Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 151 Five Zeros!!!
The plane landed at Shancheng Airport. Chen Mo didn't even contact his second sister, Chen Lan, and headed straight to their destination with Zhou Mingzhe.

The former Qianke Micro Motor Factory now bears the new sign "Chengke Micro Motor Factory." This small factory, which Chen Mo bought casually back then, is now putting to good use.

Having received advance notice, Factory Director Feng was already on high alert.

He immediately summoned all fifty-plus employees of the factory for a speech, with a focus on bringing Fan Xingping to his side.

Although he didn't know Fan Xingping's exact background, the factory director knew that the lawyer Lin had specifically instructed him to give Fan a raise and promote him to workshop director, so he understood that Fan Xingping was the factory's "pillar of stability" and could not be taken lightly.

Ever since Fan Xingping learned that his brother-in-law was the "big boss" of Orange Mobile, he, who was already henpecked, became even more obedient to his wife Chen Lan.

However, he also kept his wife's warning firmly in mind: if he dared to mess around in his brother's factory because of his brother-in-law status, she would never let him off the hook!
Therefore, he always worked diligently and conscientiously in his position as workshop director.

A taxi pulled up, and Chen Mo and Zhou Mingzhe got out.

Director Feng had excellent eyesight and immediately recognized the calm and confident young man walking in front as the person in question. He quickly jogged forward, his face beaming with smiles.

"General Manager Chen! You must be tired from your journey! Welcome to Orange Science and Technology! I am Feng Guofu, formerly the factory manager of Qianke, and now the factory manager of Orange Science and Technology!"

Feng Guofu tried to make a good impression on the boss. After all, the big boss was in charge of Orange phones, and he certainly wouldn't care about a small factory like theirs that only had a monthly revenue of a little over 200,000 yuan and was losing 50,000 to 60,000 yuan.

"Chengke?" Chen Mo paused, looked up at the brand-new iron sign at the factory gate, which indeed read "Chengke Micro Motor Factory".

He raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Director Feng, what's the deal with this name?"

Factory Director Feng's heart tightened. He carefully observed Chen Mo's expression and explained, "This was changed according to Attorney Lin's request. Attorney Lin said that since you have acquired the factory, it should have a fresh look. If you don't like it, Mr. Chen, we can change it again immediately!"

Chen Mo smiled and waved his hand upon hearing this.

"No need to change it, the name is fine! However, let's change the subsequent investment method. Previously, it was invested in my personal name, but later it will be transferred to Orange Technology to fully control the company!"

Seeing that Chen Mo didn't blame Attorney Lin and himself for "acting on their own initiative," Factory Director Feng breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, yes! Everything will be done as you instruct, Mr. Chen!"

Chen Mo pointed to Zhou Mingzhe, who looked slightly reserved and habitually hunched over.

"Director Feng, let me introduce you. This is Zhou Mingzhe, an engineer from Orange Technology. He will be stationed at your factory for a while."

Factory Director Feng, being a shrewd man, immediately grasped the weight of the honorific title "Engineer Zhou"—it was essentially the title of "Supervisor." His attitude became even more respectful, and he warmly shook Zhou Mingzhe's hand.

"Oh! Engineer Zhou! Welcome, welcome! It's our honor to have you here to guide our work!"

Chen Mo's address of "Engineer Zhou" seemed to inject an invisible force into Zhou Mingzhe, the former assistant engineer, causing him to subconsciously straighten his slightly hunched back.

Then, Director Feng began to introduce the factory's key personnel to Chen Mo.

He immediately pointed to Fan Xingping: "General Manager Chen, this is Director Fan from our technical workshop, Fan Xingping. He is very conscientious and responsible in his work."

Chen Mo smiled and interrupted him directly: "Director Feng, there's no need to introduce this man. This is my brother-in-law. From now on, the factory should operate as usual and be managed as before. Don't let my relationship affect normal production and systems!"

Chen Mo's words were a double entendre. To Fan Xingping, it was a gentle reminder not to get carried away; to Director Feng, it was a clear signal that he needed to be taken care of, but not to go too far.

Factory Director Feng understood immediately and nodded repeatedly: "Understood, understood!"

Then he introduced several other key personnel in the factory, especially two old technicians with gray hair and wearing old-fashioned blue overalls.

Factory Director Feng said with pride, "General Manager Chen, these two, Master Liu and Master Wang, are veteran level eight workers who came here to support the Third Front construction in response to the national call! They are our factory's treasures! It's a pity that they are being used up so much talent now!" His words were tinged with regret.

Chen Mo was filled with respect and took the initiative to shake hands with the two veteran masters in a kind manner.

"Master Liu, Master Wang, we're so sorry to have troubled you both! The future development of Orange Science will depend on your experience and skills!"

The two experienced craftsmen were flattered by the young-looking boss's politeness and repeatedly said they didn't deserve it.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Director Feng specially called Fan Xingping over and warmly invited Chen Mo: "President Chen, would you like to come to my office for a while? I'll give you a brief report on Orange Science's business performance in 2010."

Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively and continued walking.

"Director Feng, let's put the report aside for now. I don't have time to listen to these things right now. Let me finish developing the micro motor and gyroscope first. Does the factory have a laboratory?"

Factory Director Feng was taken aback. What was going on? The big boss hadn't come for a long time, and now he suddenly showed up, not checking the accounts or inspecting production, but going straight to the laboratory. What was going on?

However, his good professional instincts made him realize immediately: "Yes! Yes! It's just that the place isn't big; it's shared with the surveying room, so the conditions might be rather basic!"

"It's alright, as long as it works!" Chen Mo said nonchalantly. "I'd appreciate it if Factory Director Feng could assign a few skilled and reliable workers to work with Engineer Zhou and me on the research and development. We need to process some precision parts."

"No problem! Leave it to me! I'll personally select the people!" Director Feng patted his chest and assured him.

The small "experimental measurement room" immediately became the core battlefield for Orange Technology's research and development.

Chen Mo and Zhou Mingzhe were the absolute "brains," while the master craftsmen and senior technicians carefully selected by Director Feng became the most reliable "skilled hands."

First, Chen Mo started with the relatively simple ant antenna-inspired bionic gyroscope (MYT series) to build the team's confidence.

MYT-1 model (Ant Gyroscope-1 model)

Based on the system blueprint in his mind, Chen Mo directly sketched the core structure on the drawing paper, simulating a multi-section brass tube vibration system that resembles an ant's antennae.

The key to preventing technology leaks lies in that magical "self-cleaning coating".

Chen Mo wrote down a complex chemical formula, specifying a particular ferrite oil-soluble paint. He didn't reveal the specific formula, but he found the materials for mixing the paint.

The experienced craftsmen scratched their heads at the sight of the unlabeled materials, but under Chen Mo's guidance, after mixing, spraying, and baking according to the specified proportions, a miracle occurred: a dense, smooth film with a slight negative charge formed on the surface of the brass tube, making it impossible for dust and moisture to adhere!

The MYT-1 prototype was completed in just one day.

It looks like a delicate metal "tentacle" fixed on a miniature base. Although its core parameters (zero bias stability 3°/h) are not top-notch, its impact resistance amazed all the veterans in the simple drop test. It operated normally after being dropped several times!

Tested in a dusty environment, its lifespan far exceeds that of ordinary mechanical gyroscopes.

MYT-2 is a two-stage iterative technology, and its main feature is that the sensor simulates the "nerve impulses" of ants.

The upgrade focuses on "flexible electronic antennal sensors" and signal processing.

Chen Mo provided the design drawings for the three-dimensional flexible circuit, while Zhou Mingzhe was responsible for converting them into the actual etching process.

Several technicians carefully worked under a microscope, "wrapping" the hair-thin flexible circuit onto the improved brass tendril structure.

The most difficult part is integrating "neuromorphic hardware sensors".

Chen Mo and Zhou Mingzhe spent three days repeatedly debugging in front of the oscilloscope and signal generator in the laboratory to simulate the pulse coding mode of the neurons in the antennae of ants.

When the oscilloscope finally showed the expected unique pulse sequence representing the "direction and intensity of vibration," the two high-fived in celebration!

The MYT-2 is 40% smaller than the first generation, and its core parameters (zero bias stability 0.001°/h) are close to those of some professional and military-grade products (attitude perception for drones, guided artillery shells, rockets, etc.), while retaining strong shock resistance and self-cleaning characteristics.

MYT-3 is a product that surpasses its class. It incorporates a collective intelligence algorithm. Since there is no mature artificial intelligence at present, the system provides Chen Mo with a core algorithm, which is also the key to keeping it secret.

However, the biggest obstacle to MYT-3 machining is the stringent requirements for machining accuracy!
The core stator structure of MYT-3 is extremely complex, requiring a positioning accuracy within ±0.002mm, a tolerance of IT5 or higher, and a surface roughness of Ra below 0.01μm!

Those old lathes at Orange Machinery simply couldn't do it.

Just when things seemed hopeless, Director Feng brought in the factory's "pillar of strength," Master Liu, who had come to support the Third Front construction and was nearly a ninth-level worker who could make boutons by hand!

Of course, Master Liu couldn't possibly make the toy by hand, but he could still achieve the precision workpiece machining requirements through some simple methods.

The experienced craftsman, wearing reading glasses, listened to the requirements, looked at the blueprints, remained silent for a while, and then exhaled a puff of smoke.

"The accuracy is questionable, but I'll give it a try!"

Instead of using a CNC machine tool, he chose the oldest type of hand-cranked precision lathe!
Master Liu adjusted the blade angle and feed rate as if caressing a lover. With fifty years of experience and a pair of rock-solid hands, combined with his self-made superhard alloy blade and secret-recipe cooling lubricant, he slowly "gnawed" it in!

Every incision was made with utmost care, and every measurement required holding one's breath.

Three days!

For three whole days, Master Liu practically lived and worked in the workshop, and finally "handcrafted" a MYT-3 stator core that met the requirements!

Eight parts were scrapped, and each time it required complete concentration, which seemed extremely draining on one's energy and spirit!

When this core component, which is as smooth as a mirror and as precise as a work of art under a microscope, was assembled into the gyroscope and combined with the calibration algorithm that Chen Mo injected to simulate the collaboration of an ant colony, the test results shocked everyone.

The zero-bias stability reached a terrifying 0.00001°/h. Chen Mo and Zhou Mingzhe were both laymen in engineering and did not understand how exaggerated this value was, but Master Liu was a veteran.

This is five zeros in 2011. Keep in mind that at that time, the world's leading precision gyroscope manufacturer, North America's Hörnel, had its most advanced flagship model, the GG1389 gyroscope, with an accuracy of 0.0015°/h and zero-bias stability. It was mainly used for inertial navigation of the famous B2 and LGM intercontinental ballistic missiles, and its accuracy was only three zeros.

As for ours...
Anyway, the DF-31A also uses a gyroscope with 3 zeros of precision, and after 11200 kilometers, the terminal deviation is at most 30 meters.

Don't worry about where it came from or how it got there. Anyway, if it can be delivered by express, it will definitely be delivered. Thirty meters is just a matter of a shockwave.

This surpasses even the top-tier military gyroscopes!
The MYT-3 is only the size of half a fingernail, like a miniature, gleaming metallic "queen ant," lying quietly on the test bench, exuding a futuristic, science fiction aura.

After Chen Mo developed the three levels of gyroscopes with the biomimetic ant antenna structure: MYT-1, MYT-2, and MYT-3, he found that their size was halved while their accuracy increased exponentially.

The MYT series is a mechanical gyroscope. Although it represents a significant improvement over mainstream mechanical gyroscopes on the market, from the size of a ping-pong ball to that of a penny, it is still quite large compared to the MEMS electronic gyroscopes currently found in mobile phones, which are only the size of a mung bean (detecting angular velocity through capacitance changes, with no moving mechanical parts).

Therefore, the best choice for the Orange 2 gyroscope is the MYT-2. It is neither as difficult to mass-produce as the MYT-3, nor is it too large to take up too much internal space in the phone.

Mechanical gyroscopes are actually not very suitable for consumer products like mobile phones where high precision is not required; they are more suitable for professional-grade equipment.

To put it simply, it's like equipping an electric bicycle with a complete onboard GPS navigation system, which is overkill and might even lead to excessive power consumption.

On the Orange 2, the MYT gyroscope actually consumes more power than the MEMS gyroscope.

However, in Chen Mo's opinion, who in a decent family would use a mobile phone's gyroscope all the time? How much power could it possibly consume?

After Chen Mo finalized the plan for Orange Technology to prioritize the mass production of MYT-2, he immediately instructed Factory Director Feng to begin debugging and trial production on the production line, while they continued their research on micro-motors.

The ant antenna-inspired bionic gyroscope is named the MYT series, and its design references the antennae model parameters of the red imported fire ant queen provided by Professor Xu.

The ant muscle-inspired bio-motor is named the MYW series, based on the muscle group model parameters of red imported fire ants provided by Professor Xu.

The core of MYW-1 is the "dielectric elastomer drive unit" that simulates the rapid contraction of ant muscles.

Chen Mo directly provided the special polymer material layered structure, while the formula remained in his own hands.

Think of the paint formula for a biomimetic coating on an ant's antenna, or the formula for a polymer material. Chen Mo realized that for every component he selected, there seemed to be a formula that needed to be kept secret.

That's good. Apart from not having the formula for the gaseous lithium battery catalyst in his hands, he also needs a safe and secure place to produce these confidential formulas. He'll go back and have Sister Gong contact District Chief Zhang to get a piece of land. The dark clouds in the shadows should dissipate in the next couple of days!
Afterwards, Chen Mo personally synthesized the polymer material, while Zhou Mingzhe was responsible for designing the driving circuit.

Workers carefully layered and sealed the paper-thin elastomer.

When a high-voltage pulse current of a specific waveform is applied, the entire unit contracts instantly, with a response speed so fast that it is almost impossible to detect with the naked eye!

The measured response time is 0.1ms!

It's like a miniature "muscle bundle" encased in a silver shell, inconspicuous when quiet, but incredibly powerful when it explodes, but its torque density is only 8 mN·m/g, which is a clear weakness.

Once you've got point 1 sorted out, point 2 should be relatively easy.

The MYW-2 focuses on improving torque density and adding "overload protection".

Zhou Mingzhe drew inspiration from the design of the eccentric hammer in a miniature vibration motor, cleverly amplifying the force output.

At the same time, Chen Mo "reminded" Zhou Mingzhe to design an ingenious mechanical structure that simulates the "slippage" protection mechanism of ant muscles under extreme load, thus preventing the motor from burning out.

In the test, the torque density of MYW-2 was increased to 15mN·m/g, which is sufficient to meet the needs of mobile phone vibration motors, and it performed stably under extreme high and low temperatures (-40℃~150℃).

It looks a bit "robust" than the MYW-1, with several more heat dissipation fins on the outer shell.

The ultimate goals of MYW-3 are energy efficiency and heat dissipation!

The same issue arises from the precision required for machining the stator core, with requirements no less stringent than those for MYT-3.

This time, it was Master Wang who took the plunge. Using the same old-fashioned lathe, experience, and "homemade methods," it took him nearly a week to "grind" out a qualified part.

Master Wang is slightly inferior to Master Liu, but that's a difference of 100 points versus 99 points. As for an ordinary technician to grind out high precision by hand, are you kidding me?
Following the system's suggested design, Chen Mo integrated a micro-channel structure inside the MYW-3, mimicking the efficient ventilation and heat dissipation principle of an anthill, and cleverly combined it with supercapacitor energy storage technology to optimize energy utilization.

The final MYW-3 has an astonishing energy efficiency ratio of 92%, far exceeding the 85% of mainstream small brushless motors in mobile phones!

It resembles a miniature "power core" with complex heat dissipation grilles; though small in size, it contains surging and efficient energy.

Of course, mass production of MYW-3 was impossible, and the cost of MYW-2 was too high. In the end, Chen Mo chose the micro motor of MYM-1 as the vibration motor of Orange 2.

You can't exactly advertise to users that the Orange 2 has significantly more horsepower than other phones when using the MYW-2!

The mass production plan for the Orange 2 motion sensing system, along with the development of six product models by Chen Mo and Zhou Mingzhe, has been finalized as MYT-2 + MYW-1.

For the past two weeks, Chen Mo and Zhou Mingzhe have practically lived and worked in the factory laboratory, neglecting their appearance and working day and night.

Chen Lan, the second sister, learned from her husband Fan Xingping that her younger brother had come to the mountain city again and was working so hard, and she felt extremely distressed.

She brought the prepared food with her and rushed to the factory.

At the corner of the stairs outside the laboratory, Chen Mo was wolfing down his lunchbox.

Looking at his unshaven face and bloodshot eyes, Chen Lan felt both heartache and anger. She slammed the thermos down: "Xiao Mo! Do you still think you're a treasure? I think you're just a piece of trash now. What big boss would personally get involved, not eating or sleeping, holed up in the lab doing research every day? Look at you, you've even lost weight!"

Chen Mo swallowed the food in his mouth and chuckled, "A brother with a sister is a treasure, isn't he? We're just in a hurry!"

"Being in a hurry doesn't mean risking your life!" Chen Lan glared at him, her tone softening: "Is researching this thing really that important?"

Chen Mo said seriously, "Second Sister, Orange relies on its technology for its livelihood. Orange 2 must complete the engineering prototype testing by March at the latest. If the product is not good, everything you say to consumers will be meaningless!"

Looking at the determination in her younger brother's eyes, Chen Lan finally sighed and expressed her understanding.

"Alright, alright, I can't argue with you. Don't sleep on that hard bed in the factory tonight, it's uncomfortable. I'll have your brother-in-law bring you some new bedding!" She paused, then remembered something else: "By the way, Orange's flagship store near the Shancheng Neighborhood Monument is almost finished with renovations. Do you have time to go take a look?"

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and teased, "Second sister! You're quite efficient! I thought it was finished two months ago!"

"You little brat, you think I'm too slow?" Chen Lan slapped his arm irritably. "Are you really treating your second sister like a beast of burden?"

"How could I dare!"

Chen Mo smiled and handed her the empty lunchbox: "Thank you for your hard work, Second Sister! Don't worry, I'll definitely go check on it when I have time!"

After half a month of hard work, six models of bionic gyroscopes and micro-motor prototypes were neatly arranged in front of Chen Mo.

From the rough-hewn Level 1 brass "tentacles" and "muscle bundles" to the sophisticated Level 3 metal "queen ant" and "power core," each prototype embodies everyone's hard work.

Chen Mo's gaze lingered longest on MYT-3 and MYW-3.

The performance of these two is undoubtedly revolutionary, but their key component, the ultra-precise stator core, was "polished" out by Master Liu and Master Wang with decades of superb skills on old equipment. It takes them three days and a week to produce one!
This is not the way to mass production.

"Director Feng, Master Liu, Master Wang!"

Chen Mo pointed to MYT-3 and MYW-3, his tone filled with regret and admiration.

"The performance of these two models is unparalleled; they could even be considered world-class! However, mass production is not possible at the moment. For mass production, we need ultra-precision lathes that can achieve nanometer-level accuracy. This kind of equipment..."

He gave a wry smile: "Even with money, you might not be able to buy it; it's something that foreign countries strictly control!"

Master Liu nodded, smoking a cigarette.

"Mr. Chen is telling the truth. With my skills, I can pass them on to two hardworking and steady apprentices, but mass production by hand? Impossible!"

Chen Mo made a decisive decision: "Therefore, we will temporarily mass-produce the two products that Orange 2 needs: MYT-2 and MYW-1. Using the existing equipment in the factory, and with the guidance and supervision of Master Liu and Master Wang, we can fully mass-produce them, and their performance will be sufficient to meet the market demand!"

"As for the Level 3 models," he said, looking at the two prototypes that were veritable works of art, "they represent our technological reserves, the direction for the future!"

Chen Mo turned to look at Feng Guofu.

"Director Feng, give Master Liu and Master Wang a raise, elevate them to the level of chief technical consultant, and assign them two diligent and eager-to-learn apprentices. This craft is a treasure of our Orange Technology and must be passed down!"

As Master Liu listened to Chen Mo's arrangements and saw the young boss's respect for technology and clear plans for the future, a gratified smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

He put down his pipe and slowly began, "Mr. Chen, do you know how our factory got its name from the old name, Qianke?"

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and chuckled, signaling him to continue.

"That was in the 1960s, when things were not peaceful outside, and the Third Front construction was underway."

We were originally located in Guizhou Province, and we were a supporting factory under the 083 base. We supplied micro motors and gyroscopes for the J-5 aircraft to Emei Machinery Factory, one of the predecessors of Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group!
Later, the military was converted to civilian use and became self-sufficient.
"Sigh, the old factory director retired, and Director Feng took over the business, struggling to keep it afloat, and things are getting worse year by year."

Master Liu looked at Factory Director Feng, then at Chen Mo: "Thanks to you, General Manager Chen, taking over, otherwise this factory, the result of our hard work as old bones, would really be gone!"

A profound sense of history and a responsibility to carry on the legacy welled up in Chen Mo's heart.

He looked around the factory area, where the equipment was old but it held the memories of a generation from the last century, and solemnly assured Master Liu and Director Feng.

"Master Liu, Factory Director Feng, you can rest assured!"

Chengke will not fall, it will only get better and better, the mountain city will get better and better, and the land beneath our feet will get better and better!

In the future, it will also provide the best navigation and positioning for our aircraft, rockets, and missiles! These technologies and skills will be passed down and carried forward by future generations!

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed into the workshop, gilding the cold machines with a warm golden hue.

Three generations of people, young, middle-aged, and old, gathered around those ultra-precise miniature devices that embody biomimetic wisdom and craftsmanship, their eyes sparkling with hope for the future.

Chen Mo knew that the Orange Phone's mechanical sensing "system" was already running powerfully here.

(End of this chapter)