Our people: Nancy Xue

As a project engineer for tools at MAPAL China in Shanghai, Nancy Xue is making her way in what is supposedly a male domain.

Nancy Xue, Project Engineer at MAPAL China

The Chinese site requires intelligent solutions for the growing requirements in terms of tool inventory, warehouse optimisation and tool management. Project Engineer Nancy Xue specialises in tool manufacturing. What inspires her about her employer is the drive towards constant improvement, but also the interpersonal aspect.

“I am responsible for designing the tools and calculating the prices”, Nancy Xue says, describing her area of activity at MAPAL China Ltd.


In addition to the sales company, MAPAL also has a large production company in Shanghai that specialises in PCD tools, solid carbide tools and indexable inserts. Nineteen sales offices in strategically important metropolitan areas ensure short response times in terms of customer support, sales and service.

MAPAL is the first professional stop for the engineering graduate, who joined the company in 2012 and has been able to gain experience in sales and purchasing along the way. Today she is an experienced project engineer in the Technology Expert Team. “As a project engineer, my first priority is to meet the demands of the fast-growing Chinese market. I deal with how we can implement the machining of a complete workpiece for our customers and optimise the accuracy of machining.”

Customer satisfaction as the ultimate aspect

In a recent project, she and her team designed the machining process of a component from an electric motor and successfully offered it to the customer. The tools have now been produced and are being used for pre-machining in Dalian in northern China. Nancy tested the tools in close coordination with the machine engineer right from the start. “If we encountered a problem during the machining process commissioning, I had to check whether it was due to the tool design, the cutting data or the production conditions on site. And then I solved the problem together with the machine manufacturer’s co-workers.”, Nancy elaborates. Good surface finish, long tool life and perfect lead time – these are just some of the criteria that determine the success of a workpiece. If customer requirements are met, nothing stands in the way of series production. Nancy knows then that she has done a good job with her team.

«Que la producción de nuestras piezas no cause problemas y funcione correctamente es más importante que recibir un encargo».

La libertad para evolucionar

La formación continua es un factor fundamental dentro del grupo MAPAL. Se imparten constantemente cursos de formación en los que los trabajadores adquieren conocimientos prácticos para diferentes tecnologías, sectores y componentes. Los contenidos se desarrollan de forma precisa y se basan mayoritariamente en los últimos descubrimientos y en las necesidades actuales de los clientes. «No se avanza sin una formación continua. Por eso estas ofertas me parecen bastante motivadoras. Me ayudan a mejorar mi especialización y también a progresar profesionalmente», comenta Nancy.

Como un viejo y buen amigo

La cohesión ejemplar entre los trabajadores, así como la cooperación dentro de los equipos, son dos de las muchas y principales razones por las que Nancy sigue en la empresa a día de hoy. Si MAPAL fuera una persona, la describiría como un «viejo y buen amigo». «Alguien que siempre tiene algo que enseñarme. Alguien en quien puedo confiar y que me presenta a nuevas amistades». Nancy aplaude a su empresa por la participación activa de MAPAL en la mejora del entorno de trabajo y de los métodos de formación. Un espíritu contagioso, ya que ahora muchos eventos en los que el objetivo es crear equipos son organizados por el propio personal.

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