Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration, said Thomas Alva Edison, the famous inventor in the world. A farmer’s son, who grew up in countryside and only got trained in secondary education, also invented China’s first multi-function roller-plate automatic Blister Packing Machine through his assiduous self-study, and brought heated discussion in scientific and technological field. The farmer’s son is Yang Yijun, the head of Ruian Jiangnan Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd..
In the early days of the Culture Revolution, 17-year-old Yang had to leave school reluctantly. He worked as a farmer and a carpenter. Facing the backward rural economy, he pledged to change the poverty in his hometown. 1975, 23-year-old Yang started his pioneer road. He kept learning while practicing, and solved the technological problems like metal processing and thermal treatment. Finally, the automobile piston pins, which were lacked at that time, were produced and sold to Liaoyang Transportation Supply Bureau. The piston pins were identified to be fully qualified. His business kept expanding and a metal products plant was unprecedentedly set up. However, in 1977, when the local working group came, his plant was unexpectedly to be judged as illegal. The loan was returned to the former company by the bank. Yang just got married at that time. Unfortunately, he had to sell all his furniture to pay the debt, which made his heart bleed. But his entrepreneurship was appreciated by the leader of Ruian General Printing Machinery Factory, and was employed as the chief of supply and marketing section of the factory.
The printing machinery industry had become mature
1985, Yang Yijun noticed that the printing machinery industry had become mature and many factory had entered this industry, which reduced the economic benefits, while he found that medicine blister packing had been in the ascendant in China’s pharmaceutical machinery industry (the backward bottle packaging would be replaced). In that time, the Blister Packing Machine still had to be imported. Each machine cost 170 thousand dollars. This opportunity was too valuable to be missed. So he visited State Drug Administration, Shang Pharmaceutical Design Institute, Shanghai Chinese Medicine No.1 Factory and other departments and organizations, and started to collect the latest technological data both abroad and at home. As experts demonstrated, there was a tendency in foreign countries that roller Blister Packing Machine would be replaced by plate machine. As a result, he decided to absorb the advantages of the two types of machines, combined with the structural features of printing machines, to try to produce a machine with roller-driven and plate mould that forms by forward pressure (so it is called roller-plate machine). He lived frugally and raised money by himself. At that time, he struggled to design the machine. He worked while eating, taking bus, going to toilet or before sleep. The design of machine was like a shadow keeping in his mind.
Finally, his hard work paid off. He, a son of farmer who graduated in society, this university without walls, finally solved the problem of synchronization and invented China’s first DGB-250 multi-function roller plate automatic Blister Packing Machine against competition from the experts and technicists from machinery industry, R&D institutions and universities in China.
This product won big fame in “National Autumn Pharmaceutical Order Fair” in Shanghai in October, 1989 for its unique structure and reliable performance. In 1990, it was listed in “Key Technological Development Project of Zhejiang Province”. In July, 1991, organized by Provincial Planned Economy Committee, and managed by Provincial Packing Corporate, it passed provincial technology identification of new products, and won consistent high praise from the experts. Moreover, it was accepted that it could replace the imported equipment whose price was 10 times than it.
Honor came along with hard work. The Blister Packing Machine won the golden prize in the “3rd National New Products and Technologies Trade Fair” hosted by State Scientific and Technological Commission. And then, it was selected as “Zhejiang Quality Goods” by Provincial Economic Commission to attend “1991 National Pharmaceutical Machinery Order Fair” in Changsha. During the fair, it defeated other machines and the volume of order reached the top of this industry of China.
Just like the spring wind greened the Southern shore, the Jiangnan Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd. set up by Yang Yijun and other people has already created its economic and social benefits. But Yang is not complacent. Facing the future, he made his new blue print with the idea of “seeking truth and innovation”.
Author: Xia Haibao, from Publicity Section of Ruian City. Published in Wenzhou Daily on May 8, 1992.
