chsdbacks Chapter 250 Factory Inspection
Chapter 250 Factory Inspection
Meanwhile, on the other side, an expert team from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had already entered Transsion's automobile factory on April 23.
The group consisted of seven people, led by Zhao Tiesheng, a 62-year-old veteran expert in the domestic automotive industry.
After retiring, he was rehired by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to be in charge of the production qualification acceptance of new energy vehicle companies.
Zhao Tiesheng is known for his strictness within the industry.
The first two emerging electric vehicle companies were both stuck in his hands.
One reason was insufficient precision in the stamping workshop, and the other was substandard quality inspection procedures in the final assembly line.
Both companies requested rectification, with the shortest delay being three months.
So when Transsion Motors announced that it would be undergoing acceptance testing, many people in the industry were waiting to see it fail.
"Can Transsion, a mobile phone manufacturer, really get past Zhao Tiesheng?"
"Zhao Tiesheng doesn't even respect traditional car companies, let alone a new player."
"Just wait and see. They'll need at least six months of rectification. They still want to go public? They'll be going public with just PowerPoint slides!"
But Shen Fei didn't think so; after all, there had to be a problem to be found.
Before the inspection began, he said to Zhang Bin, "Show us everything you have."
I'm not afraid of them watching, I'm afraid of them not watching.
Zhang Bin did as instructed.
On the first day, the inspection team visited the stamping workshop. Transsion uses Schuler's stamping line, which is on par with Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
This resource was snatched from Mercedes-Benz through its shareholder status.
The next day, the inspection team visited the welding workshop.
To ensure quality, Transsion uses more than 600 KUKA robots, achieving an automation rate of 95% and guaranteeing a 99.5% pass rate.
Zhao Tiesheng looked at it for a long time, but still didn't say anything.
Zhang Bin's two days of silence put his worries at ease.
The old man is nothing like what's being said online; it's obvious those people online are deliberately slandering him.
[Zhang Bin: I wasn't flattering him.]
On the third day, the inspection team checked the final assembly line. From chassis boxing to interior assembly, from glass installation to tire tightening, every process had a data traceability system.
Such a high-level arrangement finally prompted Zhao Tiesheng to speak.
Who developed your traceability system?
"We developed it ourselves," Zhang Bin replied.
"You made this yourself?" Zhao Tiesheng was clearly a little incredulous. "Aren't you guys a mobile phone manufacturer?"
"Mobile phones should also be traceable. Every chip, every screen, from raw materials to finished products should be traceable throughout the entire process."
We've been working on this system for three years.
Zhao Tiesheng didn't say anything more, his eyes filled with admiration.
The others also came to the traceability system again, carefully examined the equipment, and found it to be reliable.
Some people asked tentatively.
"Mr. Zhang, if you were to sell this system someday, what price do you plan to set?"
"Pricing." Zhang Bin didn't understand the meaning of the words for a moment. He scratched his head in an awkward manner. "I'm just a factory manager. Pricing is not my responsibility."
"And whether or not it's sold depends on the chairman's decision. Why don't you go ask them?"
The other members didn't ask any further questions, and Zhao Tiesheng nodded.
On the last day, the inspection team will visit the battery pack production line, which is the core technology of Transsion Motors. The high-density battery is the main selling point of this car.
The production line is located in the area with the strictest security in the entire factory. You have to go through three access control gates to enter and exit, and you are not allowed to bring your mobile phone inside.
Wang Mengyang, the developer of high-density batteries, personally greeted them.
"Team Leader Zhao, this way please."
When Zhao Tiesheng entered the workshop, the first thing he saw was the automatic welding robot.
Dozens of robots worked simultaneously, sparks flying, with a very precise rhythm.
Who supplies your battery cells?
"We make it ourselves, using our latest high-density batteries."
"Where's Pack?"
"We make them all ourselves. The battery pack is our absolute core secret. To ensure safety, we produce everything ourselves, and we can guarantee that the entire supply chain is independent and controllable."
Zhao Tiesheng looked slightly surprised. He walked to a production line and watched the battery modules move on the conveyor belt.
He suddenly turned to look at Wang Mengyang.
"Professor Wang, what is the energy density of your battery packs?"
"Team Leader Zhao, you can't be called a professor."
However, the energy density is currently 210 kW/kg.
Zhao Tiesheng and his team members looked at Wang Mengyang in disbelief.
"210? The industry average is only 120 now, you...you've doubled that."
Zhao Tiesheng and his team were only responsible for inspecting the production line; they were unaware of the battery energy density.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also tried to suppress it, after all, a battery with 210 watt-hours per kilogram is already a strategic weapon, and it must be well protected.
After all, the larger the battery size or capacity, the more difficult it is to manufacture, and the harder it is to improve energy density.
Although it was previously reported that Transsion's mobile phone battery energy density had exceeded 180, that only requires one or two battery cells. As long as they don't cut corners, heat dissipation is not a problem.
But automotive battery packs are different; smaller cells generate less heat and dissipate heat quickly.
However, when they are combined into a large battery pack, the situation is different. Heat buildup can easily cause overheating, bulging, a sharp drop in lifespan, and a high risk of fire.
Moreover, the battery pack is composed of thousands of cells. If even one cell is weak, the entire battery pack will fail.
The larger the battery pack, the more difficult it is to control consistency.
At this moment, Wang Mengyang also took out a test report and handed it to Zhao Tiesheng.
"Moreover, the CTP technology we use integrates the cells directly into the battery pack, eliminating the need for a module structure and increasing the overall lifespan by 20%."
In addition to the advantages mentioned above, CTP technology also eliminates the fixed weight of the module's casing and bracket, allowing more battery cells to be installed in the same volume, thus improving battery life.
With the addition of high-density batteries from the audio battery division, the overall weight can be reduced by about one-third.
With fewer parts and a simplified assembly process, production efficiency is higher and costs are saved.
It can also combine battery cells and heat dissipation components, which can dissipate heat faster, reduce the temperature difference between battery cells, improve consistency, and slow down battery degradation.
The technology was already very mature before he was recruited; it had reached version 7.0. What we're using now is just the first generation of technology, but that's enough, otherwise everyone else would have been scared away.
That won't be fun anymore, since being invincible can be lonely.
Zhao Tiesheng picked up the report and looked at it page by page. His expression changed from calm to serious, and from serious to surprised.
"Your needle prick test..."
This wasn't originally part of his job, but now he's curious to know.
"It's approved." Wang Mengyang pointed to another report, "Single cell needle penetration test: no fire, no explosion."
The same applies to battery pack punctures.
Zhao Tiesheng gave a thumbs-up.
He has worked in this industry for over 30 years and has been involved with batteries for over 10 years, so he knows how difficult the nail penetration test is.
To ensure safety, it's basically nitpicking; there are no more than three domestic manufacturers whose battery packs can pass the needle puncture test.
Transsion Motors is one such company.
"What about your extreme cold test?" He looked at Wang Mengyang again, afraid that he would overthink it, and quickly explained, "This is not today's content, it's just that I'm personally curious."
If it's inconvenient, you don't have to introduce it...