Diligentia et Sapientia: Entering the World of Steel

66 years ago, the Firstdss Five-year Plan had drawn a promising blueprint of the modern Chinese steel industry; till the present, the annual steel production of China has reached over 928 million tons. Baowu Steel, Wuhan Steel, and Anshan Steel, none of them will ever be possible to reach today’s achievement without practitioners who have devoted their time and energy to the development of China for decades. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of PRC, Diligentia College has the honor to invite the expert in Metallurgical Automation and Information Engineering, Dr. Liu Jie to introduce the history of steel smelting and metallurgical automation in China and their future trends.

Steel is the inheritance of our history

Over 2000 years ago, iron blades were foraged by skillful blacksmiths during the Spring and Autumn Period; similarly, fine armors began to be produced as early as in the Han Dynasty. Today, the steel production sustains various industries, more than it ever had, including aerospace, shipbuilding, machinery, construction, energy, national defense, and transportation. As for the future, we may draw a bright prospect of a sustainable and lower-emission steel industry from the successful green factory program achieved by Baogang Zhanjiang. From ancient times to the future, the steel industry has never stopped marching forward.

Steel is the exploration of technology

From the original charcoal smelting to the current blast furnace reduction method, the steel industry has kept on its technology. For example, in terms of equipment, both Anshan Steel and Wuhan Steel have innovated their cutting-edge rolling mills; in terms of management, the remote monitoring is now widely used in the production. From chemistry to IT, the steel industry has empowered production through higher efficiency and lean workflow.

Steel is the self-cultivation of individuals

The rapid growth of steel production is inseparable from the struggle and achievements of steel talents. In 1974, Dr. Liu Jie and other outstanding graduates were sent to Japan to learn the frontier technology of steel smelting. Before departure, they had learned computer science for one year and Japanese for half a year. During their stay in Japan, they slept merely 2 hours per day to squeeze the time out for study. After his return, Dr, Liu went to Wuhan and Anshan to contribute his knowledge and give out suggestions. For example, one of the projects he led while maintaining the production volume,  saved over 5 billion yuan for Anshan. As he has said, “innovation is not complex at all, it can take place everywhere around us”. From these practitioners, we can tell the diligence they bear and the belief of ‘stay true to the mission’.

Steel is the continuation of devotion

The Chinese steel industry never lacks challenges or troubles, nor innovations or successful moments. We sincerely hope that the values and beliefs which are insisted by practitioners of the steel industry can be widely achieved in all other fields in China.