Courtyard Houses: The Great Masters of a Nation Hidden Within

Engineer Chen stared at the paper for half an hour, his eyes almost never leaving it.

Gao Jianguo didn't urge him; he just sat there quietly and waited.

The framework of this thermocouple material is similar to the previous one, but frankly, the design depth is not as thorough.

The previous document was simple, and the drawings had been prepared long ago.

Gao Jianguo knew the technical details of the n-type thermocouple, but he dared not write it down because he couldn't explain it.

He didn't even mention the words "n-type thermocouple".

However, he clearly explained in detail what thermocouples can be used for, what their principles are, what conditions the factory currently has, what it still lacks, what it needs, and how to proceed with the research step by step.

The entire document is very convincing.

After examining it carefully for half an hour, Engineer Chen took off his glasses and rubbed his eye sockets.

"You're a promising young man, Xiao Gao. Tell me your thoughts in detail. Although the materials have covered a lot, I still want to hear your ideas firsthand."

Gao Jianguo sorted out the mess in his mind and began to speak.

"When I was in the workshop, I discovered that temperature is a factor that permeates the entire production process in our factory."

"The handover of almost all processes, how to handle things within the process, when to start, and what the finished product will look like—all of this requires monitoring the temperature."

He also casually mentioned a few examples he had witnessed firsthand.

Engineer Chen nodded.

"You have a keen eye; you're absolutely right."

Gao Jianguo continued speaking.

"But after observing the actual production situation, I found that the workers basically rely on experience, observing external changes, and using time as a secondary factor to judge the temperature."

"I also looked through the relevant process documents and work instructions, which are the factory's regulations. Although I didn't have enough time and my own skills aren't up to par, I didn't read them all. But the procedures described are exactly how the workers actually do their jobs, and they really follow them perfectly."

At this point, he changed the subject and softened his tone.

Engineer Chen burst out laughing.

"You slippery fellow, why don't you just say there are no rules in the factory and that'll be fine?"

Gao Jianguo quickly straightened his face.

"No, no, I genuinely think the factory's standards are already very good. Given the limited resources, it's really impressive that they can guide the workers to do their jobs this well."

Sure enough, a hint of smugness appeared on Engineer Chen's face, and it seemed that he thought so too.

Gao Jianguo continued speaking.

"I think the current method of relying on production experts and indirect parameters to judge the production status is not unusable, but it is clearly hindering efforts to further improve quality and increase efficiency."

"More importantly, if the production line is to undergo technological upgrades in the future, becoming automated or semi-automated, the current situation will become a major problem."

Engineer Chen highly approves of Gao Jianguo's awareness.

"That's right. A production expert... Hmm, Xiao Gao, you're quite insightful, haha."

"Hehe, I just think that the frontline workers are real experts in actual production, much better than someone like me who just graduated from school."

Gao Jianguo said this modestly, and then continued the conversation from before.

"Back when I was in school, I looked through some materials on this topic in the library. I work in automation, so I paid attention to sensors and taught myself about them for a while."

"I plan to do it in two steps: first, I'll make a copy, and then I'll modify it. I'm quite confident in my ability to copy, so this way the results will be more reliable."

Engineer Chen liked Gao Jianguo's down-to-earth and unpretentious spirit, and nodded.

Tell me about your difficulties.

"There are two main difficulties. One is that we need nickel, but we basically don't have any nickel ore domestically; it's all imported from our big brother. We're a steel rolling mill, not a steelmaking plant, so we don't know if we can find any ourselves. Fortunately, the quantity isn't large."

Engineer Chen knows this matter very well.

"Yes, the factory doesn't have many, but I can ask the steel mill for a hand. I still have that much influence, and besides, it's also contributing to the country."

"The other one is the high-temperature furnace. I've looked through them all, and the K-type thermocouple with a temperature of 1300 degrees Celsius is the most suitable for our factory. Actually, it's suitable for most factories as well. The one I plan to replicate and then modify is this one. The furnace needs to be heated to 1300 degrees Celsius."

"Corey's lab doesn't have that. The factory does have a furnace that can reach that temperature, but it's production equipment, and the amount of material fed in at once would be too large, which isn't suitable."

"If you really can't find any, you can build one yourself using silicon carbide heating elements. There are imported ones available domestically, but the factory has to handle this."

Upon hearing this, Engineer Chen burst out laughing.

"What a coincidence, Corey just got two silicon carbide heating furnaces, originally intended for testing, but they're perfect for you to use now."

Gao Jianguo slapped his thigh.

"That would be wonderful!"

Engineer Chen made the decision on the spot.

"Let's get this done!"

After thinking it over for a moment, he immediately started assigning tasks.

"Here's the plan: you just need to be the lead person for the return air furnace; I'll arrange for someone else to handle the specifics. Thermocouples are the main focus now; those things are pointless."

"Haha, as long as you're officially in charge, that's enough. The blueprints are this detailed; if the tech guys still can't figure it out, they should just go home and sell sweet potatoes."

Gao Jianguo nodded.

"Okay, that way I'll have a lot more free time."

Engineer Chen patted the document about the thermocouple.

"You'll personally lead this project, and I'll assign you four people to get it done."

Gao Jianguo shook his head.

"You'll have to carry the banner; I'll just handle the actual work. Honestly, without you leading the charge, I'm afraid things would be difficult to coordinate since I've only been here a few days."

Chen was very satisfied with Gao Jianguo from all sides, and he no longer hid it from him.

"What are you afraid of? You're someone I personally trained. With me as your master backing you up, who would dare not give it their all in something this important? Come find me!"

This statement makes it clear that in this day and age, good masters are hard to find, and good disciples are just as sought after.

Gao Jianguo stopped making excuses and climbed up the ladder.

"Thank you in advance, Master, hehe. But I can't always turn to you for help. How about this, you be the team leader and I'll be the deputy team leader?"

Upon hearing this, Engineer Chen felt it made sense.

"Okay, it's settled then."

Chen was overjoyed to have found such a good apprentice.

In this day and age, such a master-disciple relationship is truly like that of father and son, very particular, a lifelong entrustment that cannot be changed even if one wanted to.

The reason why Yi Zhonghai continued to take care of the Jia family even after his apprentice's death lies in this.

Old Chen stopped calling him Xiao Gao, clearly feeling that the way he addressed him was too formal.

"Jianguo, what kind of people are you planning to hire for this team?"

Gao Jianguo said.

"Master, this is what I'm thinking. For four people, I need three technicians from the technical department. I'm worried about what others might think if I hire engineers, and besides, I already have a good idea of ​​what to do with them. Technicians are enough. For the last one, I'd like to find a skilled, experienced worker."

"Hmm, what you said makes sense. Those engineers might not be convinced by you, but unfortunately, they've missed out on this opportunity. Old worker, who do you want?"

"Don't worry, Master. It won't be long before I make sure they're completely convinced, haha. That old worker, I've got my eye on him—it's that old man in our yard, Yi Zhonghai, the level eight fitter."

"He's the perfect person to handle the thermocouple protection tube job; the project is quick and won't interfere with his other tasks."

Old Chen is the top technical expert in the factory, and he knows all the outstanding people.

"Oh, him? Hmm, not bad, not bad. I'll get the borrowing paperwork done for you today."

"No rush, no rush. I'll go to his place tonight to invite him to join the team, talk to him and get things going before sending the letter. It should be fine. If all else fails, then I'll ask you to step in."

"Hmm, you've thought of everything. Okay, then you go back to the department first. I'll handle the approval procedures for these two plans for you, and then arrange for someone else."

"These two plans of yours won't cost much, you won't need to attend factory meetings, and it'll be quick."

Old Chen, the chief engineer, took on all the responsibilities himself.