Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 532 Xiang Guowu Comes to the Door

Chen Luyang quickly wrote down Hao Fengchun's opinion.

Before he finished writing, Cao Qinghang spoke up:

"Regarding the spark plugs you make, I see that the cone size error in the design is within ±0.2mm, but I suggest optimizing it to ±0.1mm, so that it can be adapted to more types of cylinder heads."

Immediately afterwards, the technician sitting to the side also came over and said:
"I think the wall thickness of your nozzle is a bit too large, which can easily affect the direction of fuel atomization and result in an uneven fuel jet. It would be best to make some adjustments to the cross-sectional angle so that the atomization will be more complete."

Huang Jianshan coughed softly and offered his opinion: "I suggest adding a 'double-layer ladder limiting groove' to the hose gasket to prevent deformation under long-term compression, which can easily lead to leakage. This is especially noticeable on trucks."

Good guy...

As Chen Luyang wrote furiously, his eyes shone even brighter.

The people at this table were all talking at once, and every word they said was full of valuable insights.

He knew in his heart that these were not just casual chatter, but real insights accumulated over decades of experience!

Behind every proposed change lies countless workshop tests, troubleshooting, and scrapped samples.

"Tightening the spark plug precision will stabilize the engine's ignition efficiency."

"By thickening the nozzle wall, we can save fuel consumption and optimize atomization direction."

"An extra limiting groove on the hose gasket can reduce leakage problems by half."

If these words were spoken outside, no matter how many people invited you to dinner or pulled strings, you might not hear them.

As Chen Luyang wrote, she gritted her teeth and sighed inwardly:

If only we could bring Zhang Nan over here!

That kid has a talent for drawing blueprints, but he's still a student.

If I could spend half a month in such an environment with a group of veteran experts and key personnel,

Even without speaking, you can learn things that are not in books just by watching and listening.

Wang Qingzhou sat beside him, watching Chen Luyang communicate with the factory's technicians with a relaxed and gentle expression.

The young man leaned slightly forward, his pen never stopping, as if he wanted to write down every word everyone had said.

Instantly, a warm feeling welled up in my heart.

The machinery factory has successors.

Wang Qingzhou felt slightly relieved.

What the factory needs most right now are young people like this who are willing to learn and work hard.

But no matter how much you try to comfort them, the factory manager's time is still time.

Seeing Wang Qingzhou glance down at his watch, Yu Anshan immediately spoke up, stopping Chen Luyang from asking any more questions.

"Alright, Xiao Chen, that's all for today's lesson. If you have any other questions, ask them privately."

The meeting has now come to an end.

Everyone stood up, and the chair legs creaked on the cement floor.

Wang Qingzhou took the lead in standing up, and everyone else followed suit.

He looked up and saw Cao Qinghang, and casually asked, "Little Cao, I heard you drank yourself into the hospital a few days ago?"

Cao Qinghang laughed and said, "I wasn't feeling well for a few days. I had just drunk some alcohol, so I fell ill. I went to the hospital for a rest, and I'm fine now."

As Wang Qingzhou walked out, he spoke leisurely:
"You can't take your health for granted just because you're young."

"When I was young, I didn't take care of myself, and as a result, I developed a lot of health problems. I only realized how much I had to suffer when I got old."

He paused, then added, "Your body isn't very strong to begin with, and if you have a few troublesome people around you who annoy you, it'll be even more unbearable."

After he finished speaking, he deliberately turned around and glanced at Chen Luyang.

Chen Luyang was stunned for a moment, then blinked: ? ? ?

Why are you looking at me? When have I ever been angry with you?
Wang Qingzhou didn't give him time to think, and gently advised, "Xiao Chen, don't just focus on your own little plot of land."

"The import and export preview is the most important thing for our factory, so you need to pay more attention to it."

Chen Luyang immediately composed himself, straightened his back, and solemnly declared, "I guarantee to complete the mission!"

…………

This meeting is going on.

Hmm~ how should I put it?

It's really upsetting!

Chen Luyang looked down at her work notebook, which was covered with scribbles and notes.

But as you go through them one by one, they become more and more awkward.

This is really weird...

Whether it's a bulging and leaking oil hose or excessive rubber hardness deviation during new vehicle testing, the main problem points to the rubber workshop under their jurisdiction.

That's why the factory director and deputy factory director treated me quite well and didn't say anything.

If it were any other workshop director, they would probably have been called up and made to stand during a meeting.

But there is no way.

The rubber workshop was already a weak point in the factory.

Not to mention that it was almost merged back then, the fact that it was kept was the result of the leaders weighing the pros and cons to give Chen Luyang a platform.

Although in the past two years, thanks to Chen Luyang's efforts, the rubber workshop has secured raw materials, solved the vulcanizing agent problem, and expanded its workforce considerably.

However, the gap in materials and technology still exists objectively.

To suppress the problem, there are only two paths:

Alternatively, continue to seek external support. Whether it's from the city or the ministry, seize every opportunity to request new equipment and new processes;

Alternatively, they could unite the factory's limited resources, develop their own stable experience, and gradually address their current shortcomings.

The second "either" is always slower than the first "either".

"Isn't Xiang Guowu researching recycled rubber technology at the rubber factory?"

"How's his research going?!"

Chen Luyang frowned and tapped her fingers on the notebook.

To be honest, Xiang Guowu has indeed been away from the factory for too long.

As the director, he did indeed have shortcomings in team management.

If Xiang Guowu doesn't come back soon, he'll have to go to the rubber factory, both for his own sake and his personal reasons.

Coincidentally,

That evening, not long after Chen Luyang finished dinner, there was a knock on the door of the Chen family's courtyard.

"Who?"

Chen Luyang ran out of the main room wearing a cotton-padded coat.

As soon as the door opened, Xiang Guowu stood somewhat reservedly in the doorway.
Upon seeing Chen Luyang, Xiang Guowu grinned, his voice carrying a hint of both unfamiliarity and familiarity.
"Director, I've come to report to you." Chen Luyang was thinking about Xiang Guowu, and when she saw him coming, she immediately put her arm around his shoulder and invited him into the house.

"Hey! Brother Xiang, come in quickly!"

Xiang Guowu, with his honest and simple manner, was led into the main room by Chen Luyang. After greeting Chen's parents and the rest of the family,

Xiang Guowu followed Chen Luyang into the inner room, closed the door, and said:
"Director, my wife told me you visited me at my house, but I was busy with rubber production those days and wasn't home, so we missed each other."

Chen Luyang said happily, "I didn't come to see you for anything. I just came back from Pian'er City and brought some things for my sister-in-law, but you weren't home, so I didn't deliver them."

As he spoke, Chen Luyang handed the things he had prepared to Xiang Guowu.

"Director, how can I accept your things!"

Xiang Guowu quickly declined, but Chen Luyang was too forceful and stuffed the things into his arms.

"Isn't it too formal to say that?"

Chen Luyang laughed and said, "You've been working at the rubber factory for over a year, busy day and night with technical work. As the director, I haven't paid much attention to you."

"Besides, we're brothers from the same workshop, it's just a small thing, no need to be so polite!"

"Director, I really..." Xiang Guowu opened his mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't accept the gift from Chen Luyang, but if he really refused, it would seem like they were getting too distant.

I remembered what my wife had told me before I left:

"When you go back and see Director Chen, you can't be as naive as before. If he gives you anything, just accept it; it's a token of his appreciation."

Xiang Guowu scratched his head and gave a simple, honest smile: "Then... I'll accept it. Thank you, Director Chen."

Chen Luyang laughed and said, "No need for thanks, you're just being too polite."

He changed the subject, his eyes lighting up: "By the way, Brother Xiang, how's your research on recycled rubber going?"

The mere mention of rubber energized Xiang Guowu, and his eyes lit up.

"Director, the research on recycled rubber has now reached a relatively stable stage."

"At first, we would crush the old tires and mix them with new materials, but the strength was not high enough, and they would break if pulled."

"Later we changed the process, using chemical pyrolysis and secondary sulfurization to straighten the molecular chains again, making them 30% more uniform than before."

"The resulting material has significantly improved tensile strength, wear resistance, and aging resistance compared to the original."

"The rubber factory is now conducting small-batch trials on the shock absorber section. The resulting shock absorbers have nearly doubled the fatigue life compared to the past, and the cost is also much lower. As long as the data stabilizes, this process can be widely adopted."

Hearing about the breakthrough in the recycled rubber problem, Chen Luyang was delighted and said, "Amazing, Brother Xiang! You actually managed to crack such a difficult technology."

Xiang Guowu smiled modestly and waved his hand: "How can it be attributed solely to my efforts? The comrades at the rubber factory also contributed a lot."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Luyang's smile faded, and she changed the subject:
"Brother Xiang, besides the recycled rubber business at the rubber factory, do you have any expertise in oil hoses?"

"What's wrong with the oil line hose?" Xiang Guowu asked, puzzled.

Chen Luyang then recounted the events of the meeting in detail.

After listening, Xiang Guowu pondered for a moment, then said, "My idea is this:"

"The key to oil pipelines is to balance both oil resistance and cold resistance."

“We can add some low-temperature flexibility modifier to the formula, such as paraffin oil and a small amount of butadiene rubber. This way, even at minus thirty degrees Celsius, the flexibility of the pipe wall can be maintained, and it will not crack when folded.”

"As for the problem of impurity penetration, the outer layer must be improved. Relying solely on virgin material is not enough; we can add a portion of the recycled rubber we are currently testing. Recycled rubber has more molecular chain breaks and higher density, which can actually prevent impurities from penetrating. This way, we can save materials and add an extra layer of protection."

Speaking of oil filters, he raised his hand again: "Director Huang is right, the dual-filtration system is too expensive and impractical. But we can definitely work on the existing filter elements, add a layer of fiber felt, and make it a replaceable pre-filter. This way, it is not only easy to replace, but also requires little modification to the factory."

Upon hearing this, Chen Luyang's eyes immediately lit up.

We've found our match!

No wonder Xiang Guowu was the mainstay of the rubber workshop!

Every word he said was not just empty slogans, but rather focused on the most practical aspects such as formula, process, and customer maintenance.

It allows for immediate hands-on experimentation and aligns with the factory's actual conditions, eliminating the need to wait for advanced equipment to fall from the sky.

This was exactly the method Chen Luyang urgently needed and could immediately put to use.

The frustration in his heart was like a hole being opened, letting in a surge of heat.

Chen Luyang quickly asked again, "Brother Xiang, there's an even more critical problem: the rubber hardness varies too much. During new car testing, even a slight error can directly affect the overall vehicle data. Do you think there's any solution to this?"

Xiang Guowu frowned, pondered for a moment, and then softened his tone: "This is indeed difficult. The batches of recycled materials are inconsistent, and fluctuations in hardness are a long-standing problem. But it's not entirely hopeless."

He gestured on the table: "First, we can add some hardness modifiers to the formula, such as the proportion of silica and zinc oxide, to stabilize the basic range; second, we must strictly control the vulcanization curve in the process, and the time and temperature difference cannot be even one point; third, it is best to mix the same batch of materials together and then produce them in a centralized manner to reduce batch-to-batch differences."

Chen Luyang nodded repeatedly as he listened.

Xiang Guowu speaks frankly and directly, with the expertise of a seasoned professional.

Every point hits the nail on the head, providing both a clear strategy and actionable steps.

When talking to Xiang Guowu about these things, he hardly needs to explain anything. With just a glance or a keyword, the other party can pick up on the conversation and analyze it further.

The two hit it off immediately, discussing one topic after another, from formulas to equipment, from processes to inspections, as if they couldn't wait to grab the blueprints and head back to the workshop to get to work.

As it grew later and later, the two of them still chatted as if they hadn't had enough.

"Director, I can't say I can solve it all at once, but as long as I have the experimental conditions, and I can work on it for a while, I'm pretty confident that I can reduce the hardness error to within ±5 degrees."

Chen Luyang couldn't help but slap his thigh: "Brother Xiang! Those words are more inspiring than anything else!"

Before the words were finished, the door to the inner room was gently pushed open, and Chen's mother peeked out, lowering her voice to advise:

"Second brother, it's too late. Let's talk about it tomorrow. Don't keep Xiao Xiang from getting home."

Xiang Guowu looked up at the wall clock and was taken aback: "Oh dear, it's almost eleven o'clock."

He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "Director, I have to go back now. My wife is waiting for me at home."

Chen Luyang quickly stood up as well: "This whole thing has gone a bit too far, we've been arguing and bickering."

"I'm sorry, Brother Xiang, I've kept you from resting tonight."

"Go home quickly, we'll talk again later."

With that, Chen Luyang got up and saw Xiang Guowu out of the courtyard.

As they approached the door, Chen Luyang asked worriedly, "Brother Xiang, are you going back to the workshop tomorrow, or will you continue working at the rubber factory?"

Xiang Guowu paused, a hint of hesitation and struggle appearing on his face.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back down.

"I'll come to the workshop tomorrow."

"Great, that's fantastic!!!" Chen Luyang rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Brothers, it's been so long since we've seen you! We'll all be so happy to see you back tomorrow!"

Xiang Guowu smiled at Chen Luyang with a somewhat preoccupied expression, then turned and stepped out of the Chen family courtyard.

As they walked, they could still hear Chen Luyang calling from behind:

"Brother Xiang, slow down! Watch your step."

(End of this chapter)