124 – Establishment of a steel mill
What is the biggest driving force behind invention?
I think of it as ‘lack’.
When humans feel uncomfortable with certain actions required to maintain life activities and realize desires, they begin to feel a lack and invent to resolve that lack.
In that sense, this world is full of convenience.
Cheat keys called ‘mana’ and ‘skill’.
The existence of those two factors took away the deficiency that humans should have felt.
You no longer feel the need to invent anything.
‘Dwarves’ technological prowess is amazing. But·····.’
Because of this, dwarves’ technological prowess is unbalanced.
Magic engineering is extremely developed, but because natural science is not developed, mechanical knowledge is lacking.
Well, even if you don’t have enough mechanical knowledge, you can just fix it with magic.
‘It’s just an expedient method.’
But that is not the norm.
As the laws of Earth’s physics apply to this world, we must understand and apply as many dynamics as possible to achieve the highest efficiency.
It’s not just about hitting with magic and mana.
“Thank you all for gathering. “For the sake of convenience, I will not be polite before giving this lecture.”
So I prepared a lecture to teach them.
In order for the dwarves, who are trapped in the framework of magic engineering, to give up their stubbornness and actively follow my plans, I need to learn the techniques of modern engineering.
Furthermore, understanding the intent of the design and producing it rather than simply looking at the blueprint and following it can increase work efficiency.
“Then I will begin the lecture. Open the book distributed to each person and look at the outline of the ‘steel mill’ process on page 3.”
That’s how I started lecturing.
The people taking the lecture are Adela, members of the sh*t Sagi club, and dwarves.
And among my engineer corps, which consists of about 1,000 people, it consists of 100 people who show exceptional talent.
As this is a lecture that a large number of people listen to, we put a lot of effort into preparing teaching materials and adding mana to our voices to improve delivery.
“As you can see, the steel mill process is largely divided into iron making, steel making, and rolling. The ‘ironmaking process’ is a process of melting iron ore to make molten iron, and the ‘steelmaking process’ is a process of making steel by removing impurities from molten iron. Lastly, the ‘rolling process’ is a processing process that creates various types of steel products.”
I gave them a rough idea before starting the actual class.
I only explained the concept of large chunks so that an image can be drawn in your head.
“However, in order to facilitate the iron making process, the iron ore and coal input into the blast furnace must be processed once more. After uniformizing the jagged elements of iron ore, it is trimmed to a size suitable for putting into a blast furnace. The process of refining iron ore like this is called the ‘sintering process,’ and the iron ore that has gone through the sintering process is called ‘sintered ore.'”
Afterwards I explained the sintering process.
In addition, ‘coke’, which is used as a heat source to melt sinter ore, was also explained.
Cosk is a solid fuel made by heating coal to around 1000℃. It serves as a heat source and at the same time acts as a reducing agent to separate oxygen in iron ore.
“After going through the sintering process and coke process, the raw materials and fuel input into the furnace are completed. The raw materials and fuel completed in this way are inputted through the ‘charging facility’ installed at the top of the blast furnace. The input raw materials are distributed evenly inside the rotation chute as it rotates, and are stacked exactly at the calculated location. “The raw materials piled up in this way form about 40 to 50 layers.”
I showed the process of inputting raw materials using a 3D hologram.
Because not only words but also visual information were added, even those unfamiliar with modern technology were able to follow along.
“Afterwards, 1200℃ hot air from below heats the fuel and raw materials. As a result, the coke, which is the fuel, becomes at a high temperature and a chemical reaction occurs that dissolves the raw materials.”
Chemical reactions that occur within a furnace.
It refers to a reduction reaction that removes oxygen in iron ore to create pure iron.
In other words, the coke carbon burns incompletely to produce carbon monoxide, and the carbon monoxide reduces iron ore to create pig iron, which is pure iron.
If you express it in a chemical formula, it looks like this:
2C(s) + O2(g) → 2CO(g)
Fe2O3(s) + 3CO(g) → 2Fe(s) reduction + 3CO2(g) oxidation
Fe3O4(s) + 4CO(g) → 3Fe(s) reduction + 4CO2(g) oxidation
I just omitted the chemical formula.
Not only has chemistry not yet been developed in this world, but it would take too much time to explain it in an understandable way.
“In this way, the iron melted by hot air becomes pure iron, pig iron, and is discharged downward. However, since pig iron still contains impurities such as carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur, it must go through a process to remove them. The process to remove this is the ‘steelmaking process’ that turns pig iron into steel.”
Afterwards, I gave an overview of the steelmaking process and then delved into the details to explain it in an easy-to-understand manner.
In other words, the molten iron (pig iron made in the blast furnace) that comes out of the tap is loaded on a topedoka (a special car that transports the molten iron) and headed to the converter. Then, the molten iron is poured into a huge jar-shaped converter and pure oxygen is added, carbon and phosphorus are added. It explains the process by which components such as sulfur and sulfur burn away and become clean molten iron.
“Then let me go over the concept again.”
After explaining the steelmaking process, I decided to explain the concept again.
Sintering process using iron ore as a raw material.
Coke process that turns coal into fuel.
An iron making process that creates molten iron by putting sintered ore and coke into a furnace and then applying hot air.
This is a brief explanation of the steelmaking process of making steel by pouring molten iron into a jar-shaped converter and then blowing in pure oxygen.
“Next is the playing process. And then there is the rolling process.”
Soon, I explained the playing process.
The continuous casting process refers to the process of continuously flowing molten iron into a certain mold and then cooling it to create solid intermediate materials such as slabs, blooms, or billets.
To put it simply, making cookies is similar to pouring dough into molds of various shapes and baking them.
“Finally, it is the rolling process.”
Now that the research process is complete, all that remains is the final step, the rolling process.
The rolling process is simply quenching.
By applying force while passing an intermediate material such as a slab between rotating rolls, the thickness and width are adjusted and the properties of the steel are adjusted.
Hot rolled products used for building materials and pipes depend on how the rolling process is performed.
Cold rolled products used in general home appliances, drums, and automobile frames.
Plating products used in high-end home appliances, office equipment, and automobile exteriors.
Heavy plate products used in steel pipes, buildings, and ships are divided.
After explaining the rolling process, I looked around at the audience.
Then I asked if I had any questions about the class I had taken so far.
“······.”
No one is raising their hands.
I think this is worth it.
I displayed the next class material as a hologram to dig deeper.
“I guess I understand everything up to this point. Next, I will give a rough overview of the equipment used in each process.”
***
After about 6 hours of class.
The dwarves left the classroom with shocked faces.
Although they had the world’s best technology, they realized that they were no better than Ed.
It’s not that it’s not, but Ed excluded magical engineering altogether.
A mass production system for steel was established using only mechanical structures and the principles of natural science.
For a dwarf who had only pursued magical engineering, this was a shocking technological prowess.
How could they devise such equipment and system without using a single magic trick?
“Maybe our methods… Are wrong.”
The dwarves thought that way for the first time.
I wonder if their unique production method is a barrier that confines themselves.
As all the dynamics of equipment are solved through techniques, I wonder if basic engineering has become obsolete.
I was able to take the time to diagnose myself.
“····After all, he is a titled blacksmith. “Now is the time for us to learn.”
With Ed’s sincere lessons, the dwarves were able to completely let go of their remaining pride.
When I was first dispatched here, I was nervous about making things under human instructions, but now I feel like I need to actively learn.
I came to truly respect Ed as a blacksmith.
“I’m going to start class. “This class is about combining magic engineering with the smoke production process.”
It was the 8th day since the special class for steel mill production.
Ed finally began lecturing on equipment incorporating magic engineering.
First, we will start with basic engineering and then explain magical engineering to effectively replace basic engineering.
Thanks to this, the dwarves were able to clearly understand why this or that magic engineering was applied to each facility and why magic techniques were applied.
They praised Ed’s genius day by day.
“It’s clear that a dwarf’s soul has entered it! You were born wrong! “I should have been born a dwarf!”
“Maybe Lord Tulcan’s soul was reincarnated by mistake?”
“hahahahaha! “Maybe so.”
They even compared the idol they upheld, the ‘Blacksmith of Creation,’ to Ed.
Ed’s engineering knowledge is so awe-inspiring.
“Then it’s the last two weeks. I hope everyone stays strong.”
Middle managers who received quality education from Ed began to focus on the field in earnest.
They began to take the initiative and give on-site instructions without having to receive instructions from Ed.
This is all because I understood the steel mill process through Ed’s class.
Because you understand all processes, you can understand why the equipment used in a steel mill is necessary, and you can easily understand the design intent of the equipment and manufacture it.
56 Construction robots and 47 skilled dwarven craftsmen.
As a result, 110 middle managers worked hard to establish the steel mill by giving instructions to a total of 1,400 workers day and night.
As Ed expected, the steel mill was able to be completed within the period.
Of course, many expedient methods called magical engineering were applied to this, but there was no problem as it was applied based on an understanding of basic engineering.
“Thank you all for your hard work. “Today, we’ll be drinking all night long!”
“Waaa!!!!!”
Today, the steel mill, which can be said to be the flower of industry, has been completed.
Ed opened the storehouse for the hard-working workers.
Today can be said to be the most historic day in the industrialization of the territory.