redvbooks Chapter 170 Semi-automation, a Leap in Efficiency
Chapter 170 Semi-automation, a Leap in Efficiency
The summer of 1982 in Zhangcheng was exceptionally hot. Inside the newly completed workshop of Chenqing Hardware Factory, the air was stifling and oppressive, like a sauna, due to the lack of ventilation. Lin Chen, dressed in blue overalls soaked with sweat, squatted in front of a pile of equipment covered by canvas, repeatedly measuring something with calipers in his hand. The rusty guide rails of the machine tools exposed under the canvas could not conceal their intricate mechanical structure—these were two second-hand horizontal lathes that he had asked Boss Chen in Hong Kong to buy from West Germany, which had consumed most of the profits from the export orders that had just arrived.
"Director Lin, are these two old machines really usable?" Uncle Wang walked over carrying a tin kettle, poured half a kettle of cold water into Lin Chen's hand, and pointed his rough fingers at the machine tool's casing. "Look, the paint is all peeled off, and you could scrape half a pound of grease out of the gearbox. I think they're not much different from the scrap metal in the junkyard." Several technicians responsible for installing the equipment chimed in. They were used to operating simple domestically made machine tools, and looking at these two big machines covered in foreign markings, they were unsure of their capabilities.
Lin Chen took a sip of cool water, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and pointed to the machine tool's nameplate, explaining, "Uncle Wang, this is a CK6140 horizontal lathe made in West Germany. Don't let its secondhand appearance fool you; its precision reaches 0.01 millimeters, three levels higher than the domestically produced machines we use now. Look at the thickness of the hardened layer on the guide rails and the precision of the ball screw; we can't manufacture those domestically yet." As he spoke, he scanned the machine tool with the system, and the light blue panel immediately displayed the core parameters: "Equipment Model: CK6140, Year of Manufacture: 1968, Core Component Wear Rate: 15%, Repairability: 92%, Adaptability and Modification Potential: Extremely High."
This result gave Lin Chen peace of mind. He had already considered that even with an expanded workshop, the traditional production line relying solely on manual operation would have limited capacity increases. To keep pace with the growth in foreign trade orders, a transition to semi-automation was necessary. Although these two secondhand machine tools were old, their core components were intact, making them a perfect foundation for the upgrade.
Su Qing walked into the workshop carrying a stack of blueprints. Sweat clung to her face, but it couldn't hide the competence in her eyes. She spread the blueprints on a makeshift wooden table and pointed to the designs, saying, "Director Lin, these are the drafts of the modification plan you requested. Based on your ideas and the machine tool parameters, I've done a preliminary calculation. The modification requires custom-made gear sets, motors, and control systems. We contacted the Provincial Machinery Research Institute; they said they can assist with the manufacturing, but the cost will be 12,000 yuan, and the turnaround time will be twenty days."
Lin Chen leaned closer to examine the blueprints. Key modifications were marked in red: the existing manual feed system would be replaced with a motor-driven system, photoelectric sensors would be added to control the cutting depth, and a conveyor belt would be designed to connect the upstream and downstream processes. This plan perfectly aligned with his vision, but the cost of 12,000 yuan and the 20-day timeframe made him frown—the delivery date for the export order was fast approaching, the 20-day modification period was too long, and the 12,000 yuan exceeded his budget.
"Can the cost be reduced a bit more? Can the turnaround time be shortened?" Lin Chen asked. Su Qing shook her head helplessly: "I've already talked to them three times. They said that these high-precision parts require custom molds, and the turnaround time can't be shortened any further. As for the cost, it's already a friendly price for us, three thousand yuan cheaper than the market price." The surrounding technicians gasped in shock. Twelve thousand yuan was undoubtedly a huge sum for Chenqing Hardware Factory, which was just starting out.
Uncle Wang rubbed his hands and said, "Director Lin, why don't we just not make the changes? We can hire a few more skilled technicians and complete the orders by working overtime. What if the changes fail? Wouldn't all the money be wasted?" The other technicians nodded in agreement. In their view, this kind of "fuss" was too risky.
Lin Chen didn't immediately refute. Instead, he walked to the machine tool, opened the gearbox cover, and shone a flashlight on the gears inside, saying, "Look everyone, the core gears of this machine tool are made of chromium-molybdenum alloy, with a hardness of HRC58. Gears produced domestically can only reach a maximum of HRC45. If we only perform simple repairs and then operate manually, we're wasting such high precision. Moreover, in our current casting process, ten people can only process a maximum of fifty blanks a day. After switching to semi-automation, three people can process two hundred a day, increasing efficiency fourfold and reducing the scrap rate." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, "What we're building isn't a small workshop, but a precision manufacturing plant that can meet international standards. Semi-automation is the inevitable path."
Seeing that everyone still looked hesitant, Lin Chen added, "Regarding the cost, I have an idea. We can make part of the gear set and motor ourselves, and only have the research institute process the core control system. This will save costs and shorten the cycle time. Uncle Wang, you used to do gear processing in a state-owned factory. With your skills, can you make gears that meet the precision requirements?"
Uncle Wang's eyes lit up. He peered at the gearbox for a long time, then flipped through the blueprints in Su Qing's hand. He patted his chest and said, "Director Lin, if you trust me, I'll make the gear set! Our factory has forging equipment. I'll also work on the heat treatment process and guarantee that it will meet the requirements of the blueprints." With Uncle Wang's promise, the other technicians also expressed their willingness to cooperate with the modification.
That afternoon, Lin Chen divided his team into three groups: Uncle Wang led two technicians to forge and process gear sets; Su Qing was responsible for purchasing motors, sensors, and other accessories and calculating costs; and Lin Chen himself spearheaded the design of adaptation solutions for the conveyor belt and control system. The workshop immediately sprang into action. Uncle Wang and his team set up a new heating furnace in the forging area, and the red-hot steel billets gradually transformed into the prototypes of gears under the air hammer. Su Qing, meanwhile, rode her bicycle all over the hardware markets in Zhangcheng, comparing the parameters and prices of different brands of motors. Lin Chen, meanwhile, drew one drawing after another in his office, with the system constantly popping up optimization suggestions to help him refine the design.
The modification process proved far more difficult than anticipated. The first gear that Uncle Wang and his team forged only achieved a hardness of HRC50 due to improper temperature control during heat treatment, failing to meet the requirements. Looking at the scrapped gear, Uncle Wang squatted on the ground, smoking, his face grim. Lin Chen walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Uncle Wang, don't be discouraged. The heat treatment process for chromium-molybdenum alloys is inherently complex. Let's try water quenching and oil cooling. I've looked it up; this process can improve hardness." He pulled a yellowed "Handbook of Metal Heat Treatment" from his canvas bag, a copy he had borrowed from an old engineer during his time working in the countryside; it was filled with annotations.
Uncle Wang took the manual and carefully read the chapter on water quenching and oil cooling. His eyes gradually lit up. He immediately readjusted the furnace temperature, heating the forged gear to 860℃, then quickly immersing it in water to cool for 30 seconds, before transferring it to machine oil for slow cooling. After the gear cooled, a hardness tester showed HRC59, far exceeding the requirements. Uncle Wang was so excited his hands trembled. He ran to Lin Chen with the gear in his arms: "It's done! Director Lin, we succeeded!"
With the gear set issue resolved, compatibility with the control system became a problem. The control system interface sent by the research institute was incompatible with the machine tool's motor, and custom-making a new interface would delay things by three days. Lin Chen stared at the interface for a long time, then suddenly realized he could use an adapter board. He immediately drew up the design of the adapter board, had a technician fabricate it from brass plates, and then connected the control system and motor with wires. During the power-on test, everyone held their breath. When the motor rotated smoothly, precisely feeding the guide rail, thunderous applause erupted in the workshop.
Meanwhile, Su Qing also brought good news. Through her connections with Mr. Chen, a foreign trader, she purchased a batch of high-performance photoelectric sensors from Hong Kong at a price nearly half that of the domestic market, and they arrived in just three days. Once all the components were in place, Lin Chen led his team to assemble the production line: two modified lathes were placed side-by-side, connected by a conveyor belt. Photoelectric sensors were installed alongside the conveyor belt; when the workpiece reached the designated position, the sensor automatically sent a signal, and the lathe began processing. After processing, the conveyor belt would then transport the workpiece to the next process step.
After fifteen days and nights of hard work, the semi-automated production line was finally assembled. On the day it went into operation, the workshop was packed with people, including not only factory workers, but also village officials and representatives from Hongxing Village, and even the director of the Zhangcheng County Industrial Bureau came to visit. Lin Chen stood beside the production line, holding a plowshare blank in his hand, placed it on the conveyor belt, and pressed the start button.
The conveyor belt smoothly delivers the blank to the first lathe. A photoelectric sensor beeps, the lathe chuck automatically clamps the blank, and the cutting tool precisely cuts into the workpiece, sending metal shavings like snowflakes into the shaving tray. After machining, the conveyor belt transfers the workpiece to the second lathe for fine grinding. The entire process is seamless, requiring no human intervention. In just three minutes, a plowshare accessory with a smooth surface and precise dimensions is completed.
Director Zhang of the Industry Bureau stepped forward, picked up the finished part, and repeatedly measured it with calipers. A look of surprise appeared on his face: "The error is only 0.02 millimeters, even higher than the national standard! Director Lin, your production line is amazing!" He turned to his secretary and said, "Write a report when you get back, and promote Chenqing Hardware Factory's experience throughout the county!"
Zhao, the village secretary of Hongxing Village, clapped his hands excitedly: "Director Lin, I was truly blind to your talent before! With this production line, your factory will definitely grow bigger and bigger, and the young people of Hongxing Village will have a bright future!" The villagers also praised him. Grandpa Li held Uncle Wang's hand and said, "Old Wang, your craftsmanship is amazing! These gears are even better than those made by foreigners!"
The happiest people were the factory workers. The three technicians in charge of this production line, seeing that what used to require ten people could now be done easily by just the three of them, with significantly reduced workload, all wore smiles. Technician Xiao Li exclaimed, "Before, by the end of the day, my arms were so sore I couldn't even lift them. Now I just sit at the control panel and press a button. That's the power of technology!"
On its first day of operation, the semi-automated production line processed 800 plowshare parts, four times the output of the original manual production line. Even more surprisingly, the scrap rate dropped from 8% to 2%, saving nearly 100 yuan per day just from this reduction in scrap. That evening, after finishing the accounts, Su Qing took the reports to Lin Chen and excitedly said, "Director Lin, at this rate, we can complete our export orders half a month ahead of schedule! And with production costs reduced by 30%, profits will increase significantly!"
Lin Chen looked at the data on the report, but his mind was already planning for the future. He knew this was just the first step; to gain a foothold in the international market, they needed more advanced technology and equipment. He said to Su Qing, "We can't be content with the status quo. We need to seize this opportunity to develop more efficient production equipment. I want to set up a research and development team specifically responsible for technological innovation, with the expenses covered by profits."
Su Qing agreed without hesitation: "I support you. Technology is the foundation of our factory. Only by constantly innovating can we avoid being eliminated." As the two were talking, there was a knock at the workshop door. Uncle Wang walked in with a familiar figure—it was Zhou Jianguo, the factory director of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. He had heard that Chenqing Hardware Factory had developed a semi-automated production line, so he came here specifically to learn from their experience.
Zhou Jianguo shook Lin Chen's hand, deeply moved: "Lin, back when you were repairing the forging press with a homemade wrench at the steel rolling mill, I knew you were a technical genius. Now it seems I was right! Your production line is even more advanced than ours!" After touring the production line, he proposed a cooperation: "Our steel rolling mill currently needs a batch of high-precision roll parts. We used to source them from elsewhere, which was expensive and inconvenient. If you can produce them, we can have a long-term partnership."
This cooperation proposal delighted Lin Chen. The precision requirements for roll components were even higher than for plowshare components. Securing this order would not only improve the factory's technical capabilities but also open up the domestic heavy industry market. He immediately agreed: "Director Zhou, rest assured, we guarantee we can produce components that meet the requirements. Tomorrow I will take technicians to the steel mill to measure the parameters and develop a production plan."
Zhou Jianguo nodded in satisfaction, looking at the busy scene in the workshop and then at the slogan on the wall that read "Technology is the foundation, integrity is the basis," and said, "The little consultant back then has now become a big entrepreneur. It's truly a case of the younger generation surpassing the older one!" He immediately expressed his intention to organize technical personnel from the steel rolling mill to come to Chenqing Hardware Factory to learn, and also offered to share some technical information on steel rolling parts.
After seeing Zhou Jianguo off, Lin Chen and Su Qing went to the workshop's terrace. The city of Zhangcheng was dotted with lights in the night, and the machine tools in the new workshop were still running smoothly, emitting regular sounds. Lin Chen pointed to the lights in the distance and said, "Su Qing, look, our factory is like this light. Although it's not bright enough now, one day it will illuminate the entire industrial path of Zhangcheng."
Su Qing leaned against the railing, gazing at Lin Chen's profile with admiration in her eyes: "I believe in you. From the day we started the factory together, I knew you weren't someone who would settle for the status quo." She pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to Lin Chen. "This is my three-year plan. We'll first secure orders from the steel rolling mill, then develop auto parts, and strive to enter the international market within five years."
Lin Chen took the note; the handwriting was neat and clear, each goal clearly defined. He looked up at Su Qing, and the two smiled at each other. Moonlight shone on them, and also on the two brand-new production lines in the workshop, illuminating the road to precision manufacturing for Chenqing Hardware Factory. He knew that the success of the semi-automated production line was just the beginning; more challenges lay ahead, but as long as they worked hand in hand, relying on technology and integrity, no difficulty was insurmountable.
The next morning, Lin Chen led his technical team to the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. Accompanied by Zhou Jianguo, they carefully measured the parameters of the roll components and drew detailed blueprints. Upon returning, Lin Chen immediately convened a meeting of the R&D team to develop new material formulas and processing techniques to address the high hardness requirements of the roll components. The machines in the workshop roared to life again; this time, their target was a field of even higher precision and a broader market.