Cao Xingqiang: The Secrets of a Machine “Doctor”

 Introduction: Cao Xingqiang, dedicated to the repair of electrical equipment in the workshop, has a lovely nickname—"Machine Doctor." In Cao Xingqiang's work "secrets," three words stand out: "serious," "problem-solver," and "stingy," as evaluated by his colleagues.<\/strong><\/p>   According to reports from the heated tobacco information network: "Doctor Cao" is the real name of Cao Xingqiang, the leader of the electrical repair team at the Nanyang Cigarette Factory of Henan Tobacco. Due to his superb skills and ability to tackle difficult problems, he has earned the nickname "Doctor Cao."    In Cao Xingqiang's work "secrets," three words stand out: "serious," "problem-solver," and "stingy," as evaluated by his colleagues.<\/p>   A very "serious" person    Just after seven in the morning, Cao Xingqiang arrives at the production site. He needs to check whether there are any unresolved issues with the production equipment from the night shift before the handover, which is a routine task for him.<\/p>   Walking to the packaging machine #2, Cao Xingqiang asks the worker Shao Bin if the missing stick detection is functioning normally. Shao Bin happily replies, "Not a single stick was rejected during the entire production shift, which shows your daily maintenance is good!"<\/p>   Cao Xingqiang, however, furrows his brow and quickly approaches the stick feeder, stops the equipment, and after confirming that the missing stick detection is accurate, he takes a cigarette from a small box, removes the filter, marks it on the cigarette box, places it in the feeder, and starts the equipment.<\/p>   Two seconds later, the leftover cigarette box is rejected.<\/p>   He repeats this test six times, and each time it accurately rejects the stick. Only then does Cao Xingqiang let out a sigh of relief.<\/p>   "You are too serious; aren't you confident that there are no issues?" Shao Bin comments from the side.<\/p>   "Being strict usually prevents quality defects from occurring," Cao Xingqiang replies seriously.<\/p>   Next, he conducts "spot checks" and "tests" on over ten quality detection points for each set of equipment, and only after confirming that there are no issues does he leave. This entire process takes nearly 50 minutes.<\/p>   In Cao Xingqiang's view, being "serious" is crucial in any task. As the leader of the electrical repair team, he insists on thoroughly verifying any small doubts during repairs until he finds the best solution. Some say he is a bit "stubborn" in his seriousness. He smiles faintly and says, "Good equipment leads to good quality."    A "problem-solver"    Detail-oriented, persistent, and possessing a spirit of challenge. This is how Tang Dongfeng, the equipment director of the workshop, describes him.<\/p>   The original design of the #1 DT packaging machine lacked a detection system for loose packs, which means the product quality lacked a "protective layer." The Nanyang factory initiated a project on this topic, and Cao Xingqiang volunteered, saying, "Leave it to us!"<\/p>   "Don't take on this task; it's a hot potato," someone warned him.<\/p>   "There is no 'flame mountain' that cannot be crossed!" Cao Xingqiang's determination kicked in.<\/p>   Without hesitation, the electrical repair team split into two groups: one group was responsible for designing and producing the loose pack detection principle, while the other handled program control and electrical wiring. The instruction manuals were all in Japanese, so he tackled them bit by bit. Researching materials, consulting experts... everyone was busy and engaged.<\/p>   In less than ten days, Cao Xingqiang's voice became hoarse, his eyes were dark, and he developed several "acne spots" on his face. The good news was that they received continuous reports of success: technical challenges such as fiber optic transmission, bracket processing, and PLC program control were all overcome one by one. After multiple tests, the loose pack detection system proved to be highly stable and adaptable, accurately rejecting different types of loose packs.<\/p>   This achievement was granted a utility model patent, and the electrical repair team was awarded the title of National Excellent Quality Management Team. In recent years, the electrical repair team has completed over twenty innovative improvement projects, including improvements to the aluminum paper cutter of the DT machine, secondary separation devices, and automatic control devices for loose pack detection of transparent packaging paper for cigarette boxes, becoming an "innovation test base."    A "stingy" person    "60,000 yuan = 240,000 yuan." This mathematical inequality was proven valid by Cao Xingqiang.<\/p>   "The position of the cigarette outlet on GD equipment generally uses organic glass as a channel, which is prone to friction during production, leading to static electricity in the cigarettes, attracting tobacco dust and bringing it into the small box..." In the workshop equipment office, a tobacco machinery company was recommending its product, the "GDX2 New Static Elimination System."<\/p>   Cao Xingqiang casually asked, "How much does this device cost?"<\/p>   "80,000 yuan per unit."<\/p>   Cao Xingqiang calculated: three GD machines would need 240,000 yuan. The "GDX2 New Static Elimination System" recommended by the company uses the principle of an 'air freshener'; if he could do it himself, he could save a lot of money!<\/p>   After the tobacco machinery company's sales personnel left, Cao Xingqiang began to study this project. After 35 days of hard work, he finally completed the design. The installation of the static eliminator on the packaging machine achieved the goal of eliminating quality hazards and reducing auxiliary material consumption, with the total cost being less than 20,000 yuan, saving a full 180,000 yuan.<\/p>   This is Cao Xingqiang, who has won the "May 1st Labor Medal" in Nanyang, the title of "Zhang Wei-style Technical Innovation Expert," and the "Golden Leaf Model Worker" award for 2011-2012 from Henan Tobacco, truly a guardian on the road of "Golden Leaf Manufacturing."