The car giant started by marrying the daughter of the king

Chapter 449: Industry events are not so exaggerated

The National Day of 1988 had just passed, and national flags were still hung on many roads in Shenzhen, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Under such circumstances, the launch ceremony of Nanshan Transmission's first 5AT automatic transmission product in the world was officially held.

For such a major technological breakthrough, the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics Industry and relevant ministries and commissions naturally arranged personnel to participate.

Zhu Jiansheng even personally led a team to support Jiang Hui.

Major domestic automobile factories, including FAW, Second FAW, Capital Automobile Works, Shanghai Automobile Works, and Yangcheng Automobile Works, also arranged for their factory directors and chief engineers to attend the event.

Global auto giants such as General Motors, Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen have also arranged for their own R&D or procurement leaders to participate in the event.

It can be said that this was definitely the largest event in the Chinese automobile industry in 1988.

Even related activities organized by industry associations cannot reach this scale.

"Dean, it seems that it is the right choice for us to set up the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering in Shenzhen."

"Just relying on the cooperation with BMW Group, the influence of our college in China has risen several levels."

As the director of the Vehicle Engineering Department of Capital University of Technology Shenzhen Branch, Ma Guocheng has witnessed the rise of BMW Group firsthand.

He and Lai Yongfeng and others had been dealing with Jiang Hui for a long time.

Even some of Jiang Hui's professional courses in his junior year were taught by them.

As Zhu Zhengfeng's right-hand men, Lai Yongfeng and Ma Guocheng were also promoted very quickly.

Today, they are both relatively well-known figures in the Shenzhen Branch of Capital University of Technology.

In particular, Lai Yongfeng, as the dean of the School of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, has become a rising scholar in the domestic automotive industry.

"The BMW Group has indeed brought us many surprises in terms of vehicle design, component design, gearbox and engine."

"But I'm not surprised that they can become the world's first manufacturer to break through 5AT automatic transmission technology this time."

After Lai Yongfeng said this, Ma Guocheng looked over with curiosity.

After all, this statement is different from what many people think.

For most people at home and abroad, it is definitely a surprise that Nanshan Transmission, a Chinese company, became the first manufacturer to break through 5AT.

This is not normal.

But Lai Yongfeng actually said that he was not surprised.

"Old Ma, you should still remember that Jiang Hui's university graduation project was a 4MT manual transmission, right?"

"The 4MT at the Capital Gear Factory was actually produced under Jiang Hui's guidance."

"After Nanshan Transmission was established, the 4AT and 5MT transmissions it launched were also designed by Jiang Hui himself."

"It can be said that Jiang Hui is absolutely professional when it comes to gearboxes."

"I even suspect that when he was in college, he was not only researching 4MT manual transmissions, but also automatic transmissions. It's just that there was no need to present his research results all at once so early."

It has to be said that although Lai Yongfeng's statement is not entirely true, it is logically tenable.

Regardless of the industry, a talented designer with all-round technical skills is as important as any other engineer.

Especially when it comes to innovative work, the influence of such talented designers is even greater.

"Dean, what you said seems to make sense."

"Originally, I was a little worried that after Nanshan Transmission launched the 5AT, it would be very difficult for it to maintain its leading position in the future."

"Now that I hear you say that, it seems that the next generation of 6AT automatic transmissions will most likely come from Nanshan Transmissions."

"It seems that it is necessary to keep communicating with Nanshan Transmission and update the gearbox design course of our college to a certain extent."

"Especially for graduate students who are designing gearboxes, they should be arranged to have a good internship there."

In the future, students from Capital University of Technology Shenzhen Campus will definitely be given priority to enter the BMW Group.

Based on the needs of each major, they will be assigned to relevant companies.

This should be something that is completely in line with the expectations of most graduates and also in line with the expectations of the BMW Group.

"Well, we need to strengthen the industry-university-research cooperation in the future."

"Universities conduct forward-looking scientific research and then develop together with enterprises."

"Now it seems like companies are doing forward-looking research, and universities are following behind."

"This is not normal."

Lai Yongfeng has connections, abilities, and background, so naturally he hopes to achieve more results.

Now he has become an important figure in Shenzhen Branch.

He has a dream, which is to build Capital University of Technology Shenzhen Branch into an independent university.

Just like California Institute of Technology, it has many branches in the United States, but each branch actually operates independently.

It just keeps the same name on the prefix.

If this goal is achieved, then his administrative level will naturally be improved.

If he is transferred to other vice-ministerial universities in the future, he can directly become the president.

Either going from a university to work in a ministry, or going to a local area, are all very good choices.

The prerequisite is to run the Shenzhen branch well.

"Well, I will organize a meeting with the teachers in the department and emphasize this aspect."

"At the same time, we will also further absorb some technical experts from the BMW Group into our teaching team."

Lai Yongfeng and Ma Guocheng were just spectators at today's event.

Being able to invite you to participate in the event is all thanks to our close cooperative relationship.

Fortunately, the two of them were very conscious and did not go up to greet the leaders of the ministries or Lingnan Province.

However, compared to these two spectators, many other people from the OEMs have no way of being spectators.

"Jiang, you guys have brought us a huge surprise this time."

"Before I came to China, I had already reported your 5AT matter to President Peterson."

"As long as the R&D center has confirmed that there are no doubts about the performance of your product, our Lincoln SUV to be launched in the second half of next year will be equipped with your 5AT automatic transmission first."

As the purchasing director of Ford Motor Company, Grant arrived in Shenzhen two days in advance.

Considering that many of the BMW Group's parts businesses are closely related to Ford Motor Company, Jiang Hui and Ji Hua personally had dinner with Grant.

Dinner parties like this inevitably revolve around work.

Unlike some dinner parties in China, where the things to be done are not discussed from beginning to end, but if everyone has enough food and drink, and the second party is also well arranged, then things are almost done.

"Our 5AT automatic transmission is like a sophisticated Swiss watch, with every gear and every shaft working together precisely to ensure smooth and efficient power transmission."

"Unlike the traditional 4AT gearbox, the structural feature of our 5AT gearbox is that it adopts a parallel shaft design."

“This is a very different layout than a conventional planetary gear mechanism.”

All kinds of information will be officially displayed tomorrow. There will naturally be no problem if I introduce it to Ford Motor Company in advance today.

This is the first company that has clearly stated that it will adopt Nanshan Transmission's 5AT.

Jiang Hui naturally wanted to take this opportunity to give a good introduction.

“Parallel axis design?”

Grant is in purchasing, not design.

But he is familiar with most of the parts.

In addition, before the business trip, I also learned about the situation in the gearbox industry, so I knew even more.

Obviously, Jiang Hui's introduction attracted his attention from the very beginning.

"Yes, our 5AT is a parallel axis design."

"This design optimizes the internal space of the gearbox and makes the gear arrangement more compact, thus achieving a compact size and reduced weight."

"Its five sets of gears correspond to the five forward gears, and each set is controlled by a sophisticated synchronizer to ensure smooth and unimpeded gear shifting."

The 5AT that Jiang Hui gave to Nanshan Transmission was inspired by Honda's most classic parallel shaft 5AT automatic transmission.

This is recognized as the most classic 5AT product in the industry.

Although it was soon replaced by 6AT, 8AT and CVT, its classic status cannot be denied.

"According to what you said, it should be troublesome to design it, right?"

When communicating with people who know the subject, you can often get to the point with just a few simple sentences.

Grant is clearly such a person.

"Yes, there are still many difficulties in design that need to be overcome."

“Especially how to arrange multiple sets of gears in a limited space and ensure their stability and durability at high speeds.”

“Our engineers have found the best meshing angle and tooth shape between gears, as well as the optimal material heat treatment process, through precise calculations and countless tests to meet this challenge.”

“In addition, the design of the hydraulic control system is also a big challenge.”

“It requires precise control of oil pressure to achieve fast and smooth gear changes, which requires a deep understanding of fluid mechanics and fine tuning.”

Anyway, now only Nanshan Transmission has developed a 5AT automatic transmission.

There is nothing wrong with Jiang Hui bragging no matter how much he does.

"Does your 5AT have any special advantages over 4AT?"

Although we know that the more gears there are, the more obvious the advantages in all aspects.

But Grant still wanted to hear the relevant introduction from Jiang Hui himself.

"The excellent performance of our 5AT transmission is reflected in many aspects."

"First, its gear shift response is fast. Almost at the moment the driver steps on the accelerator, the gearbox can accurately understand the intention and execute the gear shift. This tacit cooperation makes the driving experience more direct and enjoyable."

"The traditional 4AT, whether produced by us or by Aisin, ZF or BorgWarner, cannot do this."

"Secondly, its fuel economy is excellent, saving more than 4% fuel compared to models using 8AT under the same conditions."

"This is mainly due to the close gear ratio and efficient transmission efficiency. The engine power is converted into the vehicle's driving force to the maximum extent, reducing energy waste."

“Another advantage is its high reliability, which allows it to maintain stable performance even in adverse driving conditions.”

"So Ford doesn't need to worry about quality at all."

During the introduction, Jiang Hui naturally had to promote his own products frequently.

Although Ford Motor is not as big as GM, it is also a world-class auto giant. If it is willing to use Nanshan Transmission's 5AT in large quantities, it can easily sell hundreds of thousands of units a year.

This is enough for Nanshan Transmission to invest in another production line.

"We have done tests. On the highway, when the vehicle is cruising at a stable speed, the 5AT gearbox can intelligently select the most appropriate gear and allow the engine to run in a low speed range."

“This reduces noise and fuel consumption.”

"And on mountain roads, when frequent acceleration and deceleration are required, the gearbox can respond quickly and provide the necessary power support."

“This allows the driver to feel the ample power reserve.”

“This highly adaptable and high-performance gearbox is undoubtedly a reflection of Nanshan Transmission’s technical strength and a trusted partner for drivers and OEMs.”

Ji Hua also took the opportunity to praise his own products.

He is really satisfied with this 5AT.

In his opinion, such a gearbox is sufficient to meet the gearbox needs of the automotive industry in the next 20 years.

Even the 6AT automatic transmission that Nanshan Transmission is going to develop in the future will not have a particularly huge improvement in performance compared to the 5AT.

"After listening to your introduction, I am increasingly looking forward to the 5AT produced by Nanshan Transmission."

Grant was also somewhat affected by Jiang Hui and Ji Hua's emotions.

We have known each other for a long time, and there is some degree of understanding and trust between us.

A product that is highly recognized by Jiang Hui and Ji Hua is more or less convincing.

……

After receiving the Ford Motor team, Jiang Hui went to the airport the next day to personally pick up the General Motors team.

To date, General Motors is BMW Group's main customer.

One of a kind!
This time, General Motors obviously attaches great importance to 5AT.

Because in the future, the OEM vehicles jointly produced by General Motors and Land Rover will undoubtedly become the world's first mass-produced models equipped with 5AT.

By then, General Motors will definitely be able to reap a lot of benefits from it.

Of course, the premise is that Nanshan Transmission's 5AT is really excellent and has no various problems.

Otherwise, what you will get is not dividends, but a joke.

"Austin, Edward, welcome to China again."

Seeing two old acquaintances, Jiang Hui greeted them with a smile.

"Jiang, I'm really looking forward to the reaction when Land Rover cars equipped with 5AT appear in the market."

As the sales director of General Motors, Edward will also come to participate in the event this time. The most important thing is to discuss the launch of additional 5AT versions of subsequent OEM cars.

Otherwise, there would be no need for him to come here.

"Edward, after being equipped with our 5AT automatic transmission, the same model will accelerate faster, have better fuel economy, and drive more smoothly."

"It is perfect for a wide range of drivers, including sedans and SUVs, who seek comfort and economy."

"Especially when driving at high speeds, the engine speed is lower, resulting in less noise and fuel consumption."

"Drivers can clearly feel these differences during actual driving."

"For this off-line ceremony, we also arranged the same models equipped with 4AT and 5AT on Highlander and Mercedes-Benz sedans respectively."

“It allows everyone to intuitively feel the performance difference.”

Although Edward is the head of GM's sales department, his opinions will definitely influence GM's internal opinions on how to equip 5AT.

It is impossible to use a brand new equipment on all models right away.

However, the sales department’s opinion is crucial in deciding which car to use it on, or which type of car to use it on first.

After all, the most important thing about producing a car is to sell it.

"Now that you mention it, I'm really looking forward to it."

"In recent years, Toyota and Honda have grown very fast in the American market, and one of the key reasons is that their engines are more fuel-efficient."

"Consumers are more sensitive to this aspect because of the increase in oil prices."

"If upgrading the gearbox can significantly reduce fuel consumption, it will definitely be a good thing."

Edward was obviously very happy about what Jiang Hui said.

This is definitely a great thing for their sales area.

“With more gears, performance in all aspects will definitely improve.”

"But what I am worried about is whether your durability and quality stability can reach the same level as 4AT."

"The price of gearboxes is relatively high. If there is a large-scale quality problem, the impact will be huge."

"Not only will GM suffer huge losses, but Nanshan Transmission will also suffer huge losses."

Austin mentioned an issue that is bound to be of concern to many customers.

That's the quality of the parts.

For hot stamping parts, it is relatively easy to determine the quality of the parts.

Basically, it is enough to do some relevant tests such as tensile strength confirmation and check whether the dimensional accuracy meets the standards.

But the gearbox is different.

As a functional component, it involves many lower-level parts and has many functions that need to be realized.

Whether each system can function normally cannot be determined simply by doing a few tests.

There may even be no problems in all the tests, but problems may arise during the actual driving process.

The simplest one is like an oil leak.

This problem is actually very troublesome to solve.

That's why Austin is worried.

"Your concern is also what we are most worried about during the development process, and it is the key thing to prevent and confirm."

"The main problems with automatic transmissions are shifting frustration, shifting delay, oil leakage, overheating, abnormal noise, transmission slipping and inability to shift gears."

"We have taken preventive measures for every possible problem from the beginning of design."

"And during the testing phase, we conducted hundreds of tests to ensure that there were no quality issues with our products."

"We can take responsibility for any problems caused by poor gearbox design during customer use."

Jiang Hui knew that if Nanshan Transmission did not make certain commitments on this issue, it would definitely affect the promotion of 5AT.

Nanshan Transmission's 4AT and 5MT are mainly supplied to the group and other domestic automakers.

There is absolutely no opening up in the international arena.

As for the 5AT automatic transmission, Jiang Hui certainly hopes to be able to enter the supply chain of various automobile giants.

For example, General Motors has annual sales of 5 to million vehicles. If % of the market share is given to Nanshan Transmission AT, it will be enough to transform Nanshan Transmission.

Not to mention the various automobile giants such as Ford, Chrysler, and Volkswagen.

If Nanshan Transmission's 5AT sales can reach several million units by then, it will immediately become a global transmission giant.

This will also bring about tremendous improvements in technologies such as gears and bearings throughout China.

After all, among the various components in the gearbox, gears and bearings are the most critical basic parts.

There are millions of gearboxes, so we must find more than one supplier for the gears and bearings inside them.

On the one hand, it is to ensure supply stability, and on the other hand, it is to promote competition so that everyone has pressure to improve technology and reduce costs.

"With your words, I feel much more relieved."

"But we definitely need to do some necessary testing work."

"In the short term, we can only order a few hundred units to do various tests, and then consider using them based on actual conditions."

Austin's confidence was greatly boosted when he heard that Nanshan Transmission was willing to take quality risks.

He believed that Jiang Hui was aware of the quality risks involved.

Since they dare to make a promise under such circumstances, it means that they are really confident in their 5AT.

"I fully understand this. The first batch of 5AT will be installed on Land Rover G, Land Rover X, Land Rover Highlander, and Mercedes-Benz sedans on a trial basis."

"It is estimated that about 20% of high-end models will use it, and we will consider expanding it based on market feedback later."

Although Jiang Hui is quite confident in the 5AT developed by his company, at the beginning, each component had to go through a production ramp-up process.

Therefore, it is obviously more appropriate not to increase the output so high at first, but to increase it after a period of time.

"Okay, trying it on these cars is a way to control risks and can also better verify customer needs."

Austin felt that communicating with Jiang Hui was very smooth. As long as he had any concerns, the other party's solutions would satisfy him.

The group chatted all the way to the hotel.

After a simple meal, Jiang Hui gave them some time to adjust to the jet lag.

……

At the same time, other guests also arrived in Shenzhen.

The executives of BMW Group are responsible for different tasks and entertain corresponding personnel according to the plan.

Shenzhen has also specially arranged a team to assist in receiving the personnel from the ministries.

As for the relevant personnel from Lingnan Province, they will basically arrive early tomorrow morning, so there is no need to do any reception work in advance.

Amidst such great anticipation, the mass production ceremony of Nanshan Transmission's 5AT automatic transmission officially began.

BMW Group has held similar activities countless times, so it is naturally familiar with them.

After using automated production equipment to the maximum extent, one gearbox after another flows down the inspection line in an orderly manner and is then neatly placed in packaging boxes.

The first one to roll off the production line was sent to the ceremony site to serve as a mascot.

Of course, there are actually many more products on display.

So the so-called first mass-produced car or the first gearbox is a symbolic product.

Not really number one.

(End of this chapter)