Sail across the sea

Chapter 576 The Wise and Intelligent Chief Engineer Pan
"Has Chief Engineer Pan worked on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)?"

Gao Fan asked Pan Yue.

Pan Yue frowned and muttered, "It's just PTFE, why are you planning to get into this too? We already have three sets of equipment in Shuainan, two of which were imported, and one is a copy of the imported equipment. What are you planning to do?"

"Of course, we'll go all out," Gao Fan chuckled.

He knew Lao Pan's temper all too well. This guy was a low-EQ individual, and now that he was older and had achieved some success, he had even more bad habits. You can't indulge this kind of person; you have to be tough with him to make him behave.

"The PTFE equipment you imported from abroad uses technology that's two generations behind. It's inefficient, produces poor quality products, and isn't competitive in the international market. It can only meet the low-end demand in China. If I'm going to develop something, I'll naturally develop the most advanced technology, leaving your imported equipment far behind," Gao Fan said arrogantly.

"Leave them two streets behind? Humph!"

Pan Yue reflexively prepared to complain, but stopped halfway through his sentence.

Of the three existing equipment sets in Shuainan Province, two were imported, and the other set, although built by the Water Chemical Equipment Company, was a copy of the imported equipment set, not an original creation of the Water Chemical Equipment Company. His attempt to mock Gao Fan using someone else's technology was rather unconvincing.

Another reason he shut up was that he was aware of Gao Fan's technical expertise. He had observed Canghai Chemical's development of the Vitamin C plant and discovered many remarkable aspects in its design. Upon further inquiry, he learned that these were all thanks to Gao Fan's inspiration.

He also knew about the early days when the chemical design institute modified the "ammonia to urine" design. It was said that Gao Fan contributed a lot of new ideas, which almost completely overturned the original design. At that time, Gao Fan was only 16 years old and just a high school student.

Pan Yue really didn't dare to doubt this freak who said he was going to create a device that could leave imported PTFE far behind.

"Mr. Gao, you just said that using your equipment to produce PTFE, the quality can be compared with imported PTFE?" Yu Guorong sensed something amiss and interjected.

He now specializes in chemical materials. Although his company mainly produces polyester, he has also paid attention to other materials. PTFE is known as the "King of Plastics," belonging to the highest-end plastics... how could Yu Guorong not know that?

He even had his subordinates investigate the PTFE production process, considering whether they could gain a foothold in this market. The results were somewhat disappointing; domestically produced PTFE was of inferior quality to imported products and offered no price advantage, surviving solely on government protectionist policies.

Some industry insiders claim that if China successfully reopens its WTO accession and fully opens its market, the inexpensive and high-quality PTFE from abroad will flood the market, forcing all domestic factories to close down.

Just as Yu Guorong had given up on the idea, he heard Gao Fan say that he wanted to develop PTFE, and even claimed that the technology was much better than the imported PTFE. How could Yu Guorong not be overjoyed?

“If we’re going to do it, we have to do the best. The domestic market for PTFE isn’t that big. If we want to do it on a large scale, we have to target the export market. If we’re going to export, the quality has to be guaranteed. The kind that Chief Engineer Pan and his team are making is selling like hotcakes.” Gao Fan continued to stab Pan Yue in the heart.

"What do you mean by 'the kind we made'!" Pan Yue was indeed provoked. He argued, "The client specifically asked us to copy the imported equipment. We were afraid of intellectual property disputes, so we made more than 20 improvements on the original design, and the performance was even better than the imported equipment."

“But the technology of the imported equipment itself is somewhat outdated, only equivalent to the level of foreign countries in the late 70s. No matter how we improve it, we can’t break through the limitations of the original design. Is this our fault?” “No, no, of course it’s not Chief Engineer Pan’s fault.”

Gao Fan's expression changed faster than flipping through a book; in the blink of an eye, he was all smiles. He comforted Pan Yue, saying:
"I've known about Chief Engineer Pan's skill level for ten years now. He is undoubtedly the third best in the country. If anyone dares to say that Chief Engineer Pan's skill level is not good, I'll argue with him."

"Third in the country?" Pan Yue asked curiously. "Who are the top two you mentioned?"

Honestly, Lao Pan really didn't want to find the top two to compete against, and he didn't believe any of that nonsense about being the third best in the country. It was just that Gao Fan's words were too suggestive, and they immediately diverted his attention.

Gao Fan didn't answer Pan Yue's silly question. Instead, he took out a roll of blueprints, handed it to Pan Yue, and said:
"Chief Engineer Pan, I have a schematic diagram here, which was made by our Canghai Research Institute. I would like to ask the Water Chemistry Design Institute to convert it into the final process design, then manufacture the equipment, and complete the installation and commissioning."

"However, I must make this clear from the outset: the intellectual property rights of this design belong to our Canghai Research Institute, and you are not allowed to use it. If any other company wants to use the same design, they should negotiate with Canghai Research Institute and pay a technology usage fee."

Upon seeing the blueprints, Pan Yue immediately stopped worrying about the top three or four positions. He took the blueprints, spread them out on his large desk, and began to study them.

Gao Fan and Yu Guorong also stood up and gathered around the blueprints. Yu Guorong was from a farming background and didn't have much education, but he had been working in the chemical industry for many years and had participated in many technical seminars with engineers, so he had developed some ability to read blueprints. At this moment, he was also staring at the blueprints, pondering what the production equipment would look like.

"The highlight of your process lies in the F22 pyrolysis stage. To improve production efficiency, the mixing of superheated steam and F22 is key. The flow rate and pyrolysis temperature of the superheated steam are the most important technical secrets of the entire process. This cannot be seen from the equipment alone. Even if other companies copy your design, they will not be able to crack your technology without mastering the core parameters."

Pan Yue said to Gao Fan as he looked at the document.

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from the wise and insightful Chief Engineer Pan." Gao Fan gave Pan Yue a thumbs up, which earned him a loud snort from Pan Yue.

Yu Guorong's face beamed with joy.

Previously, Gao Fan had said he would hand over the equipment to Pan Yue for manufacturing, which Yu Guorong felt was inappropriate.

He didn't believe his competitors would respect intellectual property rights. The equipment was manufactured at the water treatment plant, and the blueprints were practically public knowledge; if other companies wanted to copy it, the water treatment plant certainly wouldn't refuse.

This means that the advanced technology that originally belonged to them was taken by others for free, and their own products lost their unique competitiveness.

Now, after hearing Pan Yue's explanation, he understood that Gao Fan wasn't stupid. The reason he dared to hand over the blueprints to Pan Yue was because the core technology couldn't be seen on the blueprints.

(End of this chapter)