How did we achieve "0 failures" in the delivery of 100,000 wheelsets?
2024-08-19
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Wang Zhaokun is checking the accessories. Photo by Xu Feng
Having been in the industry for more than 20 years, Wang Zhaokun, the foreman responsible for the quality control of passenger car axles, has made a name for himself in his job: 100,000 wheelsets were shipped out with “0 failures”!
Trains run across the vast land of China, all thanks to pairs of steel "hot wheels". Wheel sets are the parts of locomotives that come into contact with the rails, and consist of two left and right wheels firmly pressed onto the same axle. Every time a passenger train reaches a running mileage of 600,000 kilometers, it will undergo a large-scale overhaul. After undergoing more than 60 rigorous overhaul procedures such as rust removal, running-in, and assembly, the "healthy" wheels will be reinstalled on trains traveling north and south. "If a train wants to run fast and steadily, high-quality wheels are the guarantee," said Wang Zhaokun, foreman of the Wuchang Passenger Vehicle Depot of China Railway Wuhan Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
Wang Zhaokun's daily routine is to quickly and accurately identify potential safety hazards in wheel accessories. Like bicycles, passenger train wheel bearings also have many balls to support the bearings and enable them to rotate. When the train is moving, they reduce friction and increase the service life of the bearings.
These small cylinders may seem inconspicuous, but they are very "delicate". In order to ensure stable operation, the number and type of bearing balls in train wheels are often relatively fixed. If they are scattered during cleaning, the entire rolling bearing worth thousands of yuan will be scrapped.
At first, Wang Zhaokun couldn't think of a good way to efficiently clean the ball bearings of passenger car wheels.
One morning, Wang Zhaokun just got up and saw his wife combing her hair on the dressing table. There was a round hairpin on the table, and he suddenly got an inspiration. "I thought at the time, hair is also very smooth, but a small hairpin can firmly fix the hair. Can the smooth bearing ball be fixed using a similar principle?" Wang Zhaokun said.
Wang Zhaokun's sleepiness disappeared, he grabbed the hairpin and went out. However, "the hairpin is just an inspiration, it is very different to apply it to machinery."
So Wang Zhaokun drew blueprints, measured dimensions, searched for materials, went to the site, carefully compared each smooth wheel, and used a flashlight to observe and study the tiny bearing structure. Sometimes he stayed in the workshop for a whole day. "At that time, my family and friends said I was crazy."
"After it was put into use on site, the materials clerk in the workshop did some calculations and found that this little invention could save more than 1 million yuan in production costs a year." Wang Zhaokun was filled with pride.
Subsequently, Wang Zhaokun continued to improve and perfect the structure of the bearing "hairpin" and applied to the Patent Office of the State Intellectual Property Office. This "small clip" named "Bearing Cleaning Anti-roller Loss Guard" obtained the national "Utility Model Patent" certification.
In 2017, the "Wang Zhaokun Craftsman's Hut" named after him was officially established. Wang Zhaokun seized the opportunity of China Railway Wuhan Bureau Group Co., Ltd. to encourage the cultivation of innovative young backbones and selected 4 young backbones from the entire section as core members of his studio. After the establishment of the studio, he listed more than 20 technical research tasks in one breath, leading the young team to embark on a long and arduous road of innovation and exploration.
"Technological innovation and talent cultivation are the two major driving forces to ensure the quality of wheels. We must do a good job in innovation and talent cultivation. Young people who have just joined the industry are smart and willing to learn. Cultivating young people is cultivating the future." Wang Zhaokun pays special attention to his apprentice Pan Gang. He believes that it is crucial for young people who have just joined the company to "fasten the first button of their career." Whether in work or life, Wang Zhaokun's requirements for this college student apprentice are not just "how to do it", but to further think about "how to do it well."
Today, many of Wang Zhaokun's apprentices have taken up management positions such as foreman, quality inspector, and technician. Among them, 11 have won individual awards in technical competitions at all levels of the railway, and many have won the honorary title of "Technical Expert of the Railway". "Wang Zhaokun's Craftsman's Hut" has also achieved 68 research results, 2 national patents, 1 "national excellence" QC result, and 1 advanced operation method for employees in Hubei Province.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Researching bearing technology is a peak that we must continue to climb." Wang Zhaokun warned the members of "Wang Zhaokun Craftsman's Hut" while holding a small bearing ball in his hand.
Xu Feng, Fu Lin, Wang Shilong, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter Zhou Wei Source: China Youth Daily
(Source: China Youth Daily)
