Chen Wei, a “Jiading Craftsman,” says: “The more difficult the problem is to solve, the more interested I become.”
2020-05-15
[Jiading, Shanghai] When a flock of geese flies in formation, the lead goose is the most crucial. Since 2018, Jiading has annually selected and recognized a group of outstanding high-skilled talents—such as “Jiading Craftsmen” and “Jiading Skill Pioneers”—and leverages their exemplary and leading roles to further enhance employees’ sense of responsibility at their posts, professional pride, corporate belonging, and historical mission. Recently, Jiading announced the list of “Jiading Craftsmen for 2020,” selecting a total of five Jiading Craftsmen, five Skill Pioneers, and ten Technical Experts.
Today, what we’re going to talk about is...
One of this year’s “Jiading Craftsmen”:
Shanghai STEP Electric Co., Ltd.
Senior Researcher Dr. Wei Chen.
Dr. Chen Wei
Dr. Chen Wei has long been dedicated to the research and development of key technologies in AC motor drive control. For him, “There’s nothing difficult in the world—if only one is willing to climb.” Guided by this belief, he has led his team to overcome one challenge after another.
When the reporter met Chen Wei, he was working with his team to debug the SP120 handling robot. “The biggest challenge facing industrial robots is low-frequency vibration, which not only reduces the robot’s precision but also limits its efficiency,” Chen Wei explained. Currently, they are researching ways to minimize machine vibration to the greatest extent possible—a problem that has long plagued the industry. Thanks to Chen Wei and his team’s relentless efforts, this particular model of robot now achieves highly precise and stable operation.
According to the test data, this machine’s work efficiency has improved by nearly 20% compared to the first-generation model and is now approaching international advanced levels. “We can make the robot operate extremely smoothly, and after vibration elimination, we can further enhance the robot’s operational accuracy and extend its service life.”
The Central Research Institute of Shanghai STEP Electric Co., Ltd., where Chen Wei works, is the company’s core department. The team is responsible for technological R&D as well as product software design and optimization. Although in the first quarter of this year, affected by the pandemic, companies slowed down the pace of import and export of products, for Chen Wei, this actually presented an opportunity for product development. “It gave us a complete time frame to focus deeply on research and breakthroughs without being distracted by other matters,” Chen Wei explained.
Working on multiple projects simultaneously is the norm for Chen Wei. “Dr. Chen is incredibly efficient—he always comes up with all sorts of creative solutions to problems,” Liu Tianhua, a colleague of Chen Wei, told reporters. “He doesn’t just put problems aside temporarily if he can’t solve them right away; rather, if one approach doesn’t work, he’ll immediately switch to another—and he’ll always find a way to get things done.”
When asked by a reporter how he understands the “craftsman spirit,” Chen Wei said that, for him, the “craftsman spirit” means setting a high standard for the technology or profession he’s engaged in, continuously refining and perfecting his work, facing difficulties head-on, and ultimately achieving flawless results at that high standard. “It might be relatively easy to go from zero to 80 points, but the journey from 80 to 95, 99, or even 100 points actually requires far more effort and is much harder—far more challenging than going from zero to 80.” Chen Wei added, “The more difficult the problem is to solve, the more interested I become, because in the process of tackling these challenges, I keep improving my understanding and enhancing my capabilities. That’s precisely what first inspired me to pursue scientific research.” (Reporters: Qin Jian, Zhang Xiaodong)
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