Zhang Lin: Building an extraordinary life with a welding torch

Inside the welding workshop of Ningxia Tiandi Northwest Coal Mine Machinery Co Ltd, sparks fly across the factory floor as workers focus intently on steel and flame.

Among them is Zhang Lin, a veteran welder who has spent the past two decades working on the front lines of industrial production.

Now 50, Zhang has risen from an ordinary electric welder to head of a riveting and welding team and leader of a regional-level master skills studio. With a welding torch in hand, he has built a career defined by precision, persistence and craftsmanship. 

Zhang Lin stands in front of a welding machine at a drum welding workshop.

Since entering the workforce in 2004, Zhang has remained committed to key production posts, including drum welding, steadily refining his skills in a demanding industry.

In 2016, his company undertook a belt conveyor project for Fiji, facing strict quality requirements and a tight production schedule. Zhang led his team through repeated rounds of technical analysis, refining welding processes and overcoming a series of engineering challenges.

The result was a batch of zero-defect products that earned recognition from both inspectors and overseas clients, helping Chinese manufacturing strengthen its presence in international markets.

Zhang Lin works at a drum welding workshop.

Solving problems on the workshop floor

For Zhang, innovation has always been part of the job.

Confronted with the challenge of welding wear-resistant layers onto coal mining machine skid shoes — a process complicated by narrow operating space and frequent cracking — he carried out dozens of manual arc welding experiments before identifying the optimal techniques and parameters.

When ferritic stainless steel began replacing conventional carbon steel in production, Zhang developed specialized welding procedures tailored to the material’s properties, effectively preventing brittleness during manufacturing.

Safety improvements also became one of his priorities. To eliminate risks associated with welding large drums at height, he designed specialized tooling equipment that removed the danger of falls.

He later improved the positioning roller structure used in drum welding robots, extending bearing replacement cycles from one month to six months, significantly reducing production costs and improving efficiency.

Over two decades of work, Zhang has earned numerous honors, including recognition as a craftsman in China’s heavy machinery industry, a technical expert in Ningxia and an outstanding employee in labor competitions in Shizuishan city.

Zhang Lin performs large drum welding operations at a workshop.

Passing skills to the next generation

Beyond the workshop floor, Zhang has also become a mentor to younger workers.

The regional-level master skills studio he leads has grown into a training ground for emerging technical talent. Through hands-on instruction and daily guidance, he shares his welding techniques and practical experience with younger colleagues, helping many of them develop into key technical staff for the company.

Zhang said he will continue focusing on production-line innovation, improving product quality and efficiency, tackling technical challenges on site and strengthening the cultivation of skilled workers.

From frontline welder to industry-recognized craftsman and team leader, Zhang’s journey reflects the quiet dedication of a new generation of Chinese industrial workers — those who turn ordinary jobs into extraordinary careers through years of persistence and skill.