Anyang Factory Visit

[Jamesrjohnson]

I just returned from a visit to the Anyang Forging Press Industry company. The purpose of the trip was to do final inspection of a new shipment of Anyang power hammers. I spent 5 days there and toured the new factory located on 40 acres, plus the old factory where they still have finished assembly and their forging operation where they do their own forging of steel for their power hammers. I will post more pictures as I have time, but I thought you might be interested in a little video that I did in their forging factory. In this video, you will see that they are using two manipulators that Anyang manufacturers plus a large H frame power hammer that Anyang builds. I hope you enjoy.

[Toreus]

...I may have found true love. That is one big hammer!

[chyancarrek]

Great Vid James!

I like the way they flip the block by catching one edge and giving a push back up on the anvil.

Given the lack of hearing protection, I can just imagine the hammer operator's typical evening at the dinner table;
"How was your day honey?" . . . "WHAT?"
Would you like some more tea?" . . . ."WHAT?"
It sure was nice today . . . "WHAT?"

[Mainely,Bob]

If you replaced the hydraulic manipulators with hoists then it would be like a look back into what manufacturing looked like in this country before WW2.
Thanks for posting this James.

[monstermetal]

Very cool.. Thanks!

[dicksplint]

Cool video but where's OSHA? If you notice not everyone is wearing safety glasses, ear protection and hard hats. We could be doing the same in the USA if the government would get out of the way of business. Perhaps, OSHA was in the plant and recommended the hammer driver be guarded by the high tech jagged bent thin sheet metal protection device. How long do you think a company that operated like this would last in the United States? How can we compete with that?

I wear safety glasses, ear protection and a hard hat not because the government tells me to. I don’t need the government telling me what to do or to save me from me. I take precautions because I want to protect my health.

[Mainely,Bob]

You may want to slow down and cruise around this site for a while.This is a road well traveled here.

[Frosty]

Thanks for the video James, I'll be looking forward to more pics.

I'm thinking the thin siding or roofing shield next to the hammer driver is to keep his laugh a minute practical joker work mates from tieing his boot laces together.

China isn't like much of the industrial world in that safety is a low priority. Here if 3-4 miners are killed in a cave in, the investigations, law suits and prosecutions are front page news for a long time, sometimes years. A couple hundred near slave miners get killed in China and it's not likely to make the news anywhere unnless it slows or stops production of something consumers will notice.

While OSHA can get carried away I'm glad they're around.

Frosty the Lucky.

[yesteryearforge]

I would guess they have already been in business longer than most U.S. plants because their government isnt trying to legislate them out of business.

Mike Tanner

[dicksplint]

I can't cruise Bob I keep moving at full speed. The road traveled is yesterday’s news. If you want we can talk about traffic jams in China.

[arftist]

A little off topic, but I was in a local shop today where a freind just got hired. The owner was showing me around and brought me over to his flywheel powered 1/2"x10 foot shear. There was no guard at all, to prevent fingers from getting under either the hold-downs or the blade itself. Being who I am, I spouted out that OSHA wouldn't like that at all. He seemed surprised and mumbled something about most shear injuries occuring from fingers being under the stock. I have seen a few shears in my time, yet never one without the front guard. Sometimes that guard does make usage difficult, but not impossible. OSHA serves an important funtion in this country, where we value lives and fingers.

[nonjic]

Cool vid james, you really feel the big hammers running dont you

They have got some very skilled drivers on the manipulators, we did a job in france once, one of our guys dropped his phone, and the manipulator driver picked it up and passed it back to him without damaging it with a similar sized set of jaws :blink:

[Mainely,Bob]

Cool vid james, you really feel the big hammers running dont you

They have got some very skilled drivers on the manipulators, we did a job in france once, one of our guys dropped his phone, and the manipulator driver picked it up and passed it back to him without damaging it with a similar sized set of jaws

Spend a couple of years in the driver`s seat of any machine and you pretty much learn how to "make it walk and talk".
I had a rough terrain fork lift operator tap me on the shoulder with a fork to get me to move once.I thought it was the foreman,sure surprised me to turn and see that fork next to my head.
Once I moved he picked the union of a suction hose up,balanced it on the fork and coiled the hose,stuck the fork thru the coil and hung the hose on the sub-frame of the rig then drove off.
The driller referred to him as "Handy". :)

[Jamesrjohnson]

At the risk of being tarred and feathered and run off this forum (which is not my intent and I hope won't happen), I thought that I would respond to several of the comments:
1. I absolutely agree that safety standards need to be improved in the factory. I discussed this with the Chairman after the tour of the forging facility.
2. I apologize if video's like this have been posted before. Most of the older posts get buried in the depths of Iforgeiron and I guess I could take the time to look at all the posts and if I thought they were redundant not make the post... or I could just make the post and hope that people would enjoy it and if they didn't, stop the video and move on.
3. Yes, many of the forging tools look like pre WW2... there is a reason for that. The equipment worked then and still works today. Sometimes it is hard to improve on a good design. I would guess that if you looked in most industrial forging shops, you will find machinery working today that looks a lot like what was in the video. There are differences however. Today, there is a big business in converting old inefficient air or steam hammers to hydraulic (which this hammer was). The hammer is still good, it's just the drive mechanism needs to be updated. They also manufacturer CNC hammers for those who want to really go high tech. They are creating machinery that the customer is demanding.
4. Don't want to create a political debate here but I don't really think it was OSHA that drove manufacturing in the USA off shore. I love America as much as anybody and will defend her with my every breath... but there are many causes. Government regulation is a part of the problem, layered costing and taxes are making us uncompetitive. In some industries union wages and fringes have forced companies to look elsewhere. At the end of the day, we live in a world where we do not deserve the right to work... we have to earn that right to work by being creative, by inventing technology, by unions working hand in hand with management to make sure that they are competitive in a true world market, by manufacturing goods or services that people want to buy because it is the best "value".

I apologize if I offended anyone but it seems like many times when I post something about Anyang, it turns in to a bashing party. I am just trying to share my experiences, to show people things that I have seen that they might be interested in... and have no intent in creating political debate. That is not what this forum is all about. Let us all focus on helping each other to become better blacksmiths.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Don't worry about it. I enjoyed the video and hope you put up more. Our grandparents worked under similar conditions. They'll grow into in less time than we did.

Some people care more about what could/should/would be rather than what is.

[Mainely,Bob]

James,I know you and I came to terms on the politics thing a while back and I`d just like to say that I appreciate your going to all the time and trouble to both record your experiences and to post them here.

I very much enjoyed watching the video and seeing as how most of these large industrial hammers are being sold for scrap here in the US videos like yours are one of the few places we can actually see these things still working and working in updated applications to boot.
Your video got me interested enough that I spent some time looking on YouTube for your other videos and found some by Anyang instead.I spent about an hour looking at everything from ring rollers to heavy CNC forging.

We all have strongly held beliefs about what is going on in the world and especially in this country these days but that shouldn`t keep us from enjoying fellowship here and it most assuredly shouldn`t keep us from thanking one another for sharing our experiences,whatever they may be.
Thanks again James for sharing the video with us.

[Sam Salvati]

GREaT video James!!!!I appreciate it, thank you. Must have been mind blowing! I have only ever seen hammers like that in video, very cool to have seen it in real life! Can I hide in your luggage next time? :D

[chyancarrek]

James - Don't ever hesitate to post anything you think we'd like to see - this last video was a great little piece of the action - I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciate your putting it up.

My earlier posting was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and if it set a tone regarding safety issues in Chinese industry, that wasn't my intent . . .

I'm starting to get a little gun-shy around here because it seems if you so much as open your mouth, a cavalcade of comments regarding the critical socio/economic/political ramifications of your point of view come pouring forth - Given the way some topics lately have taken on a "runaway nuke" aspect, maybe a little lightening-up is in order.

But then again . . . that's just my opinion . . .

[dicksplint]

No offense taken and none given. Never said I didn’t like the video or its content. This is still America and I’d like to think we all have every right to post and comment within the rules of the forum whatever we chose however unpopular it may be to some. I think everyone’s reading way too much into what was said and taking it way too seriously. I know we are not going to solve any of the US problems here. I just wish we had a chance to survive and compete on a level playing field were all the same rules we impose on ourselves applied to everyone in an open and free market. There is no reward for hard work in this country anymore. Do you think I’m so ignorant to say OSHA is the only reason why this country is failing to provide jobs at fair wages to people who want to work? This country is legislating itself out of existence and the same rules do not apply to everyone allowed in the game. I’m not making a political statement, bashing the party or trying to cause an argument. I’m only voicing my dissent and opinions. That’s all; if anyone wants to misread more into it then I’m sorry. Life is inherently cruel and dangerous. People are sometime rude and it would be much easy and a happier place I guess if we all just cowered and hide without our voices being heard.

[arftist]

4. Don't want to create a political debate here but I don't really think it was OSHA that drove manufacturing in the USA off shore. I love America as much as anybody and will defend her with my every breath... but there are many causes. Government regulation is a part of the problem, layered costing and taxes are making us uncompetitive. In some industries union wages and fringes have forced companies to look elsewhere. At the end of the day, we live in a world where we do not deserve the right to work... we have to earn that right to work by being creative, by inventing technology, by unions working hand in hand with management to make sure that they are competitive in a true world market, by manufacturing goods or services that people want to buy because it is the best "value".

Jim, I consider you a great artist and valued member of this forum.

I think that the polito-econmic commentary is simply a reflection of the times and circunstances of the days we live in.

As a worker and a human I support OSHA when they act within their legislated bounds. Like any agency, there are individuals who take things upon themselves and this is a danger to us all.

I do think that OSHA and the EPA have contributed, along with many other factors to the decline of U.S. industry, to our overall detriment as a country, but I can't see any solution. If anything, I would prefer a stronger EPA, with more strident enforcement. These are difficult times indeed. Please continue to contribute and not take comments personal, if possible. Thankyou.

[Bentiron1946]

OK, Just what were they forging in that picture, what was that big hunk of steel destined to be? :blink:

[nonjic]

The machines make the machines most likely a die block for a big hammer !

[Dillon Sculpture]

Great vid James. What was the hammer, steam, air, hydro?

Seems like Dick needs a splint for his head... :lol:

[Mainely,Bob]

Maybe he needs a nap.
I`m always in a better mood after a good snooze.

[Sam Salvati]

Maybe he needs an inside view of those dies, or a nap under em .


I have a big equipment operator story, watched the guy next door digging a pool, he found a baseball. picked it up in the bucket with the thumb on the excavator drove across the yard and set it on the porch railing.