Awarded the May 1st Labor Medal of Guangdong Province for cable braiding
Liao Huiwu braided over 20,000 kilometers of cable in a year, a true skilled role model

Reporter Song Xianghui
　　Liao Huiwu's title is somewhat misleading, as she is not a strong, burly man, but rather a fair and petite woman.
　　However, this seemingly frail woman can operate 16 or 17 braiding machines on the cable braiding production line, braiding over 20,000 kilometers of cable a year. Her output and quality are top-notch, making her a true skilled role model.
　　Her outstanding production skills have also brought her great honor. This Hansheng Company braiding worker recently won the "Guangdong Provincial May 1st Labor Medal".

　　"If you put your heart into it, you can definitely do it well"

　　In 2009, Liao Huiwu joined her husband at Hansheng Company and was assigned as a cable braiding worker. Huang Linghua, deputy chairman of the Hansheng Company Trade Union and production department manager, explained with a section of dissected cable that there is a shielding layer made of copper or steel wires outside the insulation layer or between the insulation and protective layers of the cable. Braiding workers are responsible for braiding the shielding layer. The braiding process often involves contact with machine oil and lubricating oil, making it a dirty and tiring job. Many people leave due to the hardship, resulting in high staff turnover in this position.
　　"When I first joined the company, seeing others operating the machines with oil splattered on them, I didn't want to do this," Liao Huiwu recalled. "At the time, people, seeing my clean appearance, said, 'You're not cut out for this job,' but this fueled my competitiveness." She firmly believed that no matter what she did, if she put her heart into it, she could do it well. So, she calmed down, carefully observed the structure of the machine, and humbly asked veteran employees for advice on the methods of installing bobbins and operating techniques. Soon, Liao Huiwu could operate the braiding machines skillfully, starting from one machine to two, to four, to eight.
　　Huang Linghua explained that the company stipulates that new employees start piece-rate work after 3 months, with a base of 8 braiding machines. Liao Huiwu reached 8 machines in her second month.

　　"Do a good job of preparation"

　　“Generally, each employee operates 8-10 braiding machines, with a maximum of 12. Liao Huiwu can operate up to 16 or 17, usually operating 14,” said Huang Linghua. During the annual peak season, with a surge in export orders and often insufficient manpower, Liao Huiwu always takes the initiative to take on the task of operating more machines and increasing the overall output of the team. She said that while others produce 3.3-3.5 kilometers per machine per shift, Liao Huiwu can achieve 3.8 kilometers, braiding over 20,000 kilometers of cable a year without any quality problems.
　　How does Liao Huiwu achieve this? "I just come to work a little earlier and do a good job of preparation, so I won't be in a rush during work," Liao Huiwu said simply. "In production, for every aluminum foil and bobbin, I will check the label first, then check by feel and measurement, and finally compare before putting it on the machine. I think that if every little thing is done carefully, doing a good job will come naturally."

　　"Work requires patience and thinking"

　　Liao Huiwu said that she used to be quite impatient, but braiding work requires patience and care. "If you have a good temper and are humble, the foreman will be willing to teach you, and the maintenance technicians will also be willing to help." She believes that "hard work alone is not enough; you also need to use your brain." For common problems such as high wire breakage frequency, part wear, and polishing, "you have to learn to judge the problem, find the root cause, adjust the machine in time, and shorten the downtime in order to maintain high efficiency."
　　Work requires not only patience but also skill. "Those large cable spools are certainly impossible to lift, so we usually roll them to the machine and use our legs to push them up. Others use one leg, but I'm not very strong, so I use both." Liao Huiwu, whose output is far ahead of others, also pays close attention to quality. During her time as the main machine operator, she maintained a record of zero process quality feedback for a whole year, improving the finished product coil rate by 5% and directly creating nearly 110,000 yuan in economic income for the company.
　　In her five years at Hansheng, Liao Huiwu has been commended as an advanced worker for five consecutive years.


Excerpt from June 15, 2014, Zhuhai Special Zone News