Zhao Pubo, an employee of China’s 19th Metallurgical Group, won the gold medal in the welding event, securing China’s third consecutive victory in this event at the World Skills Competition

Starting from the 42nd edition, employees of China Nineteenth Metallurgical Group have represented the Chinese team in competitions for welding and building metal structure projects for four consecutive editions. As members of China’s technical support team for the 45th World Skills Competition, Liu Lvbing, a senior technician from Panzhihua Technician College (in the field of building metal structures), and Zhou Shuchun, another senior technician from the same institution (in the welding field), traveled to Kazan, Russia. Zhao Pubo is currently an employee of the Industrial Construction Branch of China Nineteenth Metallurgical Group. In January 2019, he was awarded the title of \"National Technical Expert\" by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Liu Hao is currently an employee of the Industrial Installation Branch of China Nineteenth Metallurgical Group. In July 2019, he was awarded the title of \"National Technical Expert\" by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Both graduated from Panzhihua Technician College of China’s 19th Metallurgical Group, and have extensive experience having participated in two national selection competitions for the World Skills Competition. Through continuous effort and multiple rounds of selection, they stood out among competitors from all over the country and ultimately became the representatives of China in the welding and building metal structure events at the 45th WorldSkills Competition. Over the course of the 18-hour competition, Zhao Pubo, thanks to his extensive practical training experience, skilled techniques, and steady mindset, completed the welding of four different modules: assemblies, pressure vessels, aluminum alloy structures, and stainless steel. Under the judgment of 35 judges from various countries and regions competing in welding events, he won first place with a score of 93.53 points. Within the first 4 hours after the competition began, Liu Hao quickly and thoroughly understood the blueprints and manufacturing instructions on his own. Over the following 18 hours, he carried out a series of processes including lofting, cutting materials, machining parts, assembly, straightening, and welding, ultimately assembling a tank model. He won the silver medal with a score of 86 points.

When will the spirit of craftsmanship be truly put into practice?

Promote more – stay firmly connected to the World Skills competition for six years. Ning Xianhai, a 22-year-old young man from Sichuan, had no idea what welding entailed when he first started learning it. \"I didn’t know what I was supposed to learn; I just pointed at welding and decided to choose that path.\" ”And so began the life with a handheld welding gun. Ning Xianhai told the reporter that he began participating in training just two months after starting his studies at Panzhihua Technician College (China 19th Metallurgical Senior Technical School). In 2012, he participated in the national selection trials for the 42nd World Competition for the first time, but missed out by just one point. Since then, a life of work and training intertwined has continued to accompany him. At the 43rd World Championship qualifying rounds at the end of 2014, Ning Xianhai failed to make it to the World Championship once again, but he said contentedly, “I’m now used to this situation; I’m really happy, especially when I weld better than others.” ” “I used to be very mischievous; I felt that no one could control me, and I thought in a rather simple way. Now I’m more mature and better at thinking things through. When I was chosen to participate in the training camp back then, I had no idea what welding or competitions entailed; while others were practicing, I would just play around. When I was asked to take part in competitions, I would do so. It wasn’t until the 44th time that I really felt the need to focus and train seriously. ” As Ning Xianhai said, since preparing for the 44th World Competition, he went through various rounds of selection and elimination before eventually making it to the final stage of the competition. The reporter learned that throughout the entire competition, this silent, tall athlete maintained the first-place position starting from the selection trials in Sichuan Province. But only in that match numbered 15 did he finish second, and that was the only time. “That match was held in Shanghai, and the conditions there for the game were not very good. Since the weather was still very hot in August, I also suffered from heatstroke, so my condition wasn’t good either. I remember my work station being extremely small and stuffy, with an oven right next to it that generated very high temperatures; it was unbearable while welding. ”Recalling the situation of the competition, he said with his head bowed, \"Since it was my last chance to compete in the World Championships, I would do my best to perform well in the event.\" At that time, my coach encouraged me while shedding tears, telling me it was okay and that the competition time could be extended the next day. ” If every match is a tough battle that must be won, then the intense training carried out on a regular basis lays a solid foundation for facing each of those tough battles. The official competition time at the World Championships is 18 hours, which means he has to hold the welding torch for over 10 hours each day in order to meet his own goals regarding training results. Even so, the perseverant Ning Xianhai did not find it hard. In previous World Championships, the exam questions were derived from 15 sets of questions, but the 44th World Championship featured a broader range of questions, with third parties responsible for creating them. Therefore, Ning Xianhai needs to practice over 80 sets of exam questions, with those in the second module being particularly difficult. “For example, if a plate that has been welded needs to be extended, or if the two parts need to be swapped, or if the position of the weld needs to be adjusted… it all becomes extremely difficult. ” With less than 30 days left until the competition, the final questions for the world championship have not yet been released. Yet Ning Xianhai, who was in front of the reporter, seemed very optimistic. He told the reporter that as a welder, no matter what materials are given or what methods are required, one just needs to apply their welding skills to the best of their ability.

Challenging precision at 1 millimeter: The welding event in the World Skills Competition requires competitors to not only be familiar with various welding methods and able to use them skillfully, but also to understand various aspects such as safety regulations related to welding and engineering drawings. In addition, the World Championship also has quite strict requirements regarding welding precision. “Previously, while working, I would hold the welding torch in one hand; now I have to use both hands for welding, as the competitions require a very high level of precision in the finished welds. The scoring criteria for the competition are that the width deviation must not exceed 2 millimeters, and the excess height must not exceed 1.5 millimeters; any deviation beyond these limits results in no points being awarded. ” In response to the reporters’ questions, Ning Xianhai picked up a welded product on the windowsill and explained, \"For butt welding of thin plates like these, 2 millimeters thick, the base materials on both sides tend to bend and deform during the welding process, and it’s not easy to control such areas.\" Each material requires a different amount of time for welding, and there are still adjustments needed regarding values such as the welding current, frequency, and other parameters. In such cases, what I need to do is strive to optimize everything as much as possible. ” Ning Xianhai told reporters that the welding event of the 44th National Competition has been changed from three modules as before to four modules in line with World Championship standards, and the scoring criteria have also been adjusted. The first module involves welding a set of carbon steel (low-alloy steel) assemblies, including butt joints of plates and tubes of different thicknesses as well as T-joint weld specimens. This module primarily assesses the contestants’ basic welding skills, requiring them to master the techniques for different welding methods and various welding positions. The content of the second, third, and fourth modules requires contestants to weld the specified materials using the designated methods after thoroughly studying and analyzing the blueprints. If the established method is not used, this scoring point can also only be zero. He has welded everything from aluminum alloy components that can be held in one hand to pressure vessels weighing 35 kilograms, using the techniques and methods he is familiar with to join them together. In competitive competitions, the quality of welding is determined by the fact that the difference between the widest and narrowest parts must not exceed 1.5 millimeters; at the fillet welds, specialized angles are used for measurement. If the specified value is 3 millimeters, any measurement less than 3 millimeters or greater than 4 millimeters results in a deduction of points; only by welding the material smoothly and achieving the specified weld angle size can one be considered to have mastered advanced welding techniques. “Due to my age, this is my last time competing. I am determined to achieve something significant and to leave a mark with the skills I have learned. ” Not only in each match, but also during daily training, Ning Xianhai had to wear heavy protective gear and keep practicing welding techniques. In the height of summer, sweat soaked his body time and again; even though he was drenched, he had to keep going. It was a matter of ten-odd hours – with a little patience, he could get through it. ”All he can do is keep pushing himself to achieve greater precision in his skills.

Here I would like to mention that automatic welding will replace manual labor; how can we find a balance between the spirit of craftsmanship and machines replacing humans?