Live Stream 1980: Netizens Teach Me How to Make a Rocket by Hand

Lin Xi took it and looked at it.

The fracture surface lacks the tough fibers characteristic of broken metal; instead, it resembles shattered glass, with sharp edges and a dark color.

He tried to break it with his hands.

The edges are so brittle they crumble.

"The parameters provided by the Soviet Union were based on the titanium ingot ratios from their Ural mining area."

Factory Director Liu scraped the broken edge with his fingernail.

"The iron content of our Panzhihua titanium ore is a fraction of a percent higher than theirs."

"Don't underestimate this difference."

"When a metal is placed in a vacuum and molten at high temperature, it becomes active."

"If even a tiny bit of oxygen or nitrogen gets in, the weld will become brittle."

To put it bluntly, the ingredients are different, so the recipe can't be copied exactly.

The difference of a fraction of a percent may seem insignificant on paper, but in practice, it can be a matter of life and death.

As he spoke, he turned around and pointed to a long table in the corner.

The table was covered with scraps of paper, dozens of broken test rods were lying haphazardly, and a thick stack of handwritten experimental records was pressed down next to them.

"Everyone was doing destructive stretching day and night."

"Adjust the electron beam's focal diameter, scanning speed, and beam current bit by bit."

"Every time a parameter is adjusted, a titanium alloy test plate is burned out."

As Director Liu spoke, his voice became hoarse.

"This thing is ridiculously expensive, it's so expensive I can't sleep at night."

Several technicians in dark blue work clothes were gathered around the test bench measuring data, their hands covered in black ash and metal powder embedded between their fingers.

No one looked up when the factory manager spoke; their notebooks remained in their hands the entire time.

The live stream chat is scrolling:

This is the true nature of basic industry; there are no shortcuts, only parameters achieved through the hard work and sacrifice of our predecessors.

[A single scrapped test plate cost several thousand yuan, which was a lot of money in the 80s.]

It hurts, but there's no other way but to keep fighting.

Lin Xi looked at the old technicians whose hands were covered in black mud and who didn't even have time to lift their heads, and felt a little heavy-hearted.

But he also knew that this kind of trial and error couldn't be rushed.

The Soviets provided the technology, but the titanium ore was different, the smelting process was different, the humidity in the workshop was different, and even the vacuum pump efficiency was different.

Every variable must be tested using a trial and error board; there are no shortcuts.

Factory Director Liu sighed and frankly revealed the truth:

"At the current rate of exploration, it will take at least several more months."

"We need to thoroughly understand the unique parameters of our domestically produced titanium ore before we can conduct the first full-scale ignition test welding."

Lin Xi put down the scrap materials and solemnly nodded in the direction of the technicians:

Good food is worth waiting for.

"Welding parameters are the lifeblood of a spacecraft; they must be rigorously controlled."

"We can wait a few months."

……

After leaving the welding area, Factory Director Liu led Lin Xi deeper into the workshop.

After passing through two isolation doors, the view suddenly opened up.

In an assembly area the size of a football field, the core stage section of the Red Star 2 rocket lies horizontally on a giant gantry.

The aluminum alloy cylindrical section, with a diameter of 3.3 meters, gleams with a silvery-white metallic luster.

The surface was covered with red tape, on which were written process numbers.

Dozens of workers swarmed around the compartment like ants.

Some people carried aluminum ladders up the stairs, while others squatted on the ground rummaging through toolboxes looking for wrenches.

Two sheet metal workers were carrying a frame piece and ran from twenty meters away. They almost collided with the worker pushing the material cart halfway there.

An experienced craftsman stood beside the workbench, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Where's the size six wrench?"

The apprentice slapped his forehead, turned around and ran to the other end of the workshop.

In one round trip, nearly two hundred meters were gone.

Factory Director Liu's tone carried a hint of pride as he introduced the factory:

"Since using the modular and standardized interfaces promoted by your Red Star, the manufacturing efficiency of this chip has been much faster than before."

"The pipeline and flange interfaces are now universal."

"The production efficiency of this section of the Red Star No. 2 bundle is 30% faster than before!"

Lin Xi did not respond immediately.

He stood still, scanning the entire work area from left to right.

The entire work area appeared very busy, but somewhat chaotic.

The cabin remains stationary, but the people move.

The workers circled the fixed platform, going up and down, inside and out.

Ladders were moved around, tools were run around, and semi-finished parts were piled up at the foot of the platform, waiting for their turn to be called.

There's always someone waiting between two processes.

Waiting for the crane, waiting for the tools, waiting for the workers from the previous process to finish up and clear the space.

Lin Xi did a quick mental calculation.

From the moment a cargo segment is placed on the rack to its completion and removal, the effective working hours account for about 40% of the total time. The remaining 60% is spent on waiting, handling, and personnel scheduling.

Seeing that Lin Xi remained silent, Director Liu assumed he was looking at the details and added:

"Our group of workers are all skilled workers."

"This section is just too big; it takes a lot of effort to climb up and down."

Lin Xi turned to look at Factory Director Liu, her tone respectful but extremely serious:

"Director Liu, everyone has really worked hard."

"But this speed cannot meet the future needs of Project 851."

Upon hearing this, not only was Factory Director Liu stunned, but the workshop directors following behind him also stopped in their tracks.

In their experience, this has always been the case in spacecraft manufacturing.

The items were too big to carry around, so we had to pile people on top of them.

The competition is about efficiency at a single point, who can work faster, and whose weld is more aesthetically pleasing.

One of the workshop foremen couldn't help but mutter:

"Deputy Team Leader Lin, rockets are such big pieces of metal, we can't just manufacture them like bicycles using an assembly line, can we?"

Several workers around him nodded in agreement.

Rockets are built on test benches; that's common sense.

Lin Xi shook her head.

Why can't the rocket move?

His voice wasn't loud.

Just then, a crane stopped, and the workshop fell silent for a moment.

These words traveled several meters away.

Why can't the rocket move?

This question sounds simple.

But placing it in this 80s aerospace workshop is like someone hitting everyone's old experience with a hammer.

Lin Xi raised his hand and pointed to the cabin section lying horizontally on the platform.

"We need to use the mindset of manufacturing cars to create a 'pulse production line'."

"Let the rocket move around the workshop by itself."

Factory Director Liu and several workshop directors looked at each other in bewilderment.

How can a rocket weighing tens of tons move like a car assembly line in a workshop?

This doesn't sound like a production plan.

It's like assigning a workday to a lump of iron.

To them, this was no different than telling the metal objects to line up for work.

The live stream chat is scrolling:

[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! A pulse production line!!!]

While others are still building up their numbers, Lin Shen has already started implementing his system!

[This thing wasn't used on a large scale in the aerospace field until after 2010 in the original timeline!]

[Lin Shen is going to do this in the 80s??? That's incredibly ahead of its time!!!]

The scene was quiet.

Lin Xi glanced at the watch on her wrist:

"Could you please lend me a meeting room?"

"I'll draw it for you."