This picture brings up my memory about my involvement in the press installation during the years from 1986 to 1991 when working for Young Wei Industrial Co. in Taiwan. The surrounding of this press in the picture is pretty oily and messy, however, it is very typical to most of the pressrooms I had been to in the 5 or so years. The smell of ink, lubricant oil, and all sorts of chemical required in the production of newspapers are so unforgettable to me. From picture I can tell it is the Urbanite press of Goss International.
During that period of time, we had installed about 10 new presses and relocated 10 old ones. Each of these presses was composed of at least 10 printing units, folder, reel stands and press control panel. With so much technical stuff in one thing, each of the jobs requires teams of mechanics, electricians, plumbers, riggers, and experienced press erecter. The press erecter supervises the overall installation to make sure every detail of the jobs done by various teams is up to the required standard. And my job was like a coordinator, translator, and casual helper. Most of the time on the site, I was everywhere with the foreign technician and erecter from the manufacturer.
Sometimes there were technicians and engineers from two or more different press component manufacturers, and I was required by them at the same time to do translation up or under the press. Sometimes there were dispute on a job between the supervisor and the mechanic or the riggers, and a lot of swear words were in the exchanges of conversation, so I had to be careful and skilful with my translation. The technique I used from time to time in making all the parties happy again was softening the offensive part of the conversation, and bought them a beer after work.
Once we won a sales contract for two Metroliner presses from China Times, one of the largest newspapers in Taiwan. This machine is double the size of Urbanite press, and its production is completely controlled by central computer system. According to the contract, the supplier was supposed to run a two week training course for the customer’s press crews in the class at their headquarter in Chicago. My boss wanted me to attend the training to gain knowledge about this huge machine so as to be able to help in the installation more efficiently.
So in early November 1989, I flew with the customer’s press crews to Chicago for the training class. That was my first time ever to a western country. I was very excited in seeing the super nation of the world. What impressed me was the size of beef steak we were treated in the dinner on the first night of our arrival. It was as big as three pieces of normal steak sold in Taiwan. And the salad bowl was as big as the cooking pot. Gee, I thought our host was playing jokes with us by ordering this super size of dinner. Turning around to look other tables, they all had the same size of steak. I used to be a big eater, and don’t like to waste food, but that was the first time I left half of the steak and salad unfinished.
It was also giving me a chance to meet with people whom I had had frequent fax exchanges with. Rick Kordas was the one I sent fax to almost everyday when I was not at the installation site. He was a graduate of Chicago University. At the time of my visit, he had just bought a house for his family of six. Both he and his wife were working, a busy family. He offered to take us out for dinner every night, but I courteously declined considering his family life after work.
It was an intensive course covering everything of operation and maintenance. Though we could not digest everything fed to us, we were familiar with every component of the machine to an extent after the training. We only needed to review the manuals and more hands-on to be able to run the machine. On the last day of the course, the tutor, whose name has been forgotten, presented each of us a certificate of complete of training. On the next day, I flew back to Taiwan while the customer’s group carried on their extra week long visit to LA.
The shipment of machine arrived early next year, and we had a period of six months of time being very busy in setting up the machine. Although my school study was not in the areas of mechanic and electronic, I had learned quite a lot through this five year period of time working with the technicians and press crews. This extra learned knowledge has enabled me to repair our family appliances such as clothes dryer, lawn mower, stove, audio, and etc.
This has been something I haven’t had a chance to share with my children who have become too busy with their own study or career when I have time to tell them some stories as a retired fellow. So I post this past experience of mine on the web hoping one day my children will read their dad’s story of learning from involving.
During that period of time, we had installed about 10 new presses and relocated 10 old ones. Each of these presses was composed of at least 10 printing units, folder, reel stands and press control panel. With so much technical stuff in one thing, each of the jobs requires teams of mechanics, electricians, plumbers, riggers, and experienced press erecter. The press erecter supervises the overall installation to make sure every detail of the jobs done by various teams is up to the required standard. And my job was like a coordinator, translator, and casual helper. Most of the time on the site, I was everywhere with the foreign technician and erecter from the manufacturer.
Sometimes there were technicians and engineers from two or more different press component manufacturers, and I was required by them at the same time to do translation up or under the press. Sometimes there were dispute on a job between the supervisor and the mechanic or the riggers, and a lot of swear words were in the exchanges of conversation, so I had to be careful and skilful with my translation. The technique I used from time to time in making all the parties happy again was softening the offensive part of the conversation, and bought them a beer after work.
Once we won a sales contract for two Metroliner presses from China Times, one of the largest newspapers in Taiwan. This machine is double the size of Urbanite press, and its production is completely controlled by central computer system. According to the contract, the supplier was supposed to run a two week training course for the customer’s press crews in the class at their headquarter in Chicago. My boss wanted me to attend the training to gain knowledge about this huge machine so as to be able to help in the installation more efficiently.
So in early November 1989, I flew with the customer’s press crews to Chicago for the training class. That was my first time ever to a western country. I was very excited in seeing the super nation of the world. What impressed me was the size of beef steak we were treated in the dinner on the first night of our arrival. It was as big as three pieces of normal steak sold in Taiwan. And the salad bowl was as big as the cooking pot. Gee, I thought our host was playing jokes with us by ordering this super size of dinner. Turning around to look other tables, they all had the same size of steak. I used to be a big eater, and don’t like to waste food, but that was the first time I left half of the steak and salad unfinished.
The shipment of machine arrived early next year, and we had a period of six months of time being very busy in setting up the machine. Although my school study was not in the areas of mechanic and electronic, I had learned quite a lot through this five year period of time working with the technicians and press crews. This extra learned knowledge has enabled me to repair our family appliances such as clothes dryer, lawn mower, stove, audio, and etc.
This has been something I haven’t had a chance to share with my children who have become too busy with their own study or career when I have time to tell them some stories as a retired fellow. So I post this past experience of mine on the web hoping one day my children will read their dad’s story of learning from involving.
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