The "Engineering Workshop" was established by the Second Artillery Engineering University (SAEU) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2010 as an engineering innovation practice center. It provides engineering practical training for more than 5,000 persons/times each year in various activities including the micro-mouse contest, model airplane, robot, electronic design and mechanical innovation. As a result, it has "incubated" more than 50 scientific and technological achievement awards of the cadets and over 20 teaching reform and scientific and technological achievements in the country and the PLA to date.
The "Engineering Workshop" owns 14 laboratories and workshops equipped with facilities including small-size industrial circuit-board-making system, standard electronic welding process line and aerospace process assembly line as well as more than 300 experiment platforms for electronic, mechanical and information experiments, which can meet the entire process requirements for practice in design, simulation, production, installation, commissioning and use.
A new application for the "vertical laser-aiming device" invented by cadet Lu Wei in the "Engineering Workshop" of the SAEU has been accepted in mid November of 2012. This is his second achievement in the "Engineering Workshop" after his first patent application which was already accepted several months ago. Missile experts said that the second research result of Lu Wei possesses strong innovative idea and is worthwhile for application and promotion.
Cadet Zhang Dongxu, who won the 1st prize and all-round 2nd prize of the 4th National College Students' Modeling Innovation Competition, said that he can make reservation to study in the "Engineering Workshop" through the campus network at any time, and the "Engineering Workshop" helps him a lot.
Since the establishment of the "Engineering Workshop", most of the cadets of the SAEU have used it for "small inventions and small creations".
"The mode in which the cadets engaging in innovation after professional training is very good," said a leader from the Central Military Commission (CMC) after inspecting the "Engineering Workshop" in March of 2012.