Major Heavy Industry: Starting with a Fake Marriage

The office staff exchanged bewildered glances. Someone whispered, "It's imported equipment; we don't have the blueprints. How are we supposed to fix it?"

Factory Director Sun snapped, "You can't repair it without blueprints? What's the point of having your marketing office then?"

The scene became awkward. Jiang Cheng happened to be there, and he stood up and said, "Director Sun, I'll go take a look."

Factory Director Sun sized him up and down: "Who are you?"

"Jiang Cheng. A fitter at the Red Star Factory."

"A fitter?" Factory Manager Sun's tone was somewhat disdainful. "You think a fitter can repair Swedish machines?"

Jiang Cheng wasn't angry: "It's okay to take a look, it doesn't cost any money."

Factory Director Sun hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, you come and take a look. It's okay if you can't fix it, just don't break it."

The next day, Jiang Cheng took Huang Deqing to the mining machinery factory.

The ball mill workshop is located at the deepest part of the factory area. Upon entering, a wave of heat hits you. Although the machines have stopped, the workshop still retains the residual heat of operation, and the air is filled with the metallic smell of iron ore and the burnt smell of lubricating oil. The huge ball mill lies horizontally on the concrete foundation, like a sleeping steel giant. Its cylinder is covered with bolts, each as big as a fist. Various tools and parts are scattered around, and a thick layer of mineral dust has accumulated on the ground, soft and fluffy like snow underfoot.

Factory Director Sun led them to the machine and pointed to the main shaft: "It's right here. It made an unusual noise when it was running, which got louder and louder until it just stopped turning. We took it apart and saw that the bearings were burned out and the main shaft was worn out."

Jiang Cheng squatted down and shone a flashlight on the spindle. Sure enough, there was a deep scratch on the surface of the journal, and he could feel a clear groove when he touched it. He stood up and checked the bearing housing, lubrication system, and cooling system, leaving no detail unchecked.

Huang Deqing circled around for a few moments, then suddenly said, "Chengzi, look at the color of this lubricant."

Jiang Cheng leaned closer to take a look. The lubricating oil that had been drained from the tank was black in color and contained tiny metal particles that shimmered like stars in the flashlight beam.

"Sir, did the bearing fail first, or did the lubrication system malfunction first?"

Huang Deqing thought for a moment: "If the bearing breaks, it produces metal shavings, which contaminate the lubricating oil. If the lubricating oil gets dirty, it accelerates bearing wear. It's a vicious cycle."

Jiang Cheng nodded. He walked to the control panel, reviewed the operation logs, and asked the operators a few questions. After asking, he had a clear understanding of the situation.

"Director Sun," he walked back, "the problem has been found. The problem isn't with the spindle's quality, but with a flawed lubrication system design. The lubricating oil filter on this machine isn't precise enough; it can't filter out the debris from bearing wear, so it circulates in the system. Over time, the bearings burn out."

Factory Director Sun frowned: "Design flaw? Even the Swedes' machines have flaws?"

"Every machine has flaws. Foreigners are human too, and their attention to detail in handling some machine parts is not as good as ours," Jiang Cheng responded. "The key is how to fix it."

He took out his notebook and drew a diagram of the lubrication system, marking a few points on it: "Add a high-precision filter here, and modify the pipeline here so that the lubricating oil is filtered before returning to the oil tank. This way, the debris generated by bearing wear can be filtered out and will not be recycled."

Factory Director Sun looked at the sketch, half-believing, half-doubting: "It's that simple?"

"It sounds simple, but it's not easy to do," Jiang Cheng said. "There are no readily available high-precision filters in China, so we have to design and manufacture them ourselves. The pipeline modifications also require recalculating the flow rate and pressure; we can't just make changes arbitrarily."

Factory Director Sun slapped his thigh: "Alright! You do it! Just tell me what you need!"

Jiang Cheng didn't rush to agree. He glanced at Huang Deqing, who nodded slightly.

"Director Sun, I'm willing to do it. But I have a request, and I hope you can fulfill it."

"explain!"

"During the renovation, your factory's technicians need to be present throughout the entire process. After the renovation is complete, they need to be able to maintain and repair it themselves. I can't stay at your factory forever."

Factory Director Sun paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Good! Great! We'll do it your way!"

Not only is it free, but you can also learn the skills for free. Only a fool wouldn't do it!

For the next two weeks, Jiang Cheng practically lived at the mining machinery factory.

During the day, he led the factory's technicians to disassemble machines, measure data, and design filters. At night, he drew blueprints and calculated parameters in the guesthouse. Huang Deqing was responsible for overseeing every detail, especially the filter manufacturing process.

"This filter element uses a three-layer stainless steel mesh. The mesh openings must be uniform and without any damage," Huang Deqing said to a veteran worker at the mining plant, holding up the blueprints drawn by Jiang Cheng. "Does your factory have equipment that can make the mesh?"

The experienced craftsman looked at the blueprints and shook his head: "We can't get through such a dense net."

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment: "Then let's roll it up. Roll the stainless steel mesh into a tube, stack it layer by layer, and fix it with a frame. Although it's a little less efficient than the imported one, it'll be enough."

The experienced craftsman nodded: "We can do this."

The filter housing was a challenge. It had to withstand high pressure, couldn't have any pinholes, and required a very high level of precision in the casting process. The mine had its own foundry, but it had never made such a precise casting before.

"Master, will cast steel work?" Jiang Cheng asked Huang Deqing.

Huang Deqing shook his head: "Cast steel isn't dense enough and is prone to leakage. We need to use forgings."

"A forged piece? Where can I find such a large forged piece?"

Huang Deqing thought for a moment: "Shenyang Heavy Machinery Plant has a 10,000-ton hydraulic press that can forge. Try to find some connections."

Jiang Cheng remembered Director Zhao—the one from Shenyang Heavy Machinery Factory. He made a phone call, explained the situation, and Director Zhao agreed without hesitation: "Okay, I'll have them forge one for you. Come pick it up in three days."

Three days later, Jiang Cheng went to the heavy machinery plant to pick up the forgings. He entered the forging workshop and saw the red-hot steel ingot slowly deforming under the 10,000-ton hydraulic press, like a piece of dough being kneaded. Sparks flew, and the heat was intense. The workers, wearing asbestos suits and protective masks, operated in the high temperature. The huge hammers pounded down, each blow making the ground tremble.

After the forging was machined, it underwent multiple processes such as turning, milling, and grinding, finally becoming a precision filter housing. Jiang Cheng held it in his hands; it was heavy, and its surface gleamed with a metallic luster, like a work of art.

On the day of assembly, the workshop was packed with people.

Jiang Cheng personally installed the filter, with Huang Deqing directing from the side. The torque of every bolt, the routing of every pipe, and the installation position of every seal had to be checked repeatedly. The mine's technicians gathered in a circle, notebooks in hand, taking notes as they watched.

"Here, the sealing ring needs to be coated with a layer of grease to prevent it from curling during installation," Jiang Cheng explained as he demonstrated. "The torque for this bolt is 80 Newton-meters; it can't be more or less. Too much will damage the gasket, and too little will cause oil leaks."