78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

"Xiao Ye, did you call me?"

"Master Li, look at the way we're working now."

Ye Bingwen raised his hand and pointed into the workshop.

"Xiao Jun has to wait for the grinding wheel to sharpen a knife, Xiao Zhang has to wait for the chuck to machine a part, and Master Zhao has to wait for the mold to be empty if he wants to stamp."

"Whoever is free does the work, and whichever machine is idle is used. It looks busy, but not much work is actually done in a day."

Master Li scratched his head.

"Isn't that how everyone does it? The older generation worked in state-owned factories, and it was pretty much the same principle."

"That was before."

Ye Bingwen's voice was calm.

"We're currently handling military orders, and we have another two hundred units in the pipeline."

"If things continue like this, production capacity won't be able to keep up, and quality won't be stable either."

He laid out the ideas that had already taken shape in his mind.

"I thought about it all night. We need to assign specific positions, machines, and processes, breaking the entire line into three sections, each doing its own thing so there's no interference." "Three sections?"

Mr. Li was stunned for a moment.

"right."

Ye Bingwen walked to the new machine tool.

"The first section is the precision machining line—this C618 machine does only one thing: machining the high-precision inner and outer diameters of the motor housing."

"Master Li, you and Xiao Jun are in charge of this section. This is our reputation and our lifeline. The official duties must be kept to a minimum."

Master Li nodded.

"This is something I'm good at."

"Section Two, Rough Processing Line."

Ye Bingwen then pointed to two old machine tools.

"Master Zhao and Xiao Zhang are in charge of machining end caps, shafts, fasteners, and other accessories."

"The precision requirements are slightly lower, but the dimensions must be uniform to ensure a seamless fit with the outer casing."

"The situation where the accessories do not match the outer casing is no longer allowed."

Upon hearing this, Master Zhao immediately responded.

"Okay, I understand!"

"The third section is the stamping and forming line."

Ye Bingwen patted the mold that had just been repaired.

"Once the mold is installed, don't touch it. Use dedicated personnel and machines. After the outer shell is precision machined, come directly over for stamping, correction, and shaping, all in one step."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Master Li.

"Just these three lines, dedicated personnel, dedicated machines, dedicated tasks, no switching of posts, no rushing to take over machines, and no idle work."

A hint of hesitation appeared on Master Li's face.

"Xiao Ye, I'm not trying to discourage you, but doing it this way is too rigid!"

"Before, you could just plug in any machine that was idle. Now that everything is so clearly divided, what if one section goes down and the whole line is stuck?"

"I won't wait."

Ye Bingwen was well prepared.

"I've calculated it. Our current daily production capacity for outer shells is 15 pieces, and the three production lines can keep up with the pace perfectly."

He drew a simple process flow diagram on the ground.

Finishing → Rough machining → Stamping → Inspection → Warehousing.

The time, quantity, and handover points for each step are clearly marked.

"Look."

Ye Bingwen pointed it out to Master Li.

"Xiao Jun is in charge of loading and unloading materials and initial inspection, Master Li, you just focus on fine machining; Master Zhao and Xiao Zhang will work together to machine the parts."

"After precision machining, send it directly to the stamping press; inspect it immediately after stamping, and put it into storage if it passes inspection."

"The entire process is seamless, with no waiting and no waste."

Master Li stared at the map on the ground without saying a word for a long time.

He had worked in the machinery industry for over twenty years, and this was the first time he had ever seen someone make working look like a war.

"I still think..."

Master Li wanted to offer a few more words of advice.

"Master Li, let's try it for half a day."

Ye Bingwen spoke sincerely.

"Just try it for one morning. If efficiency doesn't increase and waste doesn't decrease, I'll immediately listen to you and go back to the old way."

Having said all that, Mr. Li couldn't refuse any longer.

"Alright, let's try it for half a day! I want to see just how miraculous your new method is."

Ye Bingwen acted immediately.

He called the four of them together, announced the division of labor again, and emphasized discipline.

Once assigned to a position, employees are not allowed to switch positions or change tasks without authorization; every workpiece must be processed according to the established procedures.

Liu Xiaojun is young and learns quickly; he immediately expressed his opinion.

"Uncle Ye, I promise I'll work hard and never run away!"

Xiao Zhang scratched his head and laughed.

"I'll do whatever Director Ye says."

"Everything is ready," Ye Bingwen called out.

"start!"

The machine tools are started in sequence.

The new machine tool rotates smoothly, and the iron filings are rolled out evenly. Master Li is fully focused.

The two old machine tools are running in sync, with Master Zhao and Xiao Zhang each performing their respective duties, no longer needing to wait for cutting tools or chucks.

The stamping machine is on standby, ready to be pressed into shape as soon as the precision-machined shell arrives.

The workshop was no longer a chaotic mess, but filled with the rhythmic sounds of machine tools, metal filings, and stamping.

Ye Bingwen stood by and watched, occasionally handing over tools, checking dimensions, and controlling the pace and quality.

An hour later, two finished motor housings rolled off the production line.

Two hours, four items.

After a morning's work, a total of twelve qualified finished products were produced.

Master Li took the calipers and finished measuring the last piece.

In the past, it would have been a stellar six items to produce in a morning, but today that number has more than doubled!

Moreover, the pass rate is 100%.

"Amazing... truly amazing."

Master Li placed the calipers on the table.

"Xiao Ye, I'm impressed! I've never seen anything like this in my life!"

Master Zhao also came over, looking amazed.

"I used to be so busy I barely had time to breathe, and I did very little work and made a lot of mistakes; today, I just stand in front of a machine tool and do more and better work!" Ye Bingwen smiled.

This is the most basic assembly line job placement method in modern factories.

In the 1970s and 80s, this was already advanced management experience that was more than a decade ahead of its time.

"Don't get too excited yet."

Ye Bingwen said earnestly.

"From today onwards, we will stick to this procedure."

"I'll hang up another production board, clearly showing the output, pass rate, and responsible person each day. It will be clear at a glance whether the work is done well or not."

"I'll listen to you!"

Master Li readily agreed.

"Whatever arrangements you make from now on, that's what we'll do!"

Once the processes are streamlined, production capacity can be truly unleashed.

Ye Bingwen walked to the factory gate.

"I'll talk to Director Liu about that vacant lot near the school that I mentioned before. We must get the new factory built as soon as possible."

Liu Xiaojun leaned over and asked curiously.

"Uncle Ye, building a factory must cost a lot of money, right? Do we have enough?"

"The advance payment from the provincial military district will arrive soon, and with the previous profits, it will be enough to lay the foundation and build a simple factory."

Ye Bingwen patted him on the shoulder.

"You should learn the skills from Master Li. Once the new factory is built, you will be a master craftsman who can take on two apprentices."

Liu Xiaojun nodded vigorously.

"I will definitely study hard and never hold anyone back!"

The next morning, Ye Bingwen didn't go to the factory; he went straight to the school.

Director Liu was organizing documents in his office when he saw him arrive and paused for a moment.

"Xiao Ye? What brings you here?"

"Director Liu, I'd like to discuss something with you."

"What is it?"

I want to use that vacant lot next to the school playground.

Director Liu frowned.

"That land is reserved for the school's future development and cannot be used casually."

"I don't want to use it for free. I want to cooperate with the school to set up a school-run factory."