“This proposal to operate the freezer on a seasonally differentiated schedule was a well‑justified improvement initiative proactively put forward by our frontline employees. Once implemented, it will both ensure stable production conditions and reduce equipment wear and tear, with an estimated annual reduction of 800,000 kWh in electricity consumption, delivering dual benefits: extended equipment life and energy savings.” said the head of Plastic Plant No. 3 at the Engineering Plastics Technology Development Company.

Since the beginning of this year, the company has vigorously launched a special initiative to solicit rationalization proposals under the theme “I Create Value for the Enterprise,” tapping into the innovative potential of frontline employees. By implementing low‑cost, easily implementable small‑scale technological upgrades and workplace micro‑innovations, the company has addressed persistent production challenges in equipment maintenance, process control, and energy conservation and consumption reduction. A number of practical, grassroots‑originated “golden ideas” have been put into practice, yielding tangible results and boosting operational efficiency, thereby providing a solid foundation for the safe, stable, full‑capacity, and high‑quality operation of production units.

To broadly harness grassroots wisdom, the company has opened channels for all employees and cadres to submit suggestions, soliciting improvement proposals across key production areas—including equipment inspection and maintenance, on-site process optimization, safety production management, and green, low‑carbon, energy‑saving initiatives. Since the launch of this initiative, a total of 106 rationalization suggestions have been collected, all of which have undergone systematic categorization and were followed up with individualized feedback and closed‑loop responses. Among these, 38 targeted technical improvement plans have been implemented, generating benefits totaling RMB 70,000.

“Typically, frontline workers, drawing on their day-to-day hands-on experience, are able to propose more precise and feasible improvement measures to address persistent equipment issues that have long hindered the stable operation of the plant,” said the company’s head. In response to the challenge of liquid accumulation and freezing blockages in the vacuum pumps of the polymerization building during winter, employees put forward a retrofit plan to install dedicated steam pipelines and associated valves nearby, thereby eliminating freeze‑up failures at their source. Addressing the cumbersome nature of wastewater‑system maintenance, they proposed upgrading the complex Y‑type strainers to easier‑to‑operate basket filters, which, while ensuring stable wastewater treatment, significantly reduced the manpower required for ongoing operations and upkeep. During the steam system interconnection upgrade, employees proposed installing short steam‑connecting pipes to enable dynamic allocation of steam supply and demand across the plant, thereby effectively eliminating energy waste caused by direct steam venting.

During this solicitation campaign, innovative solutions in resource recycling and refined energy‑consumption management delivered remarkable results, with multiple process‑optimization measures simultaneously achieving the dual objectives of cost reduction and efficiency gains, as well as green production. Moving forward, the Engineering Plastics Technology Development Company will continue to strengthen its regular channels for employees to offer suggestions and proposals, encouraging all staff to innovate and create value in their respective roles, thereby turning more grassroots “bright ideas” into tangible benefits for the company’s development and injecting sustained, endogenous momentum into its long-term, stable, and efficient operations.