From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 209 One-Piece Die Casting, We at Starry Sky Do Two Sets in One Go! (5k, Here it comes!)

Well known.

Domestic mobile phone manufacturers prefer to collaborate with powerful companies.

In the past, the collaborations were mainly with foreign giants.

We used Sony lenses, Samsung screens, Qualcomm chips...

The fact that domestically produced mobile phone battery cells can now surpass those of foreign counterparts is a rare breakthrough.

It is truly remarkable that the phrase "domestically developed and independently researched" can be used today.

They can have a slight advantage in terms of publicity.

Xu Yi smiled and agreed, "Thank you so much, President Shen. Our Xingchen's decision to make mobile phone batteries is not a hasty one. I believe that we will both be glad that we chose each other today."

The mobile phone industry's supply chain is also constantly making breakthroughs, optimizing materials and costs, and continuously improving internal space. By next year, flagship phones that focus on large screens will generally have a 4000mAh battery.

But by then, they will also have breakthroughs in Polaris batteries.

The development cycle for this battery cell is still relatively short; many aspects are starting from scratch, and many technologies have not yet been validated.

Dong Yuxuan said that the next generation of battery cells will use high-voltage electrolyte and improve the negative electrode material. The energy density and fast charging of the next generation will be even more impressive than the current generation.

It is expected to directly increase by about 30%.

This could allow even standard-sized flagship phones to use 5000mAh batteries, while smaller flagship phones could reach around 4500mAh.

Given the current mobile phone industry environment and chip power consumption.

Even those with severe "battery anxiety" will be moved to tears upon seeing a 5000mAh capacity and 80W fast charging!

Xu Yi does not plan to make this public for the time being.

Once we have internal verification samples, we'll bring a small surprise to the mobile phone industry!

-

After the vivo team left.

Polestar power banks have also been added to the car store.

before this.

The department also consulted their own boss separately.

After all, it was Mr. Xu who suggested making this power bank, so his opinions will definitely be taken into account when it comes to operation and pricing.

Unexpectedly, Xu Yi acted very casually.

“You guys calculate the design and development costs yourselves and price it according to the normal cost. There aren’t many batches of power banks, so the main goal is to recover the costs. If the sales are just average, then we can treat it as a limited edition and sell it until it’s gone.”

Making this power bank was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. It mainly came from a batch of defective battery cells, and the power bank industry is currently a mixed bag, with some being of questionable quality.

Not only can I sell what I make myself, but I can also use it myself!
However, Xu Yi was unsure whether anyone would actually buy this ultra-thin magnetic power bank. He planned to develop Xingchen Automotive's car mall into a private ecosystem, and this was just a small experiment.

If this really works out, we can not only sell auto parts, but also expand to other regions.

soon.

The internal cost accounting has been completed.

"Pricing it at 250 should allow us to recover costs and still maintain a 20%-30% profit."

Based on material costs, the development cost of this type of power bank should be quite low.

Unfortunately, Mr. Xu's requirements for lightness, thinness, and texture were too extreme, so the total development cost could not be reduced.

Xu Yi replied to the group message:
"Then let's price it at 298. Many of our car owners are willing to pay for quality!"

Xingchen Auto Mall's products are known for their "high cost-performance ratio".

However, this "high cost-performance ratio" depends on what you compare it to.

Compared to the aftermarket and other car manufacturers' official parts, it is definitely much more cost-effective. Moreover, Xingchen Auto Parts has good official after-sales service, which is why many car owners praise it highly.

In fact, their profit margin is not low, and the revenue generated by the car mall increases every month along with sales.

What was that line again?

Selling cars is just about making friends; the real profit comes from selling eco-friendly accessories!

-

Car Mall Business Unit.

Zheng Guozhao sat in front of the computer, staring at the power bank in his hand with a suspicious look on his face.

"This power bank... is pretty good, but at this price, can it really sell?"
"Could it be that Mr. Xu has overlooked something in this regard?!"

I saw what Mr. Xu posted in the group.

He almost thought he was hallucinating.

The profit margin is already quite good with a price of 250.

They actually set the price at 298.

He doesn't know much about the technology, but he feels that at this price point, it might not sell well.

Look at the branded power banks on the market with 10,000 mAh capacity; they only sell for 129 yuan.

And this is what they are.

It's only 3,300 milliamperes per hour.

Its biggest advantage is wireless charging, but not many models support it.

"No, Mr. Xu must have a deeper reason for doing this. What I need to do is obey!"

Zheng Guozhao originally wanted to send a message to express his "dissent".

But soon.

He shook his head violently!

His eyes immediately regained their clarity!
Damn!

How could I possibly question President Xu?!

President Xu's wisdom and skill have already been fully proven in his past successes.

To know.

Recently, Lao Zheng has been getting things done.

The development of accessories after the release of the Starry Sky S7 goes without saying; car covers, car models, car window films, mattresses, and car air fresheners are all standard practice.

In terms of sales, it also sold very well.

To paraphrase a phrase from the car enthusiast community.

These days, who buys a car without doing renovations?!
...

Their headrests and mattresses sell exceptionally well.

There are many dangers associated with idling a gasoline-powered car with the air conditioning on, including potential damage to the battery, significantly increased fuel consumption, and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

But there's no such worry when sleeping on a tram.

In addition, the products from Xingchen Auto Mall have accumulated a good reputation over time.

As long as new car owners inquire online or ask in car owner groups after purchasing a car, the answer they receive is always the same: the quality is reliable and it's a no-brainer to buy it.

As a result, sales kept increasing, like stepping on one foot with the other.

The gross profit margin has reached a level that will make anyone smile from ear to ear.

but.

Zheng Guozhao also encountered difficulties during this period.

The eco-commerce platform is ultimately centered around car owners, and after developing everything that could be developed, it was already done.

They discovered there were no new products to launch.

My inspiration has completely dried up.

Some suppliers from auto parts markets approached him, but he rejected them all.

Their eco-commerce platform focuses on quality, and they don't accept just anything.

He believes that at least the products he developed before are useful to car owners. Low-quality products that are not useful are also lowering the reputation and authority that their car mall has accumulated.

That's when.

President Xu's greatness has been demonstrated once again!
When he tentatively raised his own questions, Mr. Xu said this.

"The online store is just a place to sell things that car owners can use. If all else fails, you can develop a valve core or a car-grade tissue box."

The two sentences sounded like a joke.

Zheng Guozhao actually did it with some skepticism, and he found two suppliers.

We meticulously developed a valve core with a lightning bolt icon and an exquisite appearance, and it sold like hotcakes!!

Then he adopted a rigorous attitude.

They went and created a car-grade tissue box.

How high does this automotive-grade level go?

It has an exquisite appearance, is made of PU leather and microfiber, has built-in magnets, and can withstand high and low temperatures from exposure to over 95°C to -30°C in winter.

Zheng Guozhao specifically sought out an authoritative institution to produce a test report.

Even when baked at 90℃, the box will not deform, nor will it produce any odor or harmful gases.

This is no longer automotive grade.

It's actually "mother and baby grade"!
Therefore, a "Mother and Baby Grade" testing report has been added to the product details page of the car mall!
They shoved the test data right in their faces.

Once it was available, the first batch sold out immediately!
Despite the fact that the tissue box is priced at 99 yuan, which is several times higher than the market price.

The comments below, however, were full of praise.

This is the first time I've seen a product with a maternal and infant-grade testing report.

Some car owners with newborns at home simply bought two or three and placed them on their tabletops or magnetically attached to their refrigerators. ...

Zheng Guozhao understood.

As long as the value and authority are satisfied, consumers will still accept the price.

Even if it's a bit expensive, I'd still feel it's worth every penny.

"Mr. Xu must have his reasons for setting the price this way. All I need to do is try to expand the publicity and prove the authority of our product."

By drawing inferences from one instance, Zheng Guozhao quickly came up with a solution.

His mind raced as he analyzed the product's potential.

In terms of price.

They clearly don't have much of an advantage.

Car accessories, for example, are related to the car owner's car ownership experience.

However, it's clearly difficult to link this power bank to "car use".

In this case.

The only solution is to increase publicity efforts!
"Let's get a group of authoritative digital bloggers to give it a big shout-out first!"

……

……

For Xu Yi, the power bank was just a side issue; Xingchen Motors is currently focusing more on the planning and investment in the Luzhou F2 factory.

Now there is a more ample budget.

The production equipment naturally also underwent a round of upgrades.

The industry has transitioned from traditional fuel vehicles to new energy vehicles.

The changes it brings are never just about energy forms, but also about production methods.

If we consider the specifications of a mega-factory, requiring an average of one car to roll off the production line every 30 to 40 seconds, this relies not only on industrial robot clusters, digitalization, and high automation rates…

Another important core technology is the "integrated die-casting process" that has been famous for generations.

Now, the new factory has just started operations and is already encountering problems with equipment procurement.

"Mr. Xu, recently LK Group and Haitian Group have responded. It seems that the custom-made ultra-large die-casting machine you requested will not be available in the short term."

Assistant Xiao Zhou brought over a stack of reports, all of which were data and specific feedback from leading manufacturers in the supply chain.

Xu Yi took the report, glanced at it briefly, and then frowned.

For the Luzhou 4.0 car manufacturing plant to achieve capacity upgrade, the "ultra-large die-casting machine" is the core of the core.

One-piece die casting can not only combine dozens or hundreds of parts into one, reducing thousands of welding points, but also achieve the effects of weight reduction, shortening production time, and strengthening the torsional rigidity of the car body.

The goal of the ultra-large die-casting machine that Xingchen wants to customize is to achieve integrated die-casting of the front and rear base plates.

Once the F2 factory is completed, all of their high-end models will benefit, and production efficiency and casting precision will be significantly improved.

but.

To achieve this, the upper limit of the clamping force of the die-casting machine is required to be very high.

Xingchen Automotive has customized a 6000-8000 ton ultra-large die-casting machine.

However, neither the leading die-casting machine manufacturers in China, such as LK Group or Haitian Metal, can meet this requirement.

The "DCC5000 series" produced by LK Group this year has a maximum clamping force of 5000 tons, while Haitian Metal's mass-produced die-casting machines are even worse, with mass-produced machines only reaching 3000-40000 tons.

The tonnage of an ultra-large die-casting machine often determines the upper limit of part size.

The clamping force of a 6000-ton die-casting machine can cover a cavity projection area of ​​3m×2m, which is just right for die-casting the rear floor of a car in one piece.

The 10000-ton super-large die-casting machine can cover a 4m×3m cavity, which means that the entire lower body of the car (rear floor + front floor + longitudinal beams), including the complete battery pack shell, can be die-cast as a whole.

The reduction in welding and assembly processes is enormous.

The cost of integrated die-cast parts can be reduced by at least 20%-30%.

LK Group's response to the 6000-ton large die-casting machine was quite enthusiastic, and they have already made technological progress. Haitian Metal, on the other hand, is much less advanced in this regard and claims that it is temporarily unable to mass-produce it.

Regarding demand exceeding 8000 tons, the feedback from both companies was not very clear.

Xu Yi had no choice but to temporarily abandon Haitian and made a phone call to the person in charge at Lijin Group.

"Mr. Xu, the 6000-ton machine will take some time to be completed. We have also encountered some bottlenecks. The four-point elbow of the mold clamping system must be fully synchronized, otherwise it will cause uneven mold loading, with one side having too much clamping force and the other side having too little, which will cause the mold to crack."

Furthermore, the integral cast steel frame needs to eliminate internal stress through vacuum melting and deep cryogenic annealing. It is also difficult for large vacuum furnaces in China to meet the temperature uniformity requirements and control the error within ±5℃.

As for the 8000-tonnage machine, there are even more problems. Many aspects are hampered by foreign restrictions, either due to excessively high costs or patent bottlenecks. The resulting R&D expenses and technical difficulties have exceeded our expectations.

Liu Zhuoming, president of LK Group, explained over the phone.

They have great respect for customers like Xingchen Automotive, but there are also technical challenges to overcome.

It's not that we won't do it.

It's really difficult to do, with heavy development pressure and a long and arduous road ahead.

Xu Yi doesn't understand the technical details of large die-casting machines. These deep supply chain technologies are often distributed globally.

A servo motor or a high-flow servo valve could get stuck, and there are even more bottlenecks in the process.

But he could tell from it too.

Despite the significant obstacles, technical difficulties, and even some more complex globalization issues to address.

The other party did not say that it could not be done.

“Mr. Liu, I think you have underestimated the importance that Xingchen Auto attaches to integrated die-casting technology. Xingchen needs two sets of the 6000-ton super-large die-casting machine at once. Similarly, our engineering and technical team can fully cooperate with your research and development. We can set up a joint research and development laboratory.”

Xu Yi first offered a reassuring reassurance.

The market for high-end, ultra-large die-casting machines is not so clear.

At least in the automotive industry, the concept of "integrated die casting" has not been proposed.

Lijing was also afraid of developing a product that would have few customers.

Even a 6,000-ton machine is in such a state.

Not to mention the even more challenging 8,000-ton ultra-large die-casting machine.

Hear the words.

Liu Zhuoming's spirits lifted, and he even stammered, "President Xu... two sets? Not one set!"

“Previously, our technicians may have only submitted the model and accuracy requirements without mentioning the quantity required. Now that the construction period for the Luzhou F2 factory is about to be set, I think we still need your full cooperation for the first two large die-casting machines,” Xu Yi said with a smile.

Then another deep-sea bomb was dropped.

"We have an urgent need for not only the 6,000-ton machine, but also the 8,000-ton machine. We can work together on research and development, and price is not a problem. As long as there is production, we will order two sets. We can sign a contract first."

Even taking into account R&D costs, domestically produced ultra-large die-casting machines are still cheaper than imported ones, and they won't be subject to supply chain bottlenecks.

Given Xingchen Auto's current position and revenue in the industry, it has a solid reputation.

Xu Yi would not be satisfied with just solving the front and rear base plate issues with integrated die casting, including the battery base plate and body parts, all of which will use integrated die casting technology later.

Only with the development of supply chain production equipment can Xingchen Motors improve its production efficiency, production costs, and vehicle body strength.

This is the same principle as the previous communication with Baosteel.

Currently, domestically produced ultra-high strength steel has not yet broken through 2000MPa. If Xingchen Motors ever wants to undertake a major project like "high-end tank body", the supply chain materials will not be able to keep up, and they can only watch helplessly.

Liu Zhuoming was starting to get a little uneasy!
Globally, there aren't many countries with demand reaching this level.

The research and development cost of an 8,000-ton die-casting machine, along with the equipment's lifespan, factory costs, mold costs, equipment maintenance costs, and subsequent expenses, are prohibitive for most companies.

The LK Group itself lacked sufficient motivation to verify the technical feasibility of an 8000-ton-class engine.

But now I actually feel a surge of excitement.

Xingchen Automotive has shown an exceptionally firm commitment to the high-end, ultra-large die-casting route and has issued a strong invitation to form a team. If Lijing Group can leverage this momentum to break through the current high-end bottleneck, it could very well open up a new world for them.

"Mr. Xu, you've put it this way, it would be insincere of us not to go all out," Liu Zhuoming said sincerely.

In principle, their internal R&D plan for an 8,000-ton die-casting machine will not be available for at least another 20 years.

We face serious bottlenecks in many technologies and processes.

But now the principle has shifted slightly.

Solutions can be found by people.

If some unconventional methods are adopted, a breakthrough may not be impossible.

"I'll bring people over, and then our teams will have in-depth discussions to finalize this as soon as possible."

Liu Zhuoming added another sentence.

Xu Yi readily agreed, and the faster the two sides could work together on this research and development, the better.

Integrated die casting is a revolution that will bring significant results. In addition to production efficiency and cost reduction, its biggest benefit is weight reduction.

The significance of weight for new energy vehicles is self-evident.

Although its performance in terms of maintenance economy is not good, Xu Yi believes that it is not absolute.

Conscientious car manufacturers will make some improvements to avoid these issues.

For example, with a multi-section anti-collision design for the rear floor, in low-to-medium speed collisions, only the anti-collision beams and crumple zones need to be replaced, without replacing the rear floor.

As for major collisions, it doesn't matter what happens.

With the safety of the crew ensured, the higher strength structure of the integrated die-casting was brought into play.

of course.

Many car manufacturers attempt to save time and effort by shifting this risk to consumers and insurance companies, which is a common practice in the industry.

……

(End of this chapter)