On January 2, 2024, the first working day of the year, Nanhai District held a grand "Smart Manufacturing Leading the Family, Vigorous Craftsmanship" 2023 Nanhai "Big City Craftsman" Commendation Conference. This is one of the "Digital Nanhai Craftsman Cradle" series of activities and also a dynamic practice of promoting the spirit of craftsmanship and entrepreneurship in Nanhai.
This event is hosted by the Nanhai District Committee and Government, and hosted by the Nanhai Integrated Media Center. Gu Yaohui, Secretary of the Nanhai District Committee, Wang Yong, District Mayor, Xiang Xiuxing, Director of the Standing Committee of the District People's Congress, Tang Dibang, Chairman of the District Political Consultative Conference, Song Weidong, Secretary, Director, and Chairman of the Party Committee of Foshan News and Media Center (Foshan Media Group Co., Ltd.), Pan Weihua, Member of the Standing Committee and Minister of the Organization Department, Fang Huagang, Member of the Standing Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, and Kong Xiaoyan, Deputy District Mayor, attended the event to witness the glory of craftsmen in the new era of Nanhai.
The South China Sea is a pioneer in promoting the spirit of craftsmanship. In 2017, Nanhai was the first in the country to issue the "Craftsman Selection Order", which honored craftsmen with high standards in the name of the city. Up to now, it has held four consecutive sessions of the city wide selection of craftsmen. Since the release of the "Master Craftsman Order" in Nanhai in 2023, there has been a wave of master craftsmanship throughout the city. Through recommendation registration, preliminary review, reexamination, and qualification review, Hongjun Environmental Protection's Chen Shichu stood out from over 250 applicants for "Big City Craftsmen".
A hundred boats compete for the flow, and those who strive for the boat are the first; Exciting years, those who strive win. The "Dacheng Craftsmen" who have been commended come from various fronts in the region. Although their positions, fields, and experiences are different, they all inherit and demonstrate a common spiritual character, which is the craftsman spirit of "persistence, focus, excellence, meticulousness, and pursuit of excellence".
For example, craftsman Chen Shichu went from being an outsider to deeply cultivating environmental protection for 27 years and eventually became a leading figure in the industry. Let's learn about the growth story of this craftsman together:
Craftsman's Story
"The integrated water treatment equipment I have developed has been selected for the list of key promoted new technology products by the Ministry of Water Resources, and has provided safe drinking water services to over 10 million people!" Chen Shichu is calm and introverted, and his words are as precious as gold. However, when he mentions the topic of environmental engineering, he becomes lively and eloquent.
Foshan Hongjun Water Treatment Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Hongjun Company"), founded by Chen Shichu, specializes in water treatment equipment design, manufacturing, technical research and development, and has completed projects in more than 60 regions and countries worldwide. It is a partner of multiple Fortune 500 companies. As the founder and chief engineer of the company, Chen Shichu has always adhered to his own profession, strived for excellence, and continuously innovated. He has been deeply involved in the field of environmental water treatment for 27 years, eventually becoming a leading figure in the industry. He is not only a senior engineer in environmental engineering and ecology, but also an expert in the Water Environment Management Professional Committee of the Chinese Environmental Protection Federation of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. He was also awarded the title of Outstanding Science and Technology Worker in the South China Sea in 2001.
Invention: Inspiration from Life Details
Chen Shichu grew up in Jiujiang Town, a water town in the the Pearl River Delta. When he grew up near the water, all he saw and heard was water. The environment of the water town has become a subject he has been studying all his life.
In 1997, after graduating from Chen Shichu University, he returned to his hometown to develop and became an employee of a local water treatment equipment production enterprise. At that time, he was a mechanical engineer, but he developed a strong interest in environmental engineering. "It's okay if my major doesn't match, I can continue learning!" Therefore, Chen Shichu began another stage of his student career. God rewards hard work, and he returned to his alma mater Guangdong University of Technology to pursue a master's degree in environmental engineering. After graduating successfully, he also obtained the title of senior engineer in environmental engineering, which became an important milestone in his life. And this transformation, he tirelessly spent 10 years. Now, he has also become an off campus supervisor for graduate students at Guangdong University of Technology, leading more new students to invest in the environmental protection industry.
Ten years of technical work and further education have allowed him to accumulate rich experience and resources. "Being a 'senior engineer in environmental engineering' is just my starting point, and I want to make achievements in the field of environmental protection!" In 2006, he founded Hongjun Company, specializing in water purification treatment, water pollution control, rural domestic wastewater treatment, and other work. At the same time, he also embarked on a journey of invention and creation like an open loop.
"I am already very fond of invention and creation, and I have even become obsessed with it." He often dreams of designing at night, and once inspiration flashes, he will immediately "bounce" and start the all night drawing design mode. "I also pay close attention to small details in life, and many inspirations come from life." In the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, considering that the water in the disaster area is polluted and cannot be consumed, Chen Shichu sent a water purification equipment overnight to support the disaster area. However, due to traffic congestion in the disaster area, large equipment needs to be scheduled to enter through important material channels, so the water purification equipment only arrived in the disaster area after more than 40 days, which cannot solve the drinking water problem for the local people in a timely manner. He couldn't let go of this matter for a long time. How can we make the water purification equipment quickly reach the disaster area and rescue the people? At a wedding banquet, Chen Shichu unexpectedly found inspiration.
On that day, Chen Shichu and his wife attended a wedding banquet in the village, but the weather was not beautiful and it started to rain. The staff immediately moved out of the retractable canopy upon seeing the situation, but this ordinary move made Chen Shichu enlightened. "Isn't this a proper portable water purification equipment?" After returning home that night, he drew a design diagram of a portable water purifier. The principle is to make a reaction tank, sedimentation tank, disinfection tank, and filter tank on canvas, combined with an expansion frame, making the water purification equipment lightweight and easy to move with only two personnel, Especially suitable for disaster relief. "This product has been very popular since its production, especially in areas with frequent typhoons and power outages. This portable water purification equipment can be used in conjunction with a generator to purify drinking water, solving the problem of drinking water." Whenever this invention patent is mentioned, Chen Shichu is very proud because he has truly helped the disaster stricken people.
For many years, Chen Shichu's pace of invention and creation has never stopped. He also utilizes the temperature difference between the surface and deep layers of seawater to turn the humid air on the sea surface into work rain through a condenser, thereby producing drinking water. "Many of my invention patents are cross-border integration, which can often solve many pain points and difficult problems." Chen Shichu said that the foundation of cross-border integration is a profound knowledge structure, so he has always insisted on learning, exploring knowledge in different fields, keeping up with the times, which also allows him to continue to shine in the research and development front line.
Industry leaders: setting industry standards to improve overall level
From dozens of employees in the early stages of entrepreneurship, with a factory area of over 1000 square meters, to now with a factory area of over 30000 square meters, Chen Shichu's enterprise has gradually developed into an industry leader. At present, there are more than 30 engineers with professional titles in his technical team, who have won 9 invention patents and 21 utility model patents.
In the field of rural black and odorous water treatment, Hongjun Company's patented technology "combining ex situ ecological restoration and in situ ecological restoration" has been selected for the 2023 National Guidelines for Black and Odor Water Treatment in Villages and Towns by the Chinese Environmental Protection Federation of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. This technology belongs to the activated sludge method in sewage treatment. Microorganisms absorb organic matter in sewage under sufficient oxygen conditions, oxidize and decompose it to form carbon dioxide and water, which supply for their own proliferation and reproduction. At the same time, sewage can also be purified and treated. After purification, the mixed liquid enters the riverbed again. The suspended activated sludge and solid substances in the mixed liquid settle in the aerobic section and sludge extraction point of the riverbed, and are then extracted again as inoculated sludge and transported to the cyclone sand remover. This technology belongs to ecological bioremediation technology, which is essentially similar to the self purification process of natural water bodies, but with artificial enhancement, the effect of sewage purification is better. Moreover, this technology only needs to be installed on a simple structure, with strong variability, low cost, and obvious effects, providing new ideas and solutions for the treatment of black and odorous river water bodies.
"My understanding of the spirit of craftsmanship is to love my job, focus on it as one, and persist in it for ten years, striving for excellence and continuous innovation." Chen Shichu has been deeply involved in the field of water treatment for 27 years, focusing on excellence and actively innovating. He has long been an expert in the industry. He also participated in drafting two national standards, namely "Operation and Management Specification for Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Facilities" (National Standard Plan No. 20213416-T-469) and "Integrated Equipment for Printing and Dyeing Wastewater Membrane Method" (National Standard Plan No. 20211025-T-469), as well as two group standards. Nowadays, what he wants to do is far more than just being a creator or producer. He hopes to make the development of this industry more profound and broad through his own efforts.
The formulation of industry standards not only signifies the standardization and maturity of an industry, but also provides necessary basis for the development of the industry. "There are many enterprises in this industry, but their levels vary. I want to establish industry standards to make the entire industry more standardized." Chen Shichu said that next, he will work with other experts to develop industry standards, eliminate enterprises that do not meet the standards, raise competition barriers, lead the entire industry to progress together, fight a good battle for the protection of clean water, actively promote domestic water ecological environment protection, and significantly increase the number of clean water and green shores around the people, Significantly enhance the sense of gain and happiness of the people.
