I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 31 Violent Steel Fire

After this technical meeting.

Chen Changzai practically lived in the smelting and foundry.

He never actually lived in his own cave dwelling, except when he went back to change his clothes.

However, up to now, not counting the cotton-padded coat, he only has two sets of clothes.

He would only go back once every five or six days to give his clothes to Wang Ling to wash.

Another half month, nearly twenty days later.

Only then is the preparation work for the large casting and forging press truly complete.

The entire foundry site is arranged around the three casting pits in the very center.

When casting large workpieces, pit casting is generally the preferred method.

It involves digging a large pit in the ground and burying the mold sandbox in the pit.

Only the liquid inlet and vent are visible on the top.

If there is a need for venting at the bottom of the casting, venting will also be done through a pipe.

A pipe is buried underground, with one end connected to the vent of the mold and the other end protruding above the ground.

The reason for using pit casting for large workpieces is that when tens or hundreds of tons of molten steel enter the mold, it generates enormous internal pressure.

If you only use a sandbox, you simply cannot restrain this enormous power.

The consequence was that the box exploded.

So when the mold sandbox was placed in the pit, it was tightly wrapped with loess.

The pressure inside the mold will then be transmitted to the ground and the surrounding pit walls.

In such cases, the explosion is not caused by impurities or moisture entering during the casting process.

The slow, static pressure inside could never break free from the earth's constraints.

Around the pit are tracks laid out.

These tracks will carry heavy ladle transport cars, delivering molten steel from the frying pool to the mold casting ports around the pit.

Then, by flipping the ladle, the molten steel inside is poured into the casting inlet.

At the other end of these tracks are nine large steel frying pools arranged in a triangle not too far from the pit, and behind them are earthen blast furnaces.

Under the current conditions.

To cast this piece, which weighs only a dozen tons and will be considered a small creature by later generations.

Chen Chang and his men set up such a grand display.

It's a kind of helplessness, I suppose.

In later times, there would be no need to work with castings to build a 150-ton forging press.

Apart from the base, which some manufacturers may use castings for, the rest can be replaced with welded parts.

But that can only be done with a complete industrial support system.

Under the current conditions, that's something you shouldn't even think about.

As the first light of dawn appeared in the east, it slowly turned red.

Soon, the morning glow painted half the sky red.

Looking at these beautiful clouds.

Chen Changzai said to Master Zhang, who was standing next to him, "Master Zhang, it looks like it's going to be a nice day today."

"Even God is on our side."

Looking at the rosy dawn sky, Mr. Zhang also said, "Yes, God helped us and gave us such good weather."

It seems we're destined for success today.

The furnace fire, which burned all night, had already melted the carefully selected iron powder into molten iron.

The furnace workers, who had been on high alert, used long steel rods to pierce the outlet of the molten iron.

Once the outlet is opened, the molten iron, under immense internal pressure, immediately gushes out.

The molten iron enters the slag-iron separator through the guide channel, and the slag on top of the molten iron is separated out.

The pure molten iron then continued to flow through the guide channel into the long-awaited molten iron transport ladle.

When the steel packaging was 70% complete, no more molten iron was flowing out.

At this moment, a railcar driven by a single-cylinder diesel engine arrived at the ladle, attached the ladle, and began to move at a constant speed toward the frying pool.

When the ladle reaches the edge of the frying pan.

A single-cylinder diesel-powered overhead crane on a gantry lifted the ladle and poured the molten iron inside into a large smelting pool.

After the molten iron was successively poured into the frying pool, the frying rods, also driven by a machine, began to stir the iron at a uniform speed in the furnace.

In this two-ton molten iron frying pool, the internal forces of the molten iron are beyond what human power can stir.

Nine steel frying tanks, under the supervision of experienced workers, continuously fed with concentrate powder and limestone to change the composition of the molten steel.

Experienced craftsmen judge whether the molten steel meets the casting requirements by observing its color.

When the molten steel in the molten steel tank he was monitoring reached the required level, his assistant would blow a whistle and raise a small red flag.

This indicates that the molten steel in the pool has passed the required standards.

One after another, all nine steel frying tanks raised their little red flags.

At this moment, Master Zhang, who was in charge, glanced at Chen Changzai.

Chen Changzai nodded to Master Zhang and said, "Let's begin."

Master Zhang nodded and then shouted, "Pour out the molten steel!"

As Master Zhang's shout faded, a long, penetrating whistle rang out.

A large red flag was raised next to Master Zhang at the command post.

This is the signal to release molten steel.

The whistle and the red flag were issued simultaneously.

The molten steel, gleaming with a blinding light, flowed from the nine molten steel pools into the new steel ladles that were already waiting below.

After each ladle has collected molten steel from three pools, it is pulled to the casting position by a traction railcar.

Mr. Zhang, who was already waiting there, saw that three steel ladles, totaling nearly fifteen tons of molten steel, were in place.

He shouted, "Pour the molten steel and start casting!"

At this moment, the red flag beside him waved downwards.

With the movement of the red flag.

The three casting ladles began to tilt slowly, and the molten steel flowed quickly into the pre-set molten steel inlet along the water outlet guide.

As the molten steel entered the mold, a plume of smoke instantly emerged from several vent holes on the mold, followed by bursts of intense flames.

The raging steel flames seemed to want to burn the sky apart, intensely hot and fierce.

It's like the raging fire in Chen Changzai's and everyone else's hearts, a fire that wants to change the world.

I want to burn my way to a new world.

The molten steel has been poured out.

The steel ladle was also taken away.

The entire casting site fell silent; not a single person spoke.

Even Political Commissar He and Deputy Factory Director Xu, who were standing behind Chen Changzai, stood quietly, looking at the casting pit that was emitting smoke.

Meanwhile, Master Zhang, who was closest to the casting pit, was also watching the sparks and smoke coming out of the vent.

He was assessing the state of the molten steel in the mold.

One hour, a full hour.

Everyone just stood there quietly, watching.

At this moment, Master Zhang slowly turned around, his body somewhat stiff, and slowly walked towards where Chen Changzai was.

When they arrived in front of Chen Changzai.

A stiff smile appeared on Master Zhang's face, as if he were forcing it.

He said slowly, "It's a success."

After saying those three words, Master Zhang's body swayed and he was about to fall down.

Chen Changzai quickly caught Master Zhang, preventing him from falling.

Deputy Factory Director Xu quickly went to find a stool and placed it behind Master Zhang.

Chen Changzai helped Master Zhang sit down on a stool and asked softly, "Master Zhang, how are you feeling?"

After sitting down, Mr. Zhang took a breath and said, "It's alright, I'll be fine after a while."

Chen Changzai asked again, "Did it succeed?"

Master Zhang nodded and said, "It's a success, absolutely a success."

Judging from the color of the smoke and the flames, this time it was definitely a success.

Our approach is correct.

The underground steel components are perfectly fused together.

We really succeeded.

Hearing Master Zhang's affirmative answer.

Chen Changzai stood up straight and shouted loudly to everyone in the casting area, "We succeeded! We succeeded!"

As soon as Chen Changzai finished speaking, a thunderous roar of cheers transformed the previously quiet casting plant into a world of jubilation.

Everyone cheered, jumped, and hugged.

Seeing this enthusiastic scene, Chen Changzai muttered to himself, "Sooner or later, we will use this hard steel to smash this dark world."

Political Commissar He and Deputy Factory Director Xu both firmly stated, "Yes, smash this dark world."

　Thank you to all my friends who have supported me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)