Werner, the "originator" of the German electrical industry: he is like a person living in the future

Source: People's Liberation Army Daily

Original title: German electrical industry "originator" Werner - (Introduction)

"He's like a man living in the future" (theme)

Zeng Zihuang Tian Ruijie Wang Han

In a museum in Berlin, Germany, a rusty, dull-colored pointer transmitter quietly "lies horizontally" on a white flannel. The plaque underneath the artifact records an invention story of the German scientist Werner von Siemens. Through this artifact, the audience seems to travel through time and space, to more than 100 years ago, and see how the flourishing Werner racked his brains to develop this epoch-making product.

Just as "there are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand readers", the world has a different "portrait" of Werner: some say he is a genius designer, some say he is a smart arms dealer, and some say he is an innovation promoter. Werner's life was bumpy and tortuous, but he always maintained an optimistic and positive attitude towards life. He once said: "I live more in the future, as long as the future smiles at me, I am willing to bear the grind of it." Werner was born in an era when "cars, horses, and mail were slow"; After his death, cars and subways have entered the daily life of the public. Werner's inventions have changed the world – the first practical DC generator, the first tram, the first elevator... These products have made Siemens a strong reputation, but also let people have a new way of food, clothing, housing and transportation.

To commemorate his achievements, his surname became the standard international unit of conductance.

Genius Designer——

Turn the results of the natural sciences into useful things in life

Werner came from a family of farmers in Hanover, Germany, with 12 children. As a child, Werner was extremely interested in mathematics, architecture and other subjects, and showed amazing talent. However, his family was poor, and he chose to drop out of school after graduating from high school.

"You don't have to pay tuition to go to the military school and continue to study these courses." Confused, a teacher who had served in the army gave Werner advice.

At the age of 19, Werner was admitted to a military academy in Berlin. 3 years of military school study, he is not in class every day, or soaked in the library, "he does not seem to have any other hobbies, nor do he have too many friends, the only thing that interests him is to study hard and experiment day and night." ”

"I have a desire to turn the fruits of the natural sciences into something useful in life." Years later, the accomplished Werner recalled.

It was then that Werner had a dream of becoming an inventor. After class, he shut himself in the lab to invent, and he also had serious hearing loss due to experimental accidents.

At the age of 24, Werner was arrested and imprisoned for illegally participating in a duel. Fortunately, prison management is very humane. When he applied to conduct a small invention study in prison, the warden agreed. So he turned the cell into a humble laboratory.

During this time, Werner carried out an electrolysis test, successfully plated a layer of gold on a zinc white copper teaspoon, and applied for an invention patent for this advanced gold plating method. With this invention patent, Werner not only earned the "first pot of gold" in his life, but also received a pardon from the king.

What can a cigar case, a few tin plates and iron sheets make? Werner replied: It is possible to invent a pointer transmitter with a simple structure and stable performance.

At that time, after the commonly used transmitter sent a telegram, it was necessary to convert morse code into letters, and the transmission of telegrams was not efficient. Werner's improvement was ingenious – after the pointer transmitter received the signal, the pointer could directly indicate the corresponding letter, eliminating the need for translation. The invention soon won the bid for the Prussian National Telegraph Network.

In the 1830s, the world's mainstream telegraph used wired transmission. However, the wires erected on the poles are extremely vulnerable to destruction, and the insulation materials with good performance and low price cannot be found by burying the ground.

Werner decided to innovate. By chance, Brother Werner sent a sample of Malaysian plastic from England. After many experiments, Werner found that this was exactly the insulation material he dreamed of — after wrapping the bare wires with seamless rubber, the insulation problem buried in the wires was solved. With this invention, Werner undertook the laying of one of the longest communication lines in Europe at the time.

Behind the seemingly accidental inventions is Werner's arduous exploration day and night. In 1844, the French Industrial Exposition exhibited a variety of cutting-edge technologies and products, which inspired Werner. After returning, he said with emotion: "Only by mastering rich scientific principles can it be possible to open the next technological invention." Therefore, he resolutely stopped the work at hand and began to immerse himself in hard reading, constantly absorbing the nutrition of professional knowledge.

During that time, the 28-year-old Werner often ran to the University of Berlin to "skip classes" and attend theoretical seminars at the Engineering Society. While studying cutting-edge scientific theories, he reflected on past failures and wrote a large number of papers. That period of precipitation also laid the foundation for Werner's subsequent inventions.

Smart arms dealers --

It is necessary to find innovative inspiration from the battlefield, and it is even more important to test weapons on the battlefield

In September 1855, during the Crimean War, the fortress of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula was in jeopardy under siege by the Anglo-French forces. Thousands of miles away, the Russian Tsar frowned, staring at the battle map anxiously.

The speed of information transmission determines the direction of victory or defeat on the battlefield. In the war room, the transmitters rattled, and the battle situation on the front line and the rear orders were quickly uploaded and issued. This time, the communication equipment and lines used by the Russian army are exactly one of Werner's "works".

The hour hand is set back to 1849. By chance, Werner became acquainted with a key member of the Tsarist Russia who had been sent to Europe to investigate telegraph communications projects. After his introduction, Tsarist Russia purchased a large number of communication equipment from Werner's company and gave him a "big gift": to lay a telegraph line for Tsarist Russia that stretched for more than 10,000 kilometers from Finland to Crimea.

Laying such a long communication line, no one has ever done it. However, with the experience of serving Prussia in the early stage, Werner did not hesitate to face this "big order". After the outbreak of the Crimean War, his team completed the telegraph line to the fortress of Sevastopol as quickly as possible, opening up the military's communication chain.

The timely opening of this communication line provided important technical support for the early victories of the Russian army. The 349-day defensive battle of Sevastopol was also like a "live broadcast", making the world deeply aware of the importance of field communications.

Competition in the military field is the fiercest and most brutal competition, and many advanced technologies are often the first to be applied to the military field. Werner always believed that it was necessary to find innovative inspiration on the battlefield and to test weapons on the battlefield. Since the founding of Siemens AG, Werner's successors have maintained this philosophy.

During World War II, Werner's grandson Hermann Siemens became the "head of the company". He seized the business opportunity and developed electrical equipment and launchers for German tanks, warplanes and submarines. The Piston Fighter Ta-152 uses an autopilot developed by their team. One pilot commented after the test flight: "The maneuverability of the Ta-152 has eclipsed other German fighters." ”

After the war, with decades of accumulation in the field of electricity, they successively launched a series of well-known products -

The "German military masterpiece" Type 212 conventional submarine adopts a fuel cell diesel-electric power system. The submarine's electric motor and AIP fuel cell were built by Siemens.

The German star tank "Leopard II", which has been highly sought after since its introduction, has become an important equipment for the armies of more than 10 countries. Among them, the fire control system of the "Leopard II." tank is labeled by Siemens.

"Roland" air defense missile radar system, TUR low-altitude monitoring radar... Siemens is also a manufacturer of a number of advanced radars and enjoys a certain reputation in the international arms market.

Innovation Drivers——

If we want to continue to innovate and maintain the development potential, we cannot do without a first-class team of technical talents

In the fierce market competition, the development of enterprises often conforms to the "power law distribution" - "head enterprises" to seize the most benefits and obtain rapid growth, while other enterprises are inactive and eliminated.

How to become a "head enterprise"? Werner believes that invention is the key. When formulating the company's development strategy, he once issued such a bold statement: "We must insist on achieving 20,000 inventions and innovations a year." ”

In 1866, Werner developed the first practical DC generator. He is keenly aware that this generator is like a "master switch", which will bring changes to people's lives and release endless possibilities. Thus, Werner began a new round of innovative practices – the first tram, the first elevator... With the birth of one invention after another, Siemens has become a "leading" enterprise in the field of electrical.

Looking at the past with a modern eye, Werner's products are extremely creative and challenging, "he is like a person living in the future." Werner's innovative thinking is always focused on the future, and even if he encounters various setbacks and tribulations, he will not give up lightly. In a letter to his wife Mathilde, Werner said: "I'm living more in the future. As long as the future smiles at me, I am willing to bear the grind of it. Today, the slogan "Never sacrifice the future for short-term gain" is engraved in the most conspicuous place in the company lobby.

"Talent is the first resource of the enterprise. Focusing on the future, if we want to continue to innovate and maintain the development potential, we cannot do without a first-class team of technical talents. Werner attaches great importance to the cultivation of corporate talents, and in his view, the creativity and motivation of employees are the cornerstones of the company's success. In 1872, he founded the Pension Fund at the company, the predecessor of the modern "pension system"; The implementation of the "profit-sharing scheme", known today as "equity dividends"... These advanced talent management measures have effectively promoted the creative enthusiasm of employees, and also promoted the successful development of creative products from drawings to production lines.

From a small workshop on Berlin's Schönebergstraße to a world-famous electrical "head enterprise", Werner's success in entrepreneurship expounded a truth: innovation is the life of the enterprise, and only innovation can make the enterprise always maintain its vitality.

Editor-in-Charge: Wang Tianyue