WeldingrobotinNingboRuyiJointStockCo.,Ltd.byWuShouqiangAttheChinaMachineToolFairinShanghailastMarch,thelatestindustrialrobotsfromaroundtheworldblewmymind.Replacinguniformedlabor,humansinbusinesssuitssimplygaverobotscommandsandlefttherestoftheworktothem.
“Whatarevolution!”Ithought,uponseeingtherobotsworkingsoquicklyinanorderlymanner.Theshiftfromworkinghardtoworkingsmartisdramatic.Everythingdisplayedwashighlyefficientandqualitymade,highlightingtheindustrialeraversion4.0withtechnologicalsophistication.
Mycompany,NingboRuyiJointStockCo.,Ltd.,joinedhandswithawell-knownGermancompanytoproducehandcontrolledhydrauliccarriers12yearsago.Seeingsomanyweldersworkinginourfactory,theGermanmanagerquestionedwhywedidn’tuseelectronicwelding.Iwasquitefamiliarwiththetechnique,butrepliedproudly,“Creatingmorejobsismyresponsibility,andthelaborismuchmoreaffordablethanrobots.”
Thatwastheendofourconservation.Nobottleneckswereaffectingthelabormarketatthattime.Today,however,thetableshaveturned.Laborcostshaveskyrocketedandwenowfaceshortages.
Evenafter12years,theGermanmanager’swordsremainfreshinmymind.Today,notonlyisourproductionlinecompletelyoperatedbyrobots,butwehaveintroducedtheworld’smoststate-of-the-artroboticassemblyline,greatlysavinglaborandtimeaswellasupgradingqualityandefficiency.
Themoneywehavesavedhasbeenreinvestedintomarketingandexpandingourproductionscale.Andwehaveplacedgreaterfocusonrecruitingwell-educatedgraduatesfrominstitutesofhigherlearning.
Manyindustriesareseeinghumanlaborreplacedbyintelligentequipmentandcutting-edgerobots,leadingtoconcernsaboutdwindlingemploymentopportunities.Menmakerobotsliketheymadelightstoovercomedarkness.Woodcuttersfirstusedpinetorchesindarkness,andlaterinventedkerosenelamps,whichgreatlyimprovedtheirlives.Liveswerefurtherenhancedbytheinventionofelectriclamps.Throughtheages,scientificandtechnologicalprogresshasbroughtdramaticchangestohumanlife.
Thesamethinghappensinproduction.Theinventionofrobotstoreplacemanuallabortremendouslybenefitsmankind,asweblazenewtrailstoworkingsmarterandmoreharmoniouslywiththeplanet.
ChuJiwangispresidentandfounderoftheNingboRuyiJointStockCo.,Ltd.,amajorChineselogisticsequipmentmanufacturer.Morethanjustanentrepreneur,ChuisarecipientoftheChinaCharityAward,thetopphilanthropichonorinthecountry.Ineachissue,heshareshisbusinessinsightsandinspirationsgainedfromhislifeexperience.