News Update

Distant Memories

Lu Rui

　　At the end of 1970, I was transferred to work at the Kunming Light Industry Machinery Factory. I remember that when I first arrived, the factory was still under construction; the site consisted of a few rows of cattle and sheep sheds left over from a former farm, already occupied by the early‑arriving workers. My wife and I moved into a small attic room in a local farmer’s house in Puji—below was a pigsty, and the attic was made of wood. Though Kunming is known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” the cold wind seeping through the gaps in the wooden planks was quite biting, and we often huddled under our cotton quilts, falling asleep to the grunts of the pigs below.

　　The factory was funded and constructed by the Ministry of Light Industry and placed directly under its leadership. It was designed with a complementary layout modeled after paper‑making machinery production lines, and most of the veteran employees transferred in during the early stages also came from the paper‑making machinery sector in northern China. Following its completion, the plant was brought under planned‑economy management, with production targets assigned by higher‑level authorities. Over time, it manufactured a diverse range of equipment, including general‑purpose machinery, tobacco‑processing machinery, packaging machinery, and more.

　　In the early 1970s, acting on instructions from the Ministry of Light Industry, the factory dispatched a technical team to Guangdong for an inspection and study tour, with the aim of obtaining technical documentation on sugar‑making machinery. At the time, I was working in the technical section of the metalworking workshop and became a member of this team. I recall that the team leader was Engineer Tang, who had previously served at the Ministry of Light Industry. He was the only technician in the entire plant to hold an engineer’s title and also served as the plant’s chief technical officer. Back then, none of us had any systematic experience with sugar‑making equipment, and we were all unfamiliar with it. Having come from a defense‑related research institute, I knew even less about sugar‑making machinery. With a spirit of humble learning, we set out to “seek guidance” from our counterparts.

　　Historically, China’s sugarcane‑producing regions were concentrated in Guangdong—followed by Guangxi and Yunnan—with large‑scale sugar mills and cutting‑edge sugar‑making technologies primarily located there. Advanced equipment‑related research, design, and manufacturing expertise also originated in Guangdong. Later, during business trips to several sugar mills in Yunnan’s prefectures and counties, we even encountered veteran technicians from Guangdong; reportedly, Guangdong‑born specialists were quite common at Yunnan’s sugar plants in the early years. On that visit to Guangdong, we stopped first at the Guangdong Light Machinery Factory and then at the Jiangmen Chemical Plant, and in Jiangmen we made a point of touring a 500‑ton‑per‑day sugar mill. Unfortunately, it was not the crushing season, and the plant was shut down for maintenance.

　　Back then, there were no issues of “intellectual property” or “trade secrets.” We were all subordinate enterprises under the Ministry of Light Industry, and with directives from the ministry, our counterparts cooperated readily. Design drawings and technical documents were simply reproduced as needed, and we could take them away after a straightforward inventory check. The real challenge lay in the process documentation: since it was all handwritten, photomechanical reproduction was out of the question. At the time, photocopying was still a rare technology, and factories didn’t even have copiers. A well‑developed set of process documents—not only included material quotas, manufacturing methods, and process flows, but also embodied the other side’s accumulated experience and lessons learned from repeated production runs. Naturally, we treasured these materials and invested considerable time and effort in transcribing them by hand.

　　Considering that, upon returning to the factory, we would be responsible for organizing and guiding the machining process, several of us from the workshop paid close attention to the actual conditions on site. In addition to touring with the team, listening to their presentations, and engaging in discussions, we often took advantage of brief work breaks and lunch hours to go directly into the shop floor and observe the machining of key components firsthand. One experience that remains particularly memorable occurred at the Jiangmen Chemical Plant, where I witnessed them using a small knee‑type shaper to machine a large piece of machinery. The approach was highly enlightening: they added a mobile base to the underside of the bed, removed the shaper’s table, dug a sizable pit in front of the machine, hoisted the frame into the pit so that the surface to be machined aligned precisely with the shaper’s working range, secured it firmly, and then carried out the machining by leveraging the shaper’s reciprocating motion and the bed’s lateral movement. When I watched the bridge crane lift the 500‑ton‑per‑day press frame in one swift motion, swing it precariously to the shaper, and lower it into the pit with a series of gentle sways, my heart tightened involuntarily. My emotions rose and fell with each stage of the frame’s transport—only when the hoisting was complete did my anxieties finally ease. This method of using a small machine tool to process large parts once had a fashionable nickname: “ants gnawing at a bone.” Furthermore, at the Guangdong Light Machinery Plant, I was equally inspired to see them convert an ordinary gantry planer into a rudimentary gantry milling machine, actively milling the chevron pattern on a pressing roller.

　　At that time, Guangdong was dominated by 500‑ton sugar mills, with very few exceeding 1,000 tons in capacity. Yunnan, situated on the southwestern plateau amid rugged mountains, featured only a handful of relatively small basins—flat areas nestled among towering peaks. Although it boasted abundant sugarcane production, the crop was widely dispersed. Reportedly, aside from the newly built Kaiyuan Sugar Mill (800 tons), 500‑ton facilities were rare; most were small plants of 200 to 300 tons capacity. On our return journey, we discussed whether the technical documentation we had brought back—designed for a 500‑ton mill—would be suitable for Yunnan’s prevailing conditions. At the post‑return briefing, Engineer Tang, speaking on behalf of the team, outlined the trip’s findings and openly voiced these very concerns. Looking back now, that assessment was far too outdated. By then, the primary reason for Yunnan’s sugar mills being so small was no longer insufficient sugar supply or inadequate transportation capacity, but rather outdated equipment and technology.

　　Thereafter, we devoted ourselves wholeheartedly to the trial production of the sugar‑making machine. Although relevant documentation was readily available, the actual conditions at sugar factories varied considerably; moreover, we were all novices in this field. Throughout the trial‑production process, numerous challenges arose one after another. Drawing on our collective ingenuity and working overtime, we gradually overcame each hurdle, ultimately ensuring that the finished product rolled off the assembly line smoothly.

　　In the years that followed, many colleagues made repeated trips between the factory and the sugar mill, assisting with installation and commissioning and resolving a variety of issues left over from manufacturing and assembly. With the sugar mill’s crushing season demanding unwavering punctuality, equipment operating continuously required brief, carefully scheduled shutdowns for maintenance—unscheduled stops were simply out of the question. Yet most sugar‑processing machinery was built as single‑unit systems, so ensuring quality depended not only on dedicated inspectors but also on the expertise, experience, and sense of responsibility of everyone involved in design, process engineering, fabrication, and assembly—from start to finish. Even after products had left the factory, some defects inevitably remained, and these problems became especially pronounced during the early days of the time‑based wage system. Our field service personnel often found themselves simultaneously listening to customers’ complaints and urgent requests while doing their utmost to repair and refine the products, addressing their shortcomings. On occasion, they even had to rush back to the factory to have components reworked—a mix of challenges, frustrations, and satisfactions that words alone cannot convey and that only those directly involved can truly appreciate.

　　After the 1980s, the market economy gradually replaced the planned economy. Through continuous exploration, experimentation, and analytical research, the factory’s management progressively identified sugar‑processing machinery as its primary strategic direction. Around this time, the plant began producing sugar mills with capacities of 1,000 tons per day or more. During roughly the same period, information brought by foreign investors entering mainland China indicated that advanced overseas sugar mills had already reached scales of 5,000 to 6,000 tons per day, with some even larger—up to 8,000 tons per day. By contrast, sugar mills below 1,000 tons per day were jokingly referred to as “toy factories.” The trend toward ever-larger sugar mills can be attributed not only to the well‑known “economies of scale” but also to an important practical consideration: sugarcane must be harvested and processed promptly at the peak of its sugar content to maximize profitability. In leading foreign sugar mills, the crushing season has been shortened to about 80 days, whereas in China it typically exceeds 100 days.

　　China’s early reform and opening-up policies spurred rapid economic growth in the Pearl River Delta, leading to a sharp decline in sugarcane cultivation and making the “east-to-west shift” of the sugar industry an inevitable trend. At the Kunming Light Machinery Factory, the leadership team—led by Comrade Yang Xuezhong—grasped the prevailing circumstances and aligned with the broader trend. Adopting a fresh strategic vision, they focused their efforts on marketing, production, and technology, broadening their outlook from Yunnan to the national market. They positioned their main battleground in Guangxi, a region whose economic standing was far lower than Guangdong’s yet boasted natural and geographical conditions for sugarcane cultivation that were significantly superior to those of Yunnan, ensuring a steady flow of products into the Guangxi market. Subsequently, they further expanded their horizons, becoming the first mainland manufacturer to export sugar‑processing machinery to Southeast Asia—specifically Vietnam—following the launch of the reform and opening-up policy.

　　Following the transformation into a joint-stock company, a new generation of young entrepreneurs stepped onto the stage, surpassing their predecessors. They carefully assessed the current supply-and-demand dynamics and future prospects of the global sugar industry, while also taking stock of the latest advancements and trends in worldwide sugar‑processing equipment. Focusing their core efforts on the design and manufacture of equipment for sugarcane‑based sugar mills, they rigorously implemented comprehensive quality management, prioritized talent recruitment, and invested in state-of-the-art machinery. In little more than a decade, the company achieved rapid growth and remarkable accomplishments.

　　A few years ago, an elderly colleague who had been retired for many years was invited back to the company to attend an event. In the workshop, equipment for a 10,000‑ton sugar mill was being manufactured. Standing before the frame and looking up at the towering, solid structure of the ten‑thousand‑ton press, I felt both a measure of joy and profound reverence. I recalled the emotions I had experienced years earlier in Guangdong when I first laid eyes on the frame of a 500‑ton press, and as I reflected on the factory’s decades‑long, often winding journey—on the arduous labor and indomitable spirit of several generations—my heart surged with emotion, filled with countless thoughts and feelings.

　　As the new factory building was completed, Chairman Liu Changzhan and several other young company leaders accompanied us on a tour. The new facility boasts an open, spacious, and well-lit interior, with fully equipped, thoughtfully arranged, and impeccably clean workspaces. At that moment, scenes from the company’s history began to unfold in my mind, as if the entire journey since its founding had been condensed before my eyes. Comparing then and now, the contrast is truly stark. In terms of talent, the workforce has grown from a single engineer at the factory’s inception to a pool of highly skilled professionals; in terms of capabilities, the scope has expanded from machining small components to fabricating compact sugar‑processing machinery based on blueprints, and now to designing, manufacturing, installing, and commissioning complete process equipment for large‑scale sugar plants. As for equipment, the plant now operates multiple computer‑controlled machining centers and even electric‑arc steelmaking furnaces. And in the marketplace, the company has broadened its reach from serving a single province or country to a global footprint spanning Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America. Perhaps most noteworthy is that today’s workforce is only one-third of what it was at the factory’s peak, yet output value is several times higher, with profits and taxes rising in tandem.

　　Standing atop the lofty hill of the new factory complex, with an unobstructed vista and a heart at ease, I suddenly recalled an ancient verse: “All the mountains seem small when viewed from above.”

　　This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Light Machinery Plant’s establishment in Kunming. As the company moves forward, it is like rowing upstream—stand still, and you will be swept backward—and the road ahead is endless. We hope that all employees, under the leadership of the Party Committee and the Board of Directors, will remain humble and steady, press on with renewed vigor, challenge themselves, strive tirelessly, and continue to forge ahead. (The author is the company’s former Chief Engineer.)

Vice Governor Dong Hua paid a visit to the company for an inspection.

　　(By our correspondent, Wang Xiaoyu) On the morning of February 22, 2019, a delegation led by Dong Hua, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province, along with Huang Xiaorong, Deputy Director of the General Office of the Provincial Government; Tang Wenxiang, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology; and Chen Yong, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of the Kunming High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, paid a working visit to Kunming Kelin Light Industry Machinery Co., Ltd. The company’s Chairman Liu, accompanied by several senior executives and young cadres, attended the inspection.

　　During the field visit, the leaders toured the company’s headquarters office building and, through Chairman Liu’s briefing, gained an understanding of the company’s development history and its arduous journey from inception. At the subsequent symposium, Chairman Liu presented a work report on behalf of the enterprise. He stated that Kunming Kelin Light Industry has consistently focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of sugar‑processing equipment, serving customers across more than twenty countries and regions, including Yunnan, Guangxi, Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. The company operates a processing plant in Thailand and maintains branch offices in Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Australia. With competitive strength that places it at the forefront of China’s sugar‑equipment sector, it also wields notable influence in the international market, having paid nearly RMB 200 million in taxes to the state over recent years. In response to the Kunming Municipal Government’s “retire secondary industries, promote tertiary industries” policy, the company relocated its production base from Dapuji to the Fumin Hardware Industrial Park at the end of 2015, and moved its headquarters to No. 211, Keji Road, Wuhua District, in October 2018. Throughout its growth, the enterprise has received strong support from leaders at provincial and municipal levels as well as from the Kunming High‑Tech Zone. Particularly during the relocation of the production base and the headquarters office area, they provided substantial assistance, coordinated solutions to numerous challenges, and ensured the smooth completion of these moves. Chairman Liu emphasized that Kunming Kelin Light Industry will continue to strive to align with the national Belt and Road Initiative, tap into the potential of overseas markets, and expand its business footprint.

　　After listening to Director Liu’s report, Vice Governor Dong Hua expressed his appreciation for the company’s achievements over the past few years and put forward several key requirements for Kelin Light Industry: 1. The long-term development of any enterprise hinges on a robust institutional framework. Particularly in traditional manufacturing, the seamless handover between generations is of paramount importance. It is encouraging to see that Kelin has nurtured a cohort of young managers who are steadily assuming critical roles; the company is urged to innovate its organizational structure to meet the evolving needs of its growth. 2. As the nation advances the implementation of new technologies such as intelligent manufacturing and the industrial internet, the government has introduced supportive policies. The company is encouraged to leverage these initiatives to elevate both its production and management capabilities, thereby reducing costs and enhancing quality. Furthermore, enterprises should proactively align with relevant government guidance and policies. 3. The company is also encouraged to tap into the capital markets to accelerate the expansion of its industrial value chain. While the manufacturing sector itself typically yields relatively low margins, diversification and vertical integration can open up greater profit potential and long-term growth opportunities.

　　Vice Governor Dong Hua also inquired about any remaining challenges enterprises face in their development that require government assistance, and urged relevant government departments to provide targeted support. Subsequently, leaders at various levels who accompanied the inspection delivered remarks, offering guidance on the companies’ growth. Finally, Chairman Liu expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the leaders for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit the enterprise, as well as to the provincial and municipal government agencies for their strong support of Keling Light Industry’s development. The field‑visit concluded smoothly in a relaxed and cordial atmosphere.

　　That afternoon, the company promptly convened a senior management meeting to thoroughly discuss how to implement the recommendations and suggestions put forward by Vice Governor Dong Hua and the visiting leaders, with particular focus on institutional and systemic innovation, upgrading equipment standards, and leveraging the roles of young managerial cadres. During the meeting, each executive shared their perspectives and offered valuable insights for the company’s future development. This fact-finding mission is expected to have a far-reaching impact on the company’s strategic direction going forward.