The 'Perpetual Motion Machine' in the Field of Motors — A Brief Account of the Work Created by Jinzhou Hanna Motor's 'Gold Medal Master and Apprentice' Zhang Zhihua and Li Yang
In the coastal city of Jinzhou, Hanna Motors is undoubtedly a well-known name.
At the end of the last century, a company dedicated to producing alternators and starters for global automotive brands—Jinzhou Hanna Motors Co., Ltd.—emerged with the tide of the market economy.
Since 2000, the company has consecutively received numerous honors, including being recognized as a High-Tech Enterprise in Liaoning Province and a AAA-rated enterprise in Jinzhou, and it owns the most advanced and comprehensive domestic test centers and engine simulation laboratories, making it a leader in the automotive parts manufacturing field.
In 2023, the recipient of Jinzhou City's "Gold Medal Mentor-Apprentice" award came from Jinzhou Hanna Motors!
Time flies. Unknowingly, the gold medal mentor and apprentice, Zhang Zhihua and Li Yang, like tireless, ever-spinning perpetual motion machines, have been working together in the Hanna family for more than five years.
Along the way, they experienced a lot of hardships and sweat, but even more so, there were moments of emotion, satisfaction, and reward.
In August 2018, master Zhang Zhihua and apprentice Li Yang officially established their master-apprentice relationship.
Zhang Zhihua is a person with solid professional skills, rigorous and serious, and willing to dedicate himself. As a leader in the company's transition to new energy business, he is exceptional in the field of design he engages in. His work ethic is unparalleled, and his achievements are often highly praised by others.
Apprentice Li Yang, clever and lively, seemed like a different person from the day he started apprenticing. He got up early and stayed up late every day, becoming his master's shadow. A few times, he even followed his master halfway to the restroom, becoming a source of jokes and teasing among everyone. Yet he did not feel embarrassed; instead, he took it as a point of pride.
Zhang Zhihua is well-versed in new energy motor design. He is not aloof but explains things in a straightforward manner, guiding his apprentice so that he can achieve more with less effort. Before long, he even became the 'little master' for the younger people around him.
Zhang Zhihua expanded his influence from individual mentorship to a wider impact, not content with being just one person's mentor. Together with Li Yang, he worked closely to influence surrounding groups, cultivating a team of qualified professional motor design technicians for the company. Their efforts received unanimous praise and high recognition from company leadership.
Today, new energy drive products have become the core products of Hanna Motors, with rated voltages ranging from 60V to 800V, rated power from 2.2kW to 120kW, and more than 20 different product specifications. The 800V 120kW asynchronous three-in-one powertrain project, managed by Zhang Zhihua and his apprentice team, is a major scientific and technological project in Liaoning Province. After overcoming key challenges, the team applied for multiple invention patents and successfully passed the provincial expert group’s review and acceptance.
A mentor can show you the way, but the journey depends on oneself. In 2021, the Sichuan Yema drive motor project was independently handled by Li Yang for structural design. Ultimately, the 13kW permanent magnet synchronous motor met customer requirements and achieved mass production, with annual sales reaching 4,000 units and sales revenue exceeding 10 million yuan.
What they felt most deeply, however, was the joy of experiencing the mentor-apprentice collaboration. In the cost-reduction optimization project for low-speed motors, the mentor and apprentice worked together and successfully reduced the height of the stator end by 5mm while ensuring the motor's performance. This meant a reduction of 50-80g of copper wire per motor and a cost saving of about 5 yuan per unit. Based on an annual sales volume of 100,000 units, this translates to an annual material cost saving of 500,000 yuan. At the same time, shortening the end also solved the motor heating problem, greatly improving both stability and efficiency.
