I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 30 The Arduous Casting

After three days of intensive production testing.

Chen Changzai was now certain that although his design was rudimentary, it was effective, and the semi-automatic bullet production line was now running without any problems.

At least there aren't any major problems anymore.

However, it's inevitable that some minor problems will occur from time to time.

How could mechanical equipment possibly never have problems?

People also catch a cold or fever from time to time.

Not to mention mechanical equipment.

Especially the machinery and equipment produced under the current conditions.

Once the workers and technicians at the machinery manufacturing plant have completed one production line, they become very skilled at manufacturing the second one.

By this time, it had been twenty days since the production line began construction.

All production plans were completed exactly according to the schedule provided by Chen Changzai.

The overall production cycle of the production line is a little over fourteen days.

The installation, commissioning, and full-load testing time is five days.

This is entirely within the scope of the production plan.

This shows that Chen Changzai did not make any major mistakes in the overall production scheduling.

The current production line can produce an average of 25 to 30 bullets per minute.

Of course, this figure cannot be compared with the production efficiency of later generations.

It can't even compare to the current production efficiency of Germany, the United States, and Japan.

There are many reasons for this.

In terms of the equipment itself, steam-powered equipment is indeed incomparable to electric-powered equipment.

The reaction time is on a completely different level.

Secondly, the production line currently uses single-punch presses.

Therefore, it is not even in the same league as the bullet production lines of those industrialized countries.

Another point is that the people currently operating these punch presses and lathes have not yet reached the point of being proficient through practice.

Even if it's a little slower, it's acceptable on this kind of equipment.

But you absolutely must not panic.

A moment of carelessness or panic.

If it's that minor, it might just mean you're missing a finger segment.

If it's too heavy, one hand might be ruined.

There's a saying that goes, "A person who is missing either their thumb or index finger is either a carpenter or a stamping worker."

"He's missing several fingers; he either works with combine harvesters or wood saws."

These folk sayings and experiences often most vividly illustrate the dangers of engaging in industry.

So no matter what industry you're in, if you don't want to get injured or die a violent death...

Therefore, we must maintain awe of the power of industry and worship safety rules.

After Chen Chang finished explaining the production plan for the second production line,

He left the machine shop and went to the smelting and foundry.

The preliminary preparations here are still underway.

But regardless of whether it's a casting sandbox for small parts.

The pits for the three main beams of the casting and forging press are already prepared.

The so-called three-beam four-column forging press.

That is to say, this forging press has three main beams and four columns.

The three beams of the forging press are: the ground beam, which serves as the base foundation.

It is the largest and heaviest of the three beams.

The second is the top beam of the forging press, also called the top beam.

Its weight ranks second.

The third is the sliding beam in the middle of the forging press, which can slide up and down; it is also called a slider.

It is the lightest of the three beams.

The term "lightest" refers to its weight compared to the other two beams, not that this beam is not heavy.

The Four Pillars, as the name suggests, are four pillars.

The technical requirements for these four pillars are extremely high.

They require absolute straightness.

The surface must be free of any defects.

Because these four pillars serve a purpose beyond just providing support.

They are still four directional guide rails.

Without their orientation, the up-and-down movement of the forging hammer would be biased.

That could easily render a forging press unusable.

To obtain a forging press, casting is an indispensable method.

Casting looks simple; it's just a matter of pouring molten steel into a mold.

However, few people know that casting is one of the most experience- and skill-intensive jobs in industrial machining.

It is also the most dangerous.

Casting machine parts.

The larger the casting, the more experience and superb skills are required.

Because of its inherent danger, it also increases exponentially.

To cast this forging press.

Almost all the most skilled and experienced foundry masters in the entire army gathered together.

Meanwhile, the technicians in the metallurgical laboratory were brainstorming with the experienced craftsmen to discuss the methods and processes for casting these three large machines.

The arsenal where Chen Changzai worked in later generations also had blast furnaces and steel furnaces.

There is also a foundry.

However, his knowledge of these devices was limited to what he knew.

He only knew the general process of casting.

He wasn't a professional foundry master after all.

He couldn't possibly know that the foundry industry has many unique and ingenious tricks and methods for casting.

Those were the essential resources the master chefs used to make a living. When Chen Changzai arrived at a large cave dwelling where a technical meeting was being held...

A dozen foundry masters and technicians are still finalizing the foundry plan.

For the past twenty-odd days, these people have only talked about one thing: the casting plan.

After Chen Changzai joined the discussion of the entire casting team.

Master Zhang, the casting master with the most casting experience and the oldest age, is also the chief leader of this casting task.

He said to Chen Changzai, "Director Chen, this time we're going to forge a huge piece of equipment."

No one had ever cast one before.

These three large components, the largest of which is the base beam, weighs fourteen tons.

That main beam also weighs eleven tons.

Even the lightest slide beam weighs six and a half tons.

It is extremely difficult to pour so much molten steel in at once.

Because our original steel frying tanks could only produce a maximum of one ton of steel.

This won't work.

Moreover, your requirement, factory manager, is that these components must be cast in molten steel.

So we rebuilt nine steel frying pools, each with a capacity of two tons, which require machines to operate and fry the steel bars.

These nine pools, and the blast furnaces that are paired with them.

Whether it's a blast furnace or a steelmaking pool.

They all used clay sourced from the same place and kiln bricks fired in the same furnace.

Steel coke produced from the same batch of coal.

Even the lime comes from the same place.

This allows us to maintain the consistency of the molten steel as much as possible.

At this point, Master Zhang stopped, because Chen Changzai handed him a cigarette he had rolled himself and lit it for him.

After lighting one himself, he had his student distribute the remaining cigarettes from the pack to the other chefs.

Then he said to Master Zhang, "Master Zhang, please continue."

After taking a puff of his cigarette, Master Zhang continued, "We've been studying this several times recently."

Everyone believed that casting directly from a bag of molten steel was too risky.

That would be too dangerous.

Molten steel weighing over ten tons.

Even on a railcar, the slightest carelessness could cause the ladle to tip over.

That would be a major disaster.

If molten steel at over 1,000 degrees Celsius were to fall on a person, they would instantly turn to ashes, leaving no trace of their body.

Even a single speck of molten steel hitting you would cause your skin to pierce and your flesh to rot.

Therefore, we believe that three ladles should be used to cast the casting simultaneously from three different inlets.

In this way, the casting cavity can be filled in the shortest possible time.

This should be the best in terms of both casting speed and safety.

Especially now, we still can't make a ladle that can hold fifteen tons of molten steel, with a mouth diameter of nearly two meters.

That's very difficult for us right now.

Even if it were managed to be done, it would be extremely dangerous.

However, we are confident in handling steel ladles that are over a meter long and have a capacity of five tons.

After hearing what Master Zhang had to say, Chen Changzai nodded and said, "Master Zhang, I fully respect and agree with your opinions."

I also believe that your method is the best and safest.

Master Zhang, you just need to stick to one principle.

That is, if the molten steel is wasted and the mold is ruined, then they are nothing but inanimate objects.

Those things just caused us some trouble.

However, none of us here must be harmed in any way.

If something is lost, you can get it again.

When a person is gone, they are truly gone.

Nobody knows if we'll be able to be together again in our next life, casting steel and iron together.

Therefore, we would rather be slower and put in more effort, but we must ensure the 100% safety of our personnel.

I visited the casting site before coming here.

The blast furnaces, steelmaking pits, and material transport tracks there are still under construction.

None of this matters.

Although I estimated the total construction period to be two months.

But that was because I underestimated the difficulty of casting; that was my problem.

Although I have been here twice in the past few days, I still seriously underestimated our difficulties.

Master Zhang, as the chief leader of this casting task, we will all listen to you.

I'm included too.

I don't know much about casting, but as the factory manager, I'm quite good at taking responsibility.

So, Master Zhang, you can do the casting work this time, but I'll take responsibility.

Master Zhang, and all the other masters.

You don't need to feel any pressure.

If we fail to cast this time, we'll just have to start over.

But as I said before, no matter what, I insist that people's safety is absolutely the top priority.

Masters, do you all understand now?

As soon as Chen Changzai finished speaking, everyone cheered.

At this moment, Master Zhang's gaze toward Chen Changzai was firm, as if it were a piece of finely cast steel.

What is the thing you fear most when you're working?
That's when something went wrong while they were working hard with their heads down.

The person directing the direction pushed all the blame onto the people doing the work.

This is the most unbearable thing.

Now that Chen Changzai is telling them directly that people's safety is the top priority, they can do the work, and Chen Changzai will take responsibility, who would have any psychological burden after that?

　Thank you to all my friends who have supported me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)