Chapter 530: Wanshang's Machine Tool Breakout

The news about graphene spread within Wanshang that day, and the security level of the Nanshan R&D Center was quietly raised by one grade.

Two new facial‑recognition turnstiles were added outside the main gate, and the side gate that previously allowed card entry was closed all day. Anyone entering the sixth‑floor New Materials Laboratory must pass three checks—face, staff badge, fingerprint—with none omitted. The elevator's card reader was replaced with a new one, and ordinary employees' cards cannot access above the fifth floor.

Li Yaozong stood at the R&D Center entrance, watching the researchers queue to pass through the turnstiles.

Chen Feng said beside him.

"Director Li, the news spread too fast. Yesterday alone I received seven headhunter calls, all trying to poach people."

Li Yaozong nodded.

"We protect what must be protected, hide what must be hidden. Core data can only be seen by members of the project team."

Chen Feng nodded.

"It's already underway."

The two entered the elevator; Chen Feng swiped his card and pressed the sixth floor.

The elevator doors opened onto a long corridor. At the corridor's end were two doors, one leading to the New Materials Laboratory, the other to another area.

Li Yaozong glanced at that door.

"What's beyond there?"

Chen Feng smiled.

"Follow me."

He swiped open the door, revealing a staircase descending downward.

After three flights, he pushed open a heavy soundproof door, and the view opened up.

It was an underground Workshop covering two thousand square meters. Overhead were dense pipelines, and beneath the floor was antistatic flooring.

Dozens of equipment of varying sizes were neatly arranged; the machine at the very center was covered by a transparent protective shield, with several engineers tuning it.

Li Yaozong stood at the doorway, stunned for a moment.

"When was this built?"

Chen Feng said.

"Ten years ago. The lithography machine and CNC machine tool projects required secrecy. It was inconvenient above ground, so we dug it underground."

A man in his fifties walked over, wearing a white work uniform and holding a test report.

"Director Li, Director Chen."

Chen Feng introduced.

"This is Engineer Song, the person in charge of the lithography machine project. He was poached from Shanghai Microelectronics and has been in the field for thirty‑five years."

Li Yaozong shook his hand.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Engineer Song shook his head.

"Not hard at all. After a lifetime of work, we finally see some results."

He led Li Yaozong to the machine covered by the transparent shield.

It was a massive apparatus, two stories tall, with a dense network of pipelines spreading like veins. The core of the machine was concealed, leaving only an observation window exposed.

"This is our first immersion lithography machine."

Engineer Song's voice was a bit excited: "Twenty‑eight‑nanometer resolution, overlay accuracy three nanometers. Compared with the Dutch ASML's equivalent products, it's a generation behind, but it works."

Li Yaozong looked at the machine.

"Can it be mass‑produced?"

Engineer Song nodded.

"Yes. The yield is seventy‑five percent and still improving."

Li Yaozong was silent for a few seconds.

"Later we won't have to rely on imports and get choked?"

Engineer Song smiled.

"No longer needed."

Leaving the lithography machine Workshop, Chen Feng led Li Yaozong through a fire door into another area.

The equipment here was smaller but more numerous. Dozens of machine tools were neatly arranged, some running and emitting a low, steady hum.

A woman in her forties stepped forward.

"Director Li, Director Chen."

Chen Feng introduced.

"This is Director Tang, the person in charge of the CNC machine tool project. He was the chief engineer of the former Dalian Machine Tool Plant, poached by us."

Director Tang spoke crisply.

"Director Li, please follow me."

She walked to the largest machine tool, patting its silver‑gray body.

"This is our six‑axis five‑link CNC machine tool, code name 'Tian Gong No. 1'."

Li Yaozong looked at the machine. Its structure was far more complex than an ordinary machine tool, with multiple axis arms spreading like a spider's legs, and the central spindle glowed with a cold light.

"What can it do?"

Director Tang pointed to a finished part beside it.

"This is a turbine blade for an aircraft engine. A five‑axis machine tool takes eight hours; our machine does it in three and a half hours."

Li Yaozong picked up the blade.

It was light yet hard. The surface was as smooth as a mirror, with no burrs at all.

Director Tang led Li Yaozong to a whiteboard, on which complex technical diagrams were drawn.

The core of a six-axis machine tool is motion control.

She pointed with her pen at several points on the drawing.

First, six-axis linkage interpolation. The X, Y, Z three linear axes plus the A, B, C three rotary axes must move synchronously without hesitation. Our control system is self-written, with interpolation precision of 0.1 micrometer.

Li Yaozong looked at that drawing.

How does it compare to foreign ones?

Tang Zong thought for a moment.

Compared to Siemens' top-tier system, it's still a bit lacking, but it's stronger than Fanuc's mid-range system.

She continued speaking.

Second, servo drive. The motor is high-response absolute value, equipped with a linear scale, positioning precision of 0.5 micrometer. No crawling at low speed, no overshoot at high speed.

Third, error compensation. Geometric error, thermal deformation, and force-induced deformation all need compensation. We measured over a hundred points with a laser interferometer, wrote the error data into the system, and correct in real time.

She pointed to the machine tool that was running.

During machining, the probe measures online. If it detects a size error, it automatically adjusts the tool path. This is called closed-loop machining.

Li Yaozong walked up to that machine tool and, through the observation window, watched the machining process inside.

A titanium alloy blank was fixed on the rotary table, the spindle drove the tool to rotate at high speed, six axes moved simultaneously, and the tool tip moved along a complex trajectory. The titanium chips cut off were as fine as hair, flushed away by the coolant.

What is being machined? Li Yaozong asked.

Tang Zong said.

Aerospace structural parts. Originally required twelve processes, using four machine tools. Now one machine, one clamping, finishes everything.

She paused.

Precision is 0.003 millimeter, equivalent to one-thirtieth of a hair.

Li Yaozong looked at the part being formed.

What material is it?

Titanium alloy. The hard-to-machine kind. On an ordinary machine tool, the tool would be ruined after one hour. Our machine can run continuously for eight hours.

Tang Zong continued speaking.

Fourth, process programming. The tool paths for a six-axis machine tool cannot be done with ordinary software; you need dedicated CAM and custom post-processing.

She pointed to a computer beside it.

This software suite is self-developed. Import the design drawing, it automatically generates tool paths, simulates automatically, and detects interference automatically.

Li Yaozong looked at the three-dimensional model on the screen.

In the model, the tool moves along a complex trajectory; each feed and each retraction are clearly visible.

Only after simulation passes will it go onto the machine tool," Tang Zong said, "to avoid collisions.

Chen Feng added from the side.

Mr. Li, this technology is not just the machine tool itself; there is also a supporting intelligent system.

He pointed to a control cabinet beside the machine tool.

Inside are more than thirty sensors. Spindle load, vibration, temperature are collected in real time. Data is transmitted to the backend, where AI automatically analyzes. When tool wear reaches a certain level, the system issues a warning. It can also give advance notice of which part is about to fail.

Li Yaozong looked at that control cabinet.

Can it predict failures?

Chen Feng nodded.

Yes. Predictive maintenance. Not fix after breakdown, but repair before failure. Downtime can be reduced by seventy percent.

After leaving the underground workshop, Li Yaozong remained silent for a long time.

During the elevator's ascent, he never spoke.

Chen Feng asked softly beside him.

Mr. Li, what do you think?

Li Yaozong turned his head.

How much of this technology is our own?

Chen Feng thought for a moment.

The control system is self-written. The mechanical structure is our design. The software is our development. The error compensation algorithm is our exploration.

He looked at Li Yaozong.

It can be said that over ninety percent is our own. The remaining ten percent are generic components, procured globally.

Li Yaozong nodded.

Enough.

One month later, the German Hannover Machine Tool Exhibition.

Wanshang's booth was in an inconspicuous corner. On the booth stood only one machine tool and some machined samples.

On the first day, hardly anyone came by.

On the second day, a few German engineers passing by glanced at the samples and stopped.

On the third day, a queue formed in front of the booth.

A German old man with a full head of white hair stared at a microscope for a long time. He picked up a turbine blade, turned it over and over, then asked the translator.

Is this machined by you?

The translator nodded.

What tolerance?

0.003 millimeter.

The old man fell silent for a few seconds.

"Impossible."

He pointed at a curve on the blade.

"This curvature can't be done with a five‑axis machine tool. It must be six‑axis."

The translator said.

"We're using six axes."

The old man was stunned for a moment.

He lifted his head and looked at the silver‑gray machine tool behind the booth.

"From China?"

The translator nodded.

The old man stared for a long time again.

Then he extended his hand.

"May I take a look at your machine tool?"

On the afternoon of the third day, the award results were announced.

Wanshang's "Tian Gong No. 1" won the Innovation Gold Award at the Hannover Machine Tool Exhibition.

This was the first time a Chinese machine tool had won this award.

The news reached home, and Li Yaozong's Telephone was bombarded with calls.

The first call that came in was from an unknown number.

"Is this Director Li? I'm from Aerospace Science and Industry, and I'd like to talk with you."

The second was from the Aviation Industry.

"Can your machine tools process engine blades? We need them urgently."

The third was from the Weaponry Industry.

"What is the precision? Can it work with titanium alloy? When can you deliver?"

Fang Wenshan was tallying beside him.

Within a day, seventeen military‑industrial companies sent purchase intents.

A week later, the first batch of orders was signed.

Aerospace Science and Industry: five units.

Aviation Industry: eight units.

Weaponry Industry: six units.

Total amount: 570 million.

Li Yaozong stared at those contracts and remained silent for a long time.

Chen Feng said beside him.

"Director Li, this is only the beginning. There are even bigger ones to come."

Li Yaozong lifted his head.

"Can the production capacity keep up?"

Chen Feng nodded.

"The underground Workshop now produces thirty units a year. Once the new plant is completed next year, it can reach one hundred."

At seven p. m., Li Yaozong sat alone in his office.

Outside the window, Shenzhen's night was deep. In the distance, the Nanshan R&D Center glowed brightly, and in the underground Workshop, the "Tian Gong No. 1" was still running.

He recalled ten years ago, when he first went to Germany to inspect machine tools. Back then, they wouldn't let him enter the Workshop, only allowed him to view PPTs in the conference room. When he asked about technical details, they smiled and said it was a trade secret.

At that time, he stood at the factory gate, seeing equipment decades ahead of his own, and thought only: One day, we will also be able to make it.

Now, we've made it.

Not only have we made it, we've also won a major award, and military‑industrial firms are scrambling to buy it.

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside, the city's lights formed a continuous sea. Within those lights, countless people were working overtime, pulling all‑nighters, building machines, writing code, and researching materials only an atom thick.

They are the seeds of this city.

And he is merely the one responsible for watering.