blueteamnovel Chapter 157 Order Crisis, New Opportunity for Melting
Chapter 157 Order Crisis, New Opportunity for Melting
On the morning of the third day after the banner was hung on the workshop wall, Lin Chen was stopped by Old Zhang in the gatehouse as soon as he entered the factory area. Old Zhang was clutching an envelope stamped with the red seal of the neighboring county's agricultural bureau. "Deputy Factory Director Lin, this is an urgent document that just arrived this morning. The messenger said you must open it yourself." Old Zhang's tone was urgent, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were still frosted with morning light. Lin Chen took the envelope, his fingertips touching the cold paper. The words "Extremely Urgent" in the lower right corner of the envelope made his heart tighten.
In the office, Zhou Ming was already waiting at the door with an enamel mug. Seeing Lin Chen enter, he quickly stood up: "Is there any news about the order from the neighboring county? Their purchasing manager called three times yesterday, asking if we could deliver ahead of schedule." Lin Chen tore open the envelope; two printed orders and an official letter slid onto the table. He quickly scanned the numbers, his brows instantly furrowing. "The order quantity has tripled, but the delivery time has been reduced from forty days to twenty." He pushed the orders in front of Zhou Ming. "The original order of five hundred sets of agricultural machinery gears has now increased to fifteen hundred sets, and they specifically need to be compatible with their newly imported medium-sized tractors, with precision requirements twice as high as before."
Zhou Ming's enamel mug slammed onto the table with a "bang," splashing tea onto the ledger. "How is this possible! We're operating at full capacity right now, producing a maximum of thirty sets a day, six hundred sets in twenty days at most. This 1,500 sets is simply a pipe dream." He pointed to the precision requirements on the order, "Look at this tolerance range, 0.01 millimeters. Our existing machine tools simply can't meet that. The gears we made for Zhangcheng Commune before, with a tolerance of 0.03 millimeters, took a tremendous amount of effort." Lin Chen didn't speak, picked up the order, and walked to the window. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting dappled patterns on the paper. He stared at the words "medium-sized tractor" in deep thought—the neighboring county had just imported this batch of equipment from the Soviet Union, and the entire county only had three units. If they could secure this order, they could not only open up a new market but also accumulate experience in producing high-end gears.
"I'll go check on the production in the workshop." Lin Chen grabbed his safety helmet and put it on. Zhou Ming quickly followed. The two walked through the steel yard and heard unusual noises coming from the workshop. The normally regular sound of machine tools was now mixed with a harsh metallic scraping sound. As they approached, they saw Wang Xiaohu squatting beside an old vertical milling machine, sweating profusely. Smoke was billowing from the machine's spindle, and Uncle Wang was stamping his feet anxiously beside him. "Deputy Factory Director Lin, this milling machine has jammed again. All five sets of gears we just processed are ruined." Wang Xiaohu's voice was trembling with tears as he clutched a deformed milling cutter in his hand.
Lin Chen lifted the protective cover of the machine tool, and a burnt smell wafted out. The gears on the spindle were worn and uneven. He measured the dimensions of the scrap part with calipers, and the largest tolerance exceeded 0.05 millimeters. "This old machine can't handle high-precision machining anymore." He straightened up and glanced at the five old machine tools in the workshop. "There are two problems now: one is that the equipment precision is not enough, and the other is that the production capacity is insufficient. To complete the orders, we must address both issues simultaneously." Zhou Ming sighed: "What can we do if the precision is not enough? A new machine tool costs three thousand yuan, and our factory only has twelve hundred yuan in working capital, which is from the grain shortage subsidy we just received." Lin Chen didn't reply, his gaze falling on the pile of scrap steel in the corner, where alloy scraps left over from the last machine tool modification were also piled up.
At lunchtime, Su Qing carried two steamed buns into the workshop and saw Lin Chen squatting in front of a pile of scrap steel, sketching and writing, his nose covered in soot. "Everyone's eating in the canteen, why are you hiding here?" She handed him the buns and pulled a small jar of pickled vegetables from her cloth bag. "Factory Director Zhou said the order is difficult to process. Should we negotiate a postponement with the neighboring county?" Lin Chen took the bun, took a bite, and pointed to the sketch on the ground: "A postponement is like giving the order to someone else. There are three farm implement factories in the surrounding area that are eyeing it. Look at this, I want to replace the spindles of these old machine tools, recast them with alloy material, and the precision should be improved." Su Qing leaned closer to look. The sketch showed a complex spindle structure, with densely packed dimensions marked next to it. "Alloy material is very expensive, isn't it? And recasting requires a professional furnace, which our factory doesn't have." Her finger lightly touched the sketch. "Could the bearing design here be simplified? This would save materials and make processing easier."
Lin Chen's eyes lit up; Su Qing's words had enlightened him. He had only focused on improving precision, neglecting structural optimization. He grabbed a charcoal stick from the ground and quickly modified the sketch: "Right, change the original one-piece spindle to a modular one. Use high-chromium alloy for the core and ordinary steel for the other parts. This will ensure precision while saving costs." He looked up at Su Qing and found her smiling at the black grime on his nose. He quickly wiped it with his sleeve, but the more he wiped, the more grime appeared. Su Qing took out a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped the grime from his nose: "Be careful, don't get the drawings dirty." The moment their fingertips touched skin, they both froze. Su Qing quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushing, and turned to point at the pile of scrap steel: "Are these scraps enough to cast the spindle? I'll go to the scrap yard this afternoon and see if I can get some cheap alloy scrap."
At the afternoon production meeting, when Lin Chen proposed the plan to modify the machine tools, the workshop immediately erupted in discussion. Uncle Wang slammed his pipe on the table: "Deputy Factory Director Lin, this is too risky! We've never cast such a precise spindle before. If it fails, even our current production will be delayed." Several veteran technicians echoed his sentiments, but only Wang Xiaohu raised his hand in support: "I think Deputy Factory Director Lin's plan is feasible. Didn't we succeed in modifying the feed device last time? Besides, Su Hui calculated that modifying five machine tools would cost half the price of buying a new one." Lin Chen posted the revised sketch on the blackboard and circled the key parts with chalk: "I've already checked the data. High-chromium alloy is three times harder than ordinary steel. As long as we control the casting temperature and cooling rate, the precision can fully meet the requirements. Moreover, during the modification period, we can work in two shifts. During the day, we can use the working machine tools to process ordinary parts, and at night we can modify the equipment. It won't interfere with each other."
Zhou Ming looked at the sketch on the blackboard, then at the cost accounting sheet Su Qing handed him, and finally made the decision: "Let's do it! Lin Chen will be in charge of the technical upgrades, Su Qing will be in charge of purchasing materials and managing funds, and I'll coordinate the production schedule. Starting today, the entire factory will operate on two shifts, and everyone's salary will increase by 30%. If we can complete the orders on time, we'll get double the bonus!" The workers' chatter gradually subsided, and Uncle Wang stood up: "Deputy Factory Director Lin, I've worked for you for thirty years, I'll trust you this once! If this really works, our factory will never have to depend on others again."
That afternoon, Su Qing took Lao Zhang from the purchasing department to a scrap yard on the outskirts of the city. The yard manager, Lao Wang, a balding middle-aged man, waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing they were buying high-chromium alloy scrap: "Accountant Su, this stuff is hard to find. It's usually only found in large machinery factories, and it's five times more expensive than ordinary scrap steel." Undeterred, Su Qing followed Lao Wang into the warehouse filled with scrap. The pungent smell of rust made her cough. She squatted down and rummaged through the scrap, suddenly spotting a pile of inconspicuous scrap parts in a corner, marked "Cr12." "Lao Wang, how much for this pile?" she asked, pointing to the pile of parts, her heart pounding—she had seen it in the finance department's records; Cr12 was the grade of high-chromium alloy. Old Wang came over to take a look, scratched his head, and said, "These are scrap molds I got from the machine tool factory last time. If you want them all, I'll give you 80 cents per pound." Su Qing immediately agreed, "I'll take them all. Also, help me find some refractory bricks and graphite powder; I need to build a temporary furnace."
As evening fell, Su Qing returned to the factory with a fully loaded truck. Lin Chen was leading the workers in digging the foundation on the open ground next to the workshop. Seeing the alloy scrap on the truck, he quickly went to greet him: "Great! This material is enough to cast five main shafts." Su Qing handed him a purchase list: "The refractory bricks and graphite powder are all bought, costing 320 yuan. The remaining funds are enough to buy cooling water pipes and new milling cutters." Looking at Lin Chen covered in mud, she took out an oil paper package from her cloth bag: "These are brown sugar steamed buns that I asked the canteen to make. Have some to tide you over; you'll definitely be working late tonight modifying the equipment." Lin Chen took the bun, the warm touch spreading from his fingertips to his heart. He took a bite, and the sweet taste spread on his tongue.
Setting up the makeshift furnace proved more difficult than anticipated. Following the blueprints in the system, Lin Chen built a half-meter-high furnace chamber using refractory bricks, embedding a graphite crucible in the center and wrapping it with copper wire salvaged from a discarded transformer. "This is a resistance furnace. Once powered on, it can reach 1500 degrees Celsius, enough to melt high-chromium alloys," he explained to the workers, adjusting the electrode positions with a graphite rod in his hand. "During casting, the temperature must be controlled at 1480 degrees Celsius. Too high, and the alloy composition will be lost; too low, and the melting will be uneven, affecting precision." Su Qing stood by, helping to record the data. Her notebook quickly filled with temperature, time, and material ratios. Moonlight shone through the bulb's glow onto her focused face, and Lin Chen couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.
At two in the morning, the furnace was powered on for its first temperature test. The instant the current was switched on, a blinding white light flashed from the furnace, and the thermometer needle climbed rapidly. "One hundred, five hundred, one thousand..." Wang Xiaohu shouted the numbers, his voice filled with excitement as he stared at the thermometer. Lin Chen gripped the graphite rod tightly, his eyes fixed on the alloy scrap in the furnace. When the temperature reached one thousand four hundred and eighty degrees, he shouted, "Power off!" The instant the current was cut off, the scrap in the furnace had turned into a bright red liquid, like a pool of flowing lava. "Success!" the workers cheered. Uncle Wang excitedly threw his pipe on the ground, then quickly picked it up and blew on it.
Just as everyone was preparing to cast the first main shaft, Su Qing suddenly noticed the thermometer needle starting to drop: "The temperature is dropping too fast; this will cause bubbles during casting." Lin Chen looked and, sure enough, the temperature had dropped to 1350 degrees Celsius. He immediately realized: "The furnace insulation is poor! Quick, get some asbestos cloth!" The workers hurriedly handed over the asbestos cloth, and Lin Chen and Su Qing wrapped it around the outside of the furnace and then covered the furnace opening with a graphite cap. "That's not enough," Su Qing suddenly said, "I remember the finance department has a batch of perlite used for packaging; it has excellent insulation properties. I'll go get it." Without waiting for Lin Chen's reply, she wrapped her cotton-padded coat tightly and rushed into the night.
When Su Qing ran back carrying a bag of perlite, her hair was covered in frost, and her cheeks were red from the cold. She poured the perlite around the furnace, quickly creating a ring of insulation. The thermometer needle gradually stabilized at 1450 degrees Celsius, and Lin Chen nodded: "We can start casting now." He carefully tilted the crucible, and the red-hot alloy liquid flowed from the sprue into the main mold, tracing a beautiful arc in the moonlight. Su Qing stood beside him, holding a stopwatch: "Casting complete. Next, we need to hold it at that temperature for forty minutes, then let it cool naturally for eight hours." Lin Chen looked at her fingers, which were purple from the cold, and took off his gloves, handing them to her: "Put these on, don't get frostbite. There's still a lot to do." Su Qing took the gloves, her fingertips touching the residual warmth inside, and a wave of warmth washed over her.
The next morning, when the first spindle was removed from the mold, all the workers in the factory gathered around. Lin Chen carefully measured the dimensions with calipers, and when he saw that the tolerance was exactly 0.01 millimeters, he lifted the spindle and shouted, "Success!" The workers erupted in thunderous cheers. Zhou Ming excitedly hugged Lin Chen and spun him around, almost dropping the spindle from his hands. "Great! With this spindle, our machine tools will meet the precision standards!" He pointed to the old machine tools in the workshop, "Let's quickly upgrade them and try to start trial production today."
Modifying the machine tools was more intricate than casting the spindle. Lin Chen led the workers to dismantle the old spindles and replace them with newly cast alloy spindles. They also modified the feed mechanism and tool holder using the blueprints in the system. "The original manual feed has been replaced with a lead screw drive, which will improve the accuracy by three times," he explained while debugging. "The tools should be made of tungsten steel. Although it's more expensive, its service life is ten times that of ordinary tools." Su Qing coordinated the production schedule in the workshop, dividing the workers into two groups. One group followed Lin Chen to modify the equipment, while the other group used the working machine tools to process parts. The canteen specially prepared ginger soup, which was delivered every two hours.
At 3 PM, the first modified machine tool began trial production. The moment the milling cutter touched the gear blank, the workshop was so quiet you could hear a pint. Lin Chen gripped the control handle, his eyes fixed on the part being machined. Su Qing stood beside him, holding the blueprints and constantly checking the dimensions. "Machining complete!" The instant the machine tool stopped, Wang Xiaohu immediately stepped forward, removed the part, measured it with calipers, and shouted, "Tolerance 0.01 millimeters, perfectly up to standard!" The workers cheered again. Zhou Ming ran to the sunlight with the part, examining it closely, his hands trembling with excitement: "We can produce high-precision gears now! We don't have to be afraid of others making demands anymore!"
After all five modified machine tools were put into production, the output capacity indeed increased significantly. Previously, the maximum daily output of gears was thirty sets; now it reached eighty sets, and the pass rate increased from 70% to 99%. Lin Chen and Su Qing spent every day in the workshop. He was responsible for technical debugging, and she was responsible for statistics on output and quality. They would check the data together in the office at night. One night, Su Qing fell asleep on her desk. Lin Chen looked at her tired profile and quietly draped his coat over her shoulders. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft shadow on her face. He suddenly realized that this always calm and rational girl actually had very long eyelashes.
Just as production was progressing smoothly, a new problem arose. On the morning of the tenth day, Lao Zhang from the quality inspection team rushed in with a batch of gears: "Deputy Factory Director Lin, the hardness of these gears is insufficient. The hardness tester shows only HRC55, while the neighboring county requires HRC60." Lin Chen took the gears and tested them with a file; indeed, the hardness was insufficient. "The tempering temperature wasn't controlled properly." He immediately ran to the heat treatment workshop and found that the temperature controller's pointer had deviated from the set value. "This temperature controller is broken; it can't accurately control the temperature," said Master Li, who was in charge of heat treatment, helplessly. "Before, we relied on experience, but now the requirements are higher, and experience is completely useless."
Lin Chen frowned. Heat treatment was a crucial process determining the hardness of the gears; a broken temperature controller meant all their previous efforts were wasted. He returned to his office to search for documents. Seeing his anxious expression, Su Qing handed him a yellowed copy of "Mechanical Heat Treatment Handbook": "I found this in my father's old bookcase. It contains methods for manually controlling tempering temperatures. You can make a simple temperature control device using thermocouples and an ammeter." Lin Chen opened the handbook; sure enough, it contained detailed diagrams and explanations of the principles. His eyes lit up: "Great! We can modify a used ammeter and thermocouple; that should do the trick."
The process of building the temperature control device went smoothly. Following the diagrams in the manual, Lin Chen modified a discarded ammeter into a temperature display and connected it to the furnace using thermocouples. When the device was first put into use, everyone was on tenterhooks. "Temperature reached 350 degrees, begin tempering!" Lin Chen shouted, staring at the display. Master Li immediately adjusted the flame size by turning the valve. Forty minutes later, tempering was complete. Old Zhang measured it with a hardness tester and shouted, "HRC60, just right!" Cheers erupted in the workshop again. Su Qing looked at Lin Chen, her eyes full of admiration: "You're amazing! You can solve any problem." Lin Chen scratched his head and smiled sheepishly: "Your manual was a huge help. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to think of a solution."
On the evening of the nineteenth day, as the last set of gears was completed, a deafening sound of firecrackers filled the workshop. Zhou Ming, holding the statistical report, excitedly announced, "All 1,500 sets of gears are qualified! We've completed the order a day ahead of schedule!" The workers cheered and hugged each other. Uncle Wang threw his pipe on the ground, stomping on it with a crackling sound. Lin Chen and Su Qing stood in the center of the workshop, looking at the mountain of gears, and smiled at each other. Moonlight streamed through the window, falling on them and on the banner that read "Technical Poverty Alleviation, Assisting the Collective," which fluttered gently in the night breeze, as if applauding them.
The next morning, when the purchasing manager from the neighboring county arrived at the factory with his truck, he was astonished to see the mountain of qualified gears piled up. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to finish, but not only did you deliver ahead of schedule, the quality is also so good!" He held up the inspection report, giving Lin Chen a thumbs up. "From now on, our county will source all our agricultural machinery parts from your factory, and I'll also recommend you to customers from other counties." Zhou Ming beamed and immediately asked the canteen to prepare food, but the purchasing manager waved his hand: "No need, I need to get the gears back quickly. Spring plowing is about to begin, and these machines can't be delayed."
As the truck departed, the purchasing manager specifically called Lin Chen aside and handed him an envelope: "This is a small token of our appreciation from the county's agricultural bureau, thanking you for your tremendous help with spring plowing." Lin Chen opened it and found a 500 yuan check and a thank-you letter inside. He returned the check to the purchasing manager: "We can't accept the money. It's our duty to contribute to spring plowing. If you encounter any technical problems in the future, we'll be happy to help." The purchasing manager was deeply moved and firmly grasped Lin Chen's hand: "We will remember the technology and integrity of your Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory."
After seeing off the purchasing manager, Zhou Ming called Lin Chen and Su Qing into his office and placed a hundred-yuan bill on the table: "This is a bonus for you two. You deserve the most credit for completing this order." Lin Chen and Su Qing exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "Factory manager, let's use this money to buy some equipment for the workshop," Lin Chen said. "Our furnace is only temporary. If we need to cast more parts in the future, it definitely won't be enough." Su Qing chimed in, "I agree with Lin Chen's opinion. Besides, the workshop's ventilation is poor. It's bad for the workers' health to inhale iron filings for a long time. This money can be used to upgrade the ventilation system."
Zhou Ming looked at the two young men before him, his eyes filled with satisfaction. He put the money away and nodded, "Okay, I'll do as you say. Starting next month, you two will get a raise. Lin Chen will get 20 yuan a month, and Su Qing will get 15 yuan a month." Lin Chen and Su Qing quickly thanked him, and as they walked out of the office, the sunlight shone brightly on the banner in the workshop, making the golden lettering gleam. "Now we can start developing the small harvester, right?" Su Qing asked, her eyes filled with anticipation. Lin Chen nodded and took out a sketch from his pocket, "I've already drawn the preliminary design. Let's make a model first, and try to make a prototype by the end of the year."
As the sun set, the factory gradually quieted down, with only the occasional hum of machine tools emanating from the workshops. Lin Chen and Su Qing sat on the workshop steps, holding sketches of a small harvester, discussing design details in hushed tones. In the distant fields, farmers were engaged in spring plowing, the roar of tractors faintly audible. "Do you think the harvester we're developing will make things a little easier for the farmers?" Su Qing asked softly, her eyes gazing at the distant fields. Lin Chen looked at the sparkle in her eyes and nodded earnestly: "Yes, it will. One day, we'll make sure all farmers have access to the good equipment we've built, so they no longer have to rely on the weather for their livelihood, no longer have to toil so hard they can't stand up straight."