Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 530 Factory Expert Meeting
Hao Fengchun sighed, "It's not that I don't want to help you, but if we divert our energy here and it really delays the preview, it will affect the overall situation of the entire factory. Tell me, is this risk worth it?"

Chen Luyang quickly stepped forward: "Hey~ just make a sample piece, it won't delay the main production line~"

"I promise I won't rush the time or the materials. I'll find the workers. You just need to turn a blind eye."

Hao Fengchun's expression remained troubled: "...If this matter really causes a big commotion, people will definitely say that we, the 'workshop director, are up to no good.' If the leaders question us about it, we won't look good at all."

Chen Luyang immediately patted his chest and said, "If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility! Just say it's my personal experiment and has nothing to do with the workers or the workshop."

Regardless, this part is for the factory's cars, not for anyone else.

Even when the factory manager scolds people, Chen Luyang remains righteous and defiant!
Hao Fengchun stared at him for a long time before saying helplessly, "You're really stubborn... Fine, I'll play one."

"But just testing the results doesn't count as a task in the workshop."

Chen Luyang chuckled and reached out to shake his hand with a "slap":

"Deal! Uncle Hao, I knew you were the one who understood!"

Hao Fengchun gave him a disgruntled look and stuffed the blueprints into his pocket.

"Alright, let's get going. Don't linger here. I'll be in trouble if someone sees us."

Chen Luyang felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and happily followed Hao Fengchun outside.

The roar of the machine tools in the workshop grew louder and louder, and the workers were all busy with their own things, no one paying attention to the little thing happening here.

As Chen Luyang was thinking about how to arrange manpower next, she saw a familiar face in the distance.

"Hey, isn't this Director Yue?"

Upon seeing the person approaching, Zhang Guoqiang immediately put on a smile and quickly went to greet him.

Director Yue, also with a smile, nodded in greeting:

"Guoqiang, long time no see! I heard you've been doing exceptionally well in Pian'er City these past six months. You're really capable!"

"Hey, it's all the same no matter where you do it. I don't have any special skills, just this little bit of expertise!" Zhang Guoqiang grinned, revealing a simple and honest smile.

"Director, you're still in great shape, and your complexion is even rosier than before!"

Director Yue smiled and waved his hand: "It's not working out anymore. My heart has been acting up lately, and it keeps throbbing when I don't sleep well."

Zhang Guoqiang said with concern, "Then you'll have to be careful and not overwork yourself."

Director Yue sighed, "Yes, as you get older, all sorts of illnesses start to appear. You have to be careful. How have you been feeling lately?"

Zhang Guoqiang chuckled and said, "My life is a bit rough, but it's pretty good..."

The two talked back and forth, their tone intimate, their lips almost touching.

Chen Luyang, who was standing next to him, was stunned.

Good guy...

So, this is a case of letting bygones be bygones?
Last year, these two almost got into a fight over the second quarter's performance evaluation, swinging chairs and nearly ending up in the factory manager's office.

Why do they look like brothers now?

From the moment we met until now, there has been no heated exchange of words, not even a spark of passion has been generated.

"Hey, Director Yue." Zhang Guoqiang scratched his head, his voice carrying a hint of honesty.
"I'll need your help with any work I need in the future."

Director Yue smiled with narrowed eyes: "Sure, we're all old colleagues, let's help each other out."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Director Yue and Zhang Guoqiang waved goodbye to each other.

Chen Luyang said in surprise, "Wow, Uncle Zhang, I was so afraid you'd get into a fight, but I didn't expect you two to have such a good chat."

Zhang Guoqiang said with a smile, "We've already done everything we were supposed to do back then, and there's nothing left to do now."

"Besides, looking back, I'm actually quite grateful to him."

Looking at Chen Luyang's puzzled expression.

Zhang Guoqiang laughed and said, "If it weren't for fighting with him, I wouldn't have had the chance to go to Pian'er City and meet such a group of brothers."

Chen Luyang laughed: "Then according to you, I should also thank him. If it weren't for Director Yue, I wouldn't have such a good mentor."

Zhang Guoqiang chuckled and said, "What's so great about it? It's all the same, just trying to make a living."

……

As Chen Luyang handed a document to the factory director's secretary...

Wang Qingzhou immediately approved the document and circulated the materials to the workshop directors, engineers, and technical experts of each car manufacturer.

Soon, the contents of the materials caused an uproar in the factory, like pebbles thrown into water.

Currently, car sales are climbing steadily, and with the upcoming import and export preview, everyone is still focused on "opening up the market with our products" and is full of enthusiasm for developing the fourth generation of new cars.
But who would have thought that the materials would point directly to two major weaknesses: oil leaks from the oil hoses and damage caused by overloaded trucks.

For a time, everyone in the factory was both tense and cautious.

Just as the car was gaining recognition, these two major problems have now surfaced.

If this issue isn't resolved promptly, it could very well ruin the entire factory's reputation.

After the materials were circulated, a meeting on automobile issues and development was announced on a sunny morning!

In the factory conference room,
The room was filled with rows of wooden chairs, and on the table were enamel mugs, manuscript paper, and several thick volumes of documents.

Wang Qingzhou sat in the center, his expression solemn, with Yu Anshan, the deputy factory director in charge of automobiles, sitting next to him.

Hao Fengchun, Cao Qinghang, and Huang Jianshan, the assembly workshop director, sat on one side of the long table, with several engineers and technical experts squeezed in beside them.

Chen Luyang sat in the middle of the group, holding a thick stack of documents.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Wang Qingzhou looked around the room and spoke in a deep voice:
"Today's meeting is mainly to listen to and discuss the oil leakage and load-bearing problems of the oil hoses that have been exposed in the recent use of Jinba cars, and to brainstorm a solution."

"Xiao Chen, please tell me what's going on."

Chen Luyang immediately opened the materials in her hand and got straight to the point:

"Distinguished leaders, last year when our Pian'ercheng Repair Center was maintaining Jinba cars, we collected a lot of first-hand data, discovered some common problems, and came up with some solutions. Here, we would like to report to you all."

He paused, then continued, "First of all, there's the problem with the oil line hoses. Many of the repair shops' returns weren't due to quality issues with the hoses themselves, but rather because the locally refined light oil had excessively high impurity content, which seeped into the pipe walls, causing bubbling, oil leakage, and ultimately clogging the oil line."

"I suggest adding an anti-impurity coating to the inner layer of the oil pipe, and adding a pre-filter device at the front end of the oil filter system. This will not only intercept impurities in advance, but also extend the life of the hose and reduce the repair rate."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hao Fengchun frowned and said in a low voice, "Let me tell you the truth first, this plan is quite difficult to manufacture." "The new coating layer must be made of composite materials, but once the thickness of the composite layer is increased, the flexibility of the oil pipe at low temperatures will decrease."

"In the frigid regions of Northeast and Northwest China, where temperatures can drop to minus thirty degrees Celsius, if a hose is as stiff as a stick, it will crack at the bend."

"At that time, it wasn't just a matter of oil leakage; the entire oil line could freeze and break, leaving the car stranded!"

Huang Jianshan, the assembly workshop director, also pondered the matter and interjected, "A dual oil filter system means both increased costs and greater complexity in the supporting systems. Higher costs mean a complete overhaul of the supply chain, which carries significant risks."

"The oil products in Pian'ercheng are, after all, an isolated case."

"If the oil quality is poor in some areas, does that mean all the cars in the factory should be modified? That would involve far too many issues."

"You can't say that!" Yu Anshan gently shook his head.

"The cars are sold nationwide, but the reputation of bad cars also spreads nationwide."

"Today the problem was found at the repair shop in Pian'er City, what about somewhere else tomorrow?"

"If this escalates into a systemic problem, it will ruin the reputation of our entire factory!"

There was a brief commotion in the room.

Before Chen Luyang could speak, a technician objectively said:

"Putting aside everything else, the development of rubber materials is a major problem."

Instantly, Chen Luyang's face turned completely red, and he was choked on the spot, unable to utter a single word.

A few days ago, when the factory was testing the equipment, it was the rubber workshop's equipment that held us back.

No matter how advanced your technology becomes, the quality of raw materials is always the top priority.

To put it bluntly, you haven't even sorted out your own things yet, so what's the point of talking about other things?
Chen Luyang said calmly, "I admit that rubber components are indeed a current weakness, and no one can get around it."

"But that's precisely why we need to consider things in advance at the design level to reduce risks. Material issues take time to overcome, but users can't wait, and neither can the factory's reputation."

"For material development, I can lead the rubber workshop to explore first; if there are difficulties in the process, I am also willing to try it together with the design and assembly teams. If we succeed, the factory will get less criticism."

"But doing nothing is truly irresponsible."

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Cao Qinghang's eyes.

"I think Xiao Chen is right. Even if we fail, it's better than standing still and waiting to be scolded!"

Wang Qingzhou, who hadn't said a word until now, finally looked up and glanced at Chen Luyang.

That gaze held both scrutiny and a hint of satisfaction.

He gently placed the teacup on the table, his voice steady yet silencing the entire room.
"For the automobile industry to develop, we cannot be afraid of making mistakes or failing."

Wang Qingzhou paused, then slowly scanned the entire room. "If we really don't even dare to try, and just wait for the problems to pile up day by day, and wait for the market to teach us a lesson? That would be truly shameful!"

Hao Fengchun finally spoke, sighing, "Alright, let's give it a try."

"However, let me make this clear from the start: if the new material's flexibility is not up to par, and a car malfunctions in cold regions, the consequences could be dire."

Yu Anshan made the decision: "Then let's set up a technological innovation project and make a separate sample."

"Xiao Chen, you organize people in the rubber workshop to test the materials first. Lao Huang and Lao Hao, you send people to follow up on the design and final assembly."

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased somewhat, Wang Qingzhou nodded and decisively concluded: "Okay! This clause is settled."

"The rubber workshop took the lead, with design and final assembly teams working together to produce a prototype first."

"Xiao Chen, please continue with the remaining issue of the car's load-bearing capacity."

Then, Chen Luyang turned to the second page: "Second point: overloading of small trucks. Many users are using Jinba small trucks as five-ton trucks, causing the rear axle and shock absorbers to be overloaded for a long time, resulting in a high repair rate."

"It is recommended that the factory introduce a load limit reminder mechanism and include warnings in the vehicle's instruction manual and on a metal nameplate when it leaves the factory. If conditions permit in the future, structural upgrades can be considered."

"Yes!" Huang Jianshan, the assembly workshop foreman, nodded immediately and said in a gruff voice, "This needs to be done right away!"

"The load-bearing capacity is the Achilles' heel of small trucks. They are designed for short-distance urban delivery and can carry three tons without any problem. But if you force them to run long distances like five-ton trucks, it's like making them work overtime every day. The rear axle and leaf springs will eventually break down."

"That's not something a repair shop can fix; a whole batch needing to be reworked would be a real disaster!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several voices of agreement rang out in the conference room.

Soon, a technician wearing glasses hesitated and said, "Putting on signs is simple, but I'm afraid it might have the opposite effect."

“When users see that ‘weight limit of three tons’ is clearly written on our vehicle, they immediately become suspicious of the car’s capabilities. If they think the car is ‘too fragile,’ they will actually push the car towards the competitors.”

He paused, then added, "The market is booming right now, with orders coming in one after another. If a nameplate deters customers, all the hard work we've put in could be ruined."

"Sales volume is not the only factor, but the factory depends on it for its livelihood."

This is their biggest concern: right now is a crucial time for the car company to build its reputation, and even losing a single order will have a certain impact on the factory's development; but if they don't warn the factory, the more broken cars there are, the faster their reputation will collapse.

Chen Luyang immediately chimed in, her tone tinged with urgency: "This can't be called 'persuading someone to quit,' it's called laying out the unpleasant truths upfront."

"The design load capacity of a small truck is three tons. If you make it carry five tons, even if it can run for a while, it will eventually fall apart."

"If something goes wrong, it's not just a matter of a broken car; it could also cost lives. At that point, the factory will suffer not only repair bills, but its entire reputation!"

The room fell silent for a few seconds after he said that.

While growth and sales volume are important, safety and reputation are even more important.

The technician frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "The reminder can be done immediately, but the structural upgrade will have to be done gradually. Replacing the rear axle and leaf springs completely will require changing the entire procurement and production scheduling system, which cannot be done in a short time."

Hao Fengchun sighed: "So the first step is to do a good job of warning users, at least to let them know where the risks are. If we really need to change the structure, that's a task for the next stage."

Yu Anshan nodded and said, "Yes, load limit warnings must be implemented first, and structural component upgrades can be evaluated later. We need to prioritize them."

Wang Qingzhou had remained silent until now, when he gently pressed down with his hand, stabilizing the scene that was still filled with hushed discussions.

"Our small trucks are one of our factory's signature products, and we can't let the problem escalate just for the sake of sales. Load limit warnings are a must; it's about being responsible to our customers and to our factory."

"As for the market reaction, we also need to find a way to explain it clearly. Every car has its limits, and we can't let the reputation of the car be completely ruined just because we're afraid of losing a few orders."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed the lid of the enamel mug onto the table with a clang, as if stamping the issue with his seal.

With the first two problems solved, the only remaining issue is the third.

Chen Luyang continued, "Finally, I suggest that the factory pay attention to the data from the repair shop."

(End of this chapter)