NEW JCM Craftsman｜Yang Jianwei: Building Major Technical Equipment with "Metal LEGO"

Walking into the assembly workshop of Jinzhou NEWJCM Machinery, steel parts are scattered across the floor and heavy machinery stands in orderly rows. For Yang Jianwei, a turbine assembly fitter, these complex energy equipment systems can be understood through a simple analogy:

"Putting an entire unit together is like building with metal LEGO pieces," Yang explains. But unlike LEGO, where mistakes can simply be undone and rebuilt, large turbomachinery "allows no room for even the smallest deviation".

This analogy captures not just Yang's 13-year journey, but the spirit of curiosity and excellence of NEWJCM's craftsmen: ordinary people, pursuing extraordinary precision to build major technical equipment.

1.The "Fingertip Memory" Behind 0.03 mm

For an assembly fitter, the real measuring tool isn't just the micrometer—it's the sensitivity honed over 13 years of hands-on work.

Yang joined NEWJCM Machinery in 2013 right after graduation. He spent his early years mastering filing, scraping, and other basic skills under seasoned mentors. He observed others at work, read industry materials in his spare time, and constantly compared techniques. With the company's regular training, he became capable of independently assembling a complete machine within three years.

"Experience isn't taught—it's accumulated through watching, thinking, and practicing," he says.

One of the most demanding tasks is aligning turbine and compressor bases on separate pedestals, balancing levelness, parallelism, and concentricity—a slight adjustment in one spot means rechecking all parameters. "It takes patience and painstaking attention to detail."

Working at millimeter-level precision for years, Yang has developed a rare touch: when assembling compressor half-shell diaphragms, he can detect a gap difference of about 0.03 mm just by feel, then fine-tune until everything fits perfectly. "A fitter's fingertips are naturally sensitive to millimeter-scale variances," he laughs.

Over 13 years on the front line, he has contributed to landmark projects, from China's first domestically built 800,000-ton/year urea plant compressor and turbine set to the world's first 1.2-million-ton/year CO₂ compressor-turbine unit—tightening every bolt and adjusting every gap with uncompromising quality.

2.Overseas Assignments: Testing True Skills

Yang's work doesn't stay inside the factory; it often takes him to project sites abroad, where his expertise is put to the test.

Frequent overseas trips come at a personal cost. His four-year-old son clings to him tearfully each time he leaves. "It's heartbreaking every time," he admits.

Yet, in the first half of this year alone, he spent nearly three months abroad. Whenever the company needs him, he answers the call.

"It's a sign of trust. These overseas projects demand real skill—and you can't fake that."

One such test was the maintenance of the Central Asia–China Gas Pipeline (AGP) compressor station in Kazakhstan.

During the overhaul, faced with English drawings and technical documents, Yang Jianwei dug in, poring over every word. He would get to the bottom of any unclear phrasing. Once, when checking a critical seal, he found that the literal translation was simply an ordinary "pad." But in a high-pressure, gas-tight environment, the slightest gasket mismatch can pose a major safety risk. Yang Jianwei refused to gloss this over. He made multiple trips to the unit site to check the shape and structure of the parts against the drawings, and finally confirmed that the component was “a spiral wound gasket”. In doing so, he eliminated a serious hidden danger of medium leakage.

Over the month-long stay in Kazakhstan, such "safeguarding" moments were common. Drawing on years of experience with large turbomachinery, Yang and his team completed the maintenance on schedule and to high quality—and the unit passed start-up on the first try.

The client was impressed. They filmed the team at work and posted the footage on their official platform, showcasing the Chinese maintenance crew to the world. Yang recalls with pride: "I felt so proud—really, truly proud."

3.Passing on the Craft Through "LEGO"

Today, the assembly workshop is increasingly staffed by young technicians born in the 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s. Helping them embrace the craft and carry the spirit forward is a challenge Yang meets with a playful approach.

He often compares assembly to building metal LEGO blocks. "These steel parts are like toy bricks—only through our tools, by grinding, leveling, and aligning them piece by piece, can we make the machinery run smoothly," he explains.

With his apprentices, he's approachable and treats them like equals, but when it comes to critical clearances and specifications, he's strict. He trains them through hands-on demonstrations and step-by-step guidance.

"A lone tree doesn't make a forest," Yang says. "We succeed only when we work together." It is through this intergenerational transfer of craftsmanship that NEW JCM builds its enduring talent pipeline.

4.Engage in One Field, Excel in It.

"Fitting is one of the most ordinary jobs out there," Yang says. "What we do is small, day-to-day work. But when you do every small thing to perfection, that's anything but ordinary."

Through 0.03 mm of precision and the weight of responsibility carried across continents, Yang Jianwei embodies the craftsman's commitment to quality and his own quiet pride in the work. His dedication proves that extraordinary results come from ordinary people who simply refuse to settle for less.