mtlumby2d Chapter 159 The Lathe Roars, Initial Plans for Threshing
Chapter 159 The Lathe Roars, Initial Plans for Threshing
When the truck carrying the precision lathe drove into the gates of Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory, the entire factory area erupted in excitement. Workers dropped what they were doing and gathered around, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation as they gazed at the massive machine, completely wrapped in a tarpaulin. Factory Director Zhou Ming, along with his logistics team, waited at the gate, his knuckles white from gripping the transfer order tightly—this precision lathe, made in West Germany and allocated from the regional agricultural machinery bureau, was the most expensive piece of equipment the factory had ever owned, and what Lin Chen called "the key to unlocking the door to precision manufacturing."
"Make way, be careful not to bump into anything!" Lin Chen directed the crane to lower the hook steadily. He was wearing faded work clothes, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his wrists, which were covered in grease but still showed clear muscles. Su Qing stood beside him, holding a pre-drawn equipment layout diagram in her hand, reminding the crane operator to adjust the angle from time to time: "Ten centimeters to the left, there's a reserved space for ventilation ducts over there." Sunlight slanted in through the skylight of the factory building, casting a soft glow on the stray hairs on her forehead. The dark circles under her eyes, caused by working on the harvester development for days, were now somewhat lighter under the glow of excitement.
As the tarpaulin was slowly lifted, revealing the metal body of the precision lathe, a gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd. This lathe was far more sophisticated than any of the factory's existing equipment; its silver-white body gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, and the pointers on the dial were as thin as hair, turning almost silently. Veteran technician Master Li stretched out his rough hand and gently stroked the lathe's guide rails, exclaiming, "To be able to use such a fine machine in my lifetime, it's all worth it!"
The installation and debugging took three full days. Lin Chen stayed almost constantly in the workshop, meticulously checking the installation accuracy of each component against the thick German instruction manual. Su Qing, on the other hand, was busy coordinating material procurement. Following Lin Chen's list, she obtained special materials such as high-carbon steel and alloy steel from the regional supply station and also had someone purchase precision measuring tools from Shanghai. On the morning of the fourth day, as the first rays of sunlight shone into the workshop, Lin Chen pressed the start button on the lathe. A deep hum sounded smoothly as the cutting tool sliced across the metal blank, and the cut iron filings curled and fell like ribbons. The precision gauge showed an error of less than 0.005 millimeters.
"It's done!" A thunderous cheer erupted in the workshop. Factory Director Zhou Ming excitedly grasped Lin Chen's hand, his voice trembling slightly: "With this lathe, our factory can produce high-precision parts, and we won't have to depend on others anymore!" Lin Chen didn't stop. He picked up the newly machined spring assembly and handed it to Su Qing: "This is the core component for the overload protection of the threshing machine. Let's start drawing the overall blueprints for the threshing machine now."
Developing a threshing machine was more challenging than developing a harvester. Lin Chen and his technical team spent their days in the workshop, dismantling old threshing machines salvaged from scrap yards and drawing blueprints in a makeshift drafting room at night. Su Qing was responsible for collecting farmers' needs. She traveled to more than a dozen villages around Zhangcheng with her notebook, recording farmers' complaints about the existing threshing methods: "Threshing with a flail is too tiring, it takes a whole day to thresh one acre of land," "The threshing is not clean, wasting too much grain," "The straw is tangled, and we still have to sort it manually."
"The farmers' core needs are efficiency, cleanliness, and labor-saving." Su Qing placed the compiled list of needs in front of Lin Chen, with key points circled in red. "Uncle Wang said it would be great if threshing and cleaning could be combined. Right now, after threshing, we still have to winnow the grain with a winnowing machine, which is another step." Lin Chen looked at the list and tapped his fingers lightly on the drawing: "We can design a combined structure, with threshing at the front, cleaning in the middle, and bagging at the back, completing it all in one stop."
This idea sparked a spark in the technical team, but it also brought new challenges. Wang Xiaohu frowned and said, "The modular structure is too complex. Power transmission is a major problem. It needs to drive the threshing drum, the cleaning fan, and control the bagging mechanism, which can easily interfere with each other." Lin Chen didn't answer directly but instead took out a sample of gears used in the previous development of the harvester: "We can use a transfer case to distribute the power. By adjusting the speed through gears with different numbers of teeth, we can ensure that each component reaches its optimal working condition."
The design of the transfer case became crucial to the research and development. Lin Chen, along with Wang Xiaohu and Master Li, repeatedly calculated the gear ratios and drew hundreds of sketches. Su Qing found a "Power Transmission Design Manual" in her father's old books, and the structural diagrams of the transfer case in it greatly inspired Lin Chen. "We can use a two-stage gear transmission. The first stage reduces speed and drives the threshing drum, while the second stage increases speed and drives the cleaning fan. This ensures both the torque of the threshing drum and the airflow of the cleaning fan," Lin Chen drew the structure of the transfer case on the blackboard. "The key is the precision of the gears; they must be machined on a precision lathe to reduce noise and wear."
Just as the thresher development was progressing smoothly, Zhao Hongliang from Hongxing Agricultural Implements Factory suddenly arrived at Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory with gifts. In the office, Zhao Hongliang placed a beautifully packaged box of tea on the table, an embarrassed smile on his face: "Director Lin, I was blind to your worth before. I've come to discuss cooperation." Lin Chen poured him a cup of tea and got straight to the point: "Director Zhao, you want to cooperate on the production of harvesters, right?"
Zhao Hongliang nodded quickly: "That's right, our factory has production capacity and sales channels, but we lack core technology. If we can cooperate with you, we'll be responsible for production and sales, and you'll provide technical support. We'll split the profits 50/50. What do you think?" Su Qing, who was taking notes, added at the right moment: "Our core technology is an overload protection device. We must provide the core components, and the product must be labeled with 'Chenqing Technical Support'."
Lin Chen pondered for a moment and then outlined his conditions: "Cooperation is possible, but with three requirements. First, all core components must be manufactured in our factory, and you will be responsible for assembly; second, product quality must meet our standards, and we will send technicians to the factory for supervision; third, we will charge a technology licensing fee of 50 yuan for every harvester sold." These conditions were more stringent than Zhao Hongliang had anticipated, but considering his factory's technological shortcomings, he gritted his teeth and agreed: "Okay, I'll report back to the factory and sign the cooperation agreement as soon as possible."
After seeing Zhao Hongliang off, Su Qing said with some worry, "Zhao Hongliang isn't very reliable. What if he tries to pull some tricks halfway through the cooperation?" Lin Chen smiled and shook his head, "He has no other choice now. Hongxing Agricultural Implements Factory has lost a lot of orders because of its poor performance in this competition. If it doesn't come up with a good product soon, it will be eliminated by the market. Besides, we control the production of core components, so even if he wants to play tricks, it won't work." He paused and continued, "More importantly, through cooperation, we can expand our market share and lay the foundation for the future promotion of threshers."
After the cooperation agreement was signed, Hongxing Agricultural Implements Factory quickly sent technicians to learn assembly techniques. Lin Chen personally taught them, explaining in detail the working principle and installation points of the overload protection device. Su Qing was responsible for formulating quality standards and compiled a thick "Harvester Quality Inspection Manual," which made detailed provisions from the dimensional tolerances of parts to the performance testing of the whole machine. With the cooperation of both parties, the first batch of harvesters produced through the cooperation quickly rolled off the production line, and after testing, all performance indicators met the design requirements.
Meanwhile, significant progress was made in the development of the threshing machine. After the sample of the transfer case was completed, Lin Chen led the technical team to conduct power transmission tests, and the results were excellent. The threshing drum rotated at a stable speed of 800 revolutions per minute, and the cleaning fan reached a speed of 15 meters per second, effectively separating grains and straw. However, in subsequent whole-machine testing, a new problem arose: the spikes on the threshing drum were prone to getting tangled in straw, leading to a decrease in threshing efficiency.
"This problem is similar to the straw tangling issue with the combine harvester. Could we solve it using a similar method?" Su Qing asked, looking at the straw tangled in the threshing teeth. Lin Chen's eyes lit up, and he immediately led a team to modify the threshing drum. They added rotating straw-removing plates between the threshing teeth. These plates rotated 10% faster than the drum, effectively removing the tangled straw. After testing, this improvement proved highly effective, completely solving the straw tangling problem.
After solving the problem of straw entanglement, the cleaning effect became a new challenge. During testing, it was discovered that some small grains were being discharged along with the straw, causing waste. Master Li squatted beside the cleaning mechanism, manipulating the screen with his hand: "The screen's aperture is too large; small grains are passing through. If we make the aperture smaller, it's prone to clogging." Lin Chen carefully observed the cleaning process and suddenly thought of a solution: "We can use a double-layered screen. The upper screen has a larger aperture to filter out straw and large impurities; the lower screen has a smaller aperture to trap the grains. We can also add a vibrating device between the two screens to prevent clogging."
The double-layer screen solution was quickly implemented. Lin Chen and his workers manufactured new screens and designed an eccentric wheel vibration device, powered by a transfer case. When the modified threshing machine was tested again, the cleaning effect was significantly improved, with the grain loss rate dropping from 5% to below 1%. Uncle Wang brought his own wheat to test it, and watching the clean, plump grains flow from the bag opening, he excitedly said, "This machine is amazing! Threshing an acre of wheat yields more than ten kilograms compared to threshing with a flail!"
The development of the thresher was nearing completion, but Lin Chen remained vigilant. He knew that a good agricultural machine needed not only superior performance but also durability and ease of maintenance. To this end, he led his technical team to optimize every component of the thresher: making the easily damaged spikes detachable for easy replacement; adding dust covers to critical bearings to extend their lifespan; and reserving maintenance windows on the side of the machine for easy inspection. Meanwhile, Su Qing was busy calculating costs and developing a pricing strategy. She calculated that the production cost of each thresher was approximately 800 yuan. Referring to the prices of similar products on the market, a price of 1200 yuan would be appropriate, ensuring both profit and affordability for farmers.
Just as the prototype of the thresher was about to be assembled, Director Zhang from the local agricultural bureau suddenly came to inspect the factory. Seeing the thresher being tested, Director Zhang asked with great interest, "What are the advantages of this thresher compared to others on the market?" Lin Chen personally demonstrated and explained, "This thresher has a modular structure, integrating threshing, cleaning, and bagging. It can process wheat from five acres of land per hour, and it has a low grain loss rate and is not prone to malfunctions."
Director Zhang looked at the clean grains flowing from the bag and nodded with satisfaction: "Rural areas are currently lacking this kind of efficient and practical agricultural machinery. Your threshing machine has great potential for promotion. There's an agricultural production materials exhibition and sales fair in the region next month, you must bring a sample machine to participate, and our agricultural bureau will help you promote it." This news excited everyone. Factory Director Zhou Ming quickly said, "Thank you, Director Zhang! We will definitely prepare well and strive for good results at the exhibition and sales fair."
To ensure a better performance at the trade fair, Lin Chen and Su Qing led their team to make final optimizations to the threshing machine. They painted the machine with eye-catching red paint and printed the words "Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory" and "Chenqing Technology" on it; Su Qing produced a beautifully designed brochure that detailed the threshing machine's performance parameters, usage methods, and maintenance knowledge; Lin Chen trained specialized demonstrators to ensure they could skillfully operate and demonstrate the machine at the trade fair.
On the opening day of the trade fair, the booth of Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory was bustling with people. Lin Chen and his team demonstrated the threshing machine. Golden wheat entered through the feed inlet, and after threshing and cleaning, the clean grains flowed smoothly into the bags, the whole process eliciting gasps of amazement. Many farmers gathered around the booth, inquiring about the price and performance of the threshing machine. Uncle Wang even took the initiative to become a "promoter," sharing his experience using the threshing machine: "This machine is really useful; it can do the work of more than ten people in an hour, and it saves grain. I've already ordered one!"
On the first day of the trade fair, Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory received an order for 50 threshers. Zhao Hongliang also brought people from Hongxing Agricultural Implements Factory to the booth. Seeing the overwhelming demand for the threshers, he exclaimed, "Director Lin, I'm truly impressed. Your R&D capabilities are amazing. If there are any new R&D projects in the future, we'd like to cooperate with you again." Lin Chen smiled and said, "Cooperation is a win-win situation. As long as it benefits agricultural production, we're willing to cooperate."
After the trade fair ended, orders for threshers poured in, putting immense pressure on the factory's production. Factory manager Zhou Ming convened a production meeting, his face etched with worry. "Our orders are already booked for three months ahead," he said. "Our production capacity simply can't keep up. If we can't deliver on time, it will damage the factory's reputation." Lin Chen proposed a solution: "We can expand production, hire new workers, and outsource some simple parts processing to nearby small workshops. This will both increase production capacity and stimulate the local economy."
The plan was unanimously approved. Su Qing was in charge of recruiting and training new workers. She developed a detailed training plan, systematically arranging everything from basic mechanical knowledge to specific operational skills. Lin Chen was responsible for screening outsourced workshops, rigorously assessing their production capacity and quality control to ensure the quality of outsourced parts. With everyone's joint efforts, the factory's production capacity quickly doubled, enabling them not only to complete orders on time but also to maintain a certain level of inventory.
With the widespread adoption of threshers, Zhangcheng Agricultural Implements Factory's reputation grew. A local television station came to the factory to film a special report, and Lin Chen, as the technical director, was interviewed. On camera, holding thresher parts, Lin Chen explained to the audience, "Our initial intention in developing agricultural machinery was to help farmers save labor and increase their income. In the future, we will continue to develop more agricultural machinery products suitable for rural areas, contributing our strength to agricultural production." Su Qing stood in the crowd, looking at the confident and composed Lin Chen on camera, her eyes filled with pride.
That evening, Lin Chen and Su Qing sat in a corner of the workshop, watching the workers toiling away, a smile of satisfaction on their faces. Su Qing handed Lin Chen a bottle of water: "We did it! The harvesters and threshers have gained market acceptance." Lin Chen took a sip of water, gazing at the starry sky outside the window: "This is just the beginning. Next, we can develop seeders and rice transplanters, forming a complete agricultural machinery product line." He turned to Su Qing, looking into her eyes, and said earnestly, "Su Qing, thank you. Without your support, I couldn't have completed these developments."
A blush rose on Su Qing's cheeks. She lowered her head and said softly, "We are partners, and also comrades-in-arms."