20 technical problems, and obtained 23 invention patents, he has become the leader in leading the team to go deep into the front line for reform and innovation. 16 years have passed, and this young man's original aspiration is like a torch. "Being a good worker" is his firm belief.

"Not wanting to work overtime" triggers a technological revolution

Shanghai Shenzhou Jingyi Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is located in Jinhui Town, Fengxian District. It is committed to the development and industrialization of energy-saving and environmentally friendly special vehicles and intelligent management technology for special vehicles. "Adhering to innovation" is the corporate spirit of Shenzhou.

Relying on a team of professors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University as the main creative team, many of Shenzhou's research and development personnel are master's and doctoral students graduated from well-known universities. They occasionally come to the frontline workshop where Hu Zhenqiu is located to check the progress of the project. Hu Zhenqiu recalled that when he first entered the workplace, due to his lowest qualifications, various skills, and cultural level, he often became a listener hiding behind senior employees when R&D personnel provided work guidance; Sometimes even if he rushes to the front, it is difficult for him to participate in project discussions because he cannot understand the drawings. At this point, Hu Zhenqiu often feels ashamed and embarrassed.

But on the positive side, inferiority complex can transform into a drive to strive for progress. Looking up at these unattainable R&D personnel, Hu Zhenqiu had an idea in his heart: one day, I will also become someone as powerful as them.

So, he began to study diligently and study hard, often pestering experienced teachers during his lunch break to ask them to explain the drawings. In order to improve his professional skills and cultural level, Hu Zhenqiu, who holds a high school degree, participated in various skills training programs for migrant workers. He also used weekends to attend vocational and undergraduate classes at open universities, continuously improving his comprehensive abilities from a technician's certificate to a diploma.

Continuous learning quickly ushered in a platform for presentation. In 2009, Shenzhou Company launched an employee innovation activity, encouraging all employees to carry out small changes and reforms, and using technological innovation to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the production process. This opportunity became the beginning of Hu Zhenqiu's innovative research and development career.

According to Hu Zhenqiu, his team was responsible for "vehicle pre assembly" at the time. Due to Shenzhou Company providing more personalized customization solutions for customers, each car had slight differences during assembly. Due to the lack of a unified mold, each assembly of parts required repeated measurement and polishing, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive, resulting in frequent overtime.

"Since the company encourages us to innovate, can I make a standard fixture myself to optimize the assembly process and shorten working hours?" With this idea in mind, Hu Zhenqiu repeatedly experimented and boldly proposed opening a mold for "vehicle pre assembly tooling. After the mold was put into use, the working hours of each vehicle were reduced from 3 days to 1 day, and the overall assembly qualification rate of the vehicle reached over 98%, greatly improving work efficiency. Shenzhou Company has established a temporary technical renovation team for Hu Zhenqiu, which has gone deep into other teams to carry out process reforms tailored to local conditions and improve the overall work efficiency of frontline departments.

These technological innovations allowed Hu Zhenqiu and his team to win 80% of the awards in the employee innovation activities of that year. Nowadays, in the Hu Zhenqiu Model Worker Studio of Shenzhou Company, the former "Glory List" still exists, and the tooling mold that made Hu Zhenqiu famous in one battle has been awarded the "Special Contribution Award".

Recalling the sudden inspiration in his mind at that time, Hu Zhenqiu still felt incredulous: "There was only one ultimate goal - not wanting to work overtime, but I didn't expect to complete so many small innovations, not only receiving bonuses and certificates, but also being able to speak on stage. I was very happy." Standing in the spotlight, enjoying the sense of achievement brought by progress, Hu Zhenqiu felt that the distance between himself and highly educated researchers seemed not to be so far.

Suggestions for grounding gas proposed by frontline workers

The "Five Small Activities" showed the company Hu Zhenqiu's innovative potential. Afterwards, while balancing frontline workshop work, Hu Zhenqiu was also promoted to the design and research and development department.

According to Chen Tianni, the general manager of Shenzhou Company, the company's R&D department is divided into two systems. Firstly, it is original innovation, which refers to focusing on development level innovation at the theoretical conceptual level; Secondly, there is engineering level innovation, which involves technological innovation in engineering from theoretical design to final concept implementation, in order to solve bottleneck problems that affect production.

Hu Zhenqiu, who excels in technological reform, is responsible for the latter. In Chen Tianni's opinion, the advice of frontline workers is often down-to-earth. For example, in the process of project implementation, due to a lack of practical experience, researchers who have been in the laboratory for a long time often overlook certain skills and tricks. However, for Hu Zhenqiu, who grew up as a grassroots technician, his rich experience makes his ideas more flexible, and he can unleash more technological innovations in the trial production process.

In 2013, Hu Zhenqiu Innovation Studio was established and has been involved in dozens of product innovations. Among them, the research and application of a leaf crushing and cleaning vehicle with unloading and dust suppression function has won the third prize of Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award. Recently, Hu Zhenqiu has been leading members of the Innovation Studio to complete an innovative design solution for the Suzuki fruit plucking machine.

This topic is no stranger. In the urban area of Shanghai, most of the street trees are wutong trees. Every April, the hair of Platanus acerifolia will become the main source of road catkins in Shanghai. In order to alleviate the troubles caused by flying catkins on the fruit tree for citizens to travel, the classic "four piece set" is still used on the market to undertake the task of attacking the fruit tree at night, including high range wind locomotives, fog cannon dust suppression vehicles, high-pressure sprinkler vehicles, and motorized cleaning vehicles. The working principle is to first blow off the fruit fuzz with wind, then wrap the fruit fuzz on the ground with water mist. The high-pressure sprinkler truck will flush the fruit fuzz stuck on the ground to the edge of the road curb, and finally the motorized cleaning vehicle and sanitation master will finish.

Each of the four cars performs its own duties, and each deployment requires a lot of effort. The entire process takes a considerable amount of time. Since that's the case, can these functions be installed as much as possible in the same car? With this idea in mind, Hu Zhenqiu Studio has started cooperation with the Shanghai Greening Management Guidance Station.

After continuous trial production, the new "three in one" hanging bell wood fruit wool cleaning device is now in the final stage of research and development and production. According to Hu Zhenqiu, the device was equipped with six independent and controllable pulse devices on the original sprinkler truck, integrating three functions: elevation shooting, fog cannon, and sprinkler. This not only shortens the workflow, but also improves the utilization rate of the vehicle. In the season when there is no need to clean fruit hairs, the vehicle can still be used as a regular sprinkler or pesticide sprayer for daily operations.

In addition, in order to adapt to the different road conditions and surrounding environment in Shanghai, Hu Zhenqiu has also designed an independent pulse valve for the nozzle, which can be manually operated to more targeted spray cleaning. "Whether used for fruit plucking or spraying pesticides, the process can be more controllable to avoid causing inconvenience to nearby residents and pedestrians."

To pave the career development path for more migrant workers

From an ordinary migrant worker to the chief technician with over 20 invention patents, Hu Zhenqiu has achieved great success. Despite his achievements, he always remembers the way he came and cares about more children of migrant workers.

Hu Zhenqiu mentioned that his growth cannot be separated from a good innovation environment and the company's equal training mechanism for frontline employees. But he also realized that migrant workers like himself who have successfully counterattacked are among the few lucky ones. Many migrant workers, due to the lack of training mechanisms in their companies and their limited educational perspectives, often give up their jobs at will due to their uncertain career prospects.

Because he had been caught in the rain, he wanted to hold up an umbrella for more migrant workers who were in the same situation as him. Therefore, in order to better cultivate frontline migrant workers and stimulate their work potential, every project of Hu Zhenqiu's innovation team and Shenzhou Company will lean towards frontline workers, incorporating them as much as possible into the team. Experienced R&D personnel and senior technicians will lead them to access core technologies, imparting knowledge without reservation, and improving their skill level.

This tilt is also reflected in material incentives. Hu Zhenqiu said that on the basis of the salary being paid as usual, each frontline technician participating in the project can also receive an additional incentive of no less than 30% of the total project bonus. For those who make significant contributions, the amount can be increased to 50% or even more, which can drive more technicians to participate in the project and improve their training.

Nowadays, Hu Zhenqiu's Model Worker Innovation Studio has trained 2 Shanghai Model Workers and 2 Shanghai Chief Technicians. 5 of them have been awarded the title of Advanced Migrant Worker in Shanghai and have achieved excellent results in various skill competitions organized by the company. "Strive to drive more grassroots employees' professional skill progress through 'passing, helping, and leading'," said Hu Zhenqiu.