Great warships

Chapter 1215: For the Ah San customer, we require full payment
how to explain?

This can't be explained at all!
How is it possible that a gantry crane produced in the UK has an Eastern operating system and is also locked by the Easterners?
"What if we ask someone from the East to unlock it?"

"How is that possible? The Orientals will not buy our account. You probably don't know that when the Orientals sold gas turbines to the French, the contract stated that they could not be installed on the Russian amphibious ships. However, the French installed them, but in the end they could not start them, so they had to pay more."

"Really? How come I don't know about this?"

Of course you don't know. This is the pain in the hearts of the French. How could the French say such a thing? I only found out about it by chance.

"By the way, has Asan paid the balance? If he has, then we will just leave it alone." Lambert subconsciously wanted to give up.

"No."

Ah San hasn't paid the balance yet, this is a big trouble! Lambert's mind was spinning rapidly.

Even if the transaction goes smoothly, Ah San has a glorious tradition of not paying the balance. Now that the transaction has encountered problems, Ah San will not pay the balance even more! Lambert frowned and said, "In this case, let's just do a simple modification for Ah San."

"How to modify it?"

“Get rid of those complicated control systems and use mechanical control directly.”

After all, isn't the gantry crane controlled by three sets of motors? What's so difficult about this? Let's remove all those electronic systems and directly use operating handles instead! One handle for each set, doesn't this solve the problem?

"Well, this method is feasible. We will immediately send someone with mechanical control devices over to modify them on site!"

Asan, Cochin Shipyard.

Alex looked up and saw the gantry crane that had been installed but could not be used, his face full of anger.

"The operating system of this gantry crane contains Dongfang's code. It is very likely that this is a gantry crane produced by Dongfang! Rosyth Shipyard once bought a gantry crane from Dongfang. I just sent someone to inquire about it. That gantry crane has been dismantled. If I am not mistaken, this gantry crane should be the one that Dongfang sold to Rosyth Shipyard!"

This is speechless. They didn't want to buy oriental goods, so they ordered from the UK. They didn't expect the British to fool them and actually gave them second-hand gantry cranes! Second-hand is fine, but the key is that it is made in the East. Too much, too much!

Sunil gritted his teeth and said, "We must make the British give us an explanation for this matter!"

"Report, people from Rosyth Shipyard are here!"

Lambert came in person. After all, the final payment had not been collected, so he had to go in person.

"Mr. Lambert, what is going on? We need a reasonable explanation!" Sunil pointed at the gantry crane and said angrily.

"Everyone, this gantry crane is definitely produced by us. However, for the sake of convenience, we purchased the gantry crane's control system from the East. Unexpectedly, we were cheated by the Orientals. Please rest assured that we will modify the control system now and will definitely be able to restore the gantry crane to work."

"Did you really produce it yourself? Why did I hear that the gantry crane in your shipyard was dismantled?"

"Yes, we did. We took it apart and studied it, and then we were able to build it ourselves." Lambert spoke nonsense in a serious manner without blushing or beating his heart.

"In other words, this gantry crane is actually an Eastern technology?"

"That's not the case. If they can make it, so can we," Lambert said. "It doesn't require any technical skills. It's just a matter of whether there is a demand for it."

"Okay." Sunil nodded: "Alex, you follow the British to see the modification of the gantry crane control system."

The British moved very quickly. While they were explaining, the other side had already gone up to dismantle it. They quickly removed the control system, and by the time Alex went up, he saw those ancient joysticks had already been installed.

In the past, it had a small joystick, computer control, and a large LCD screen, which looked very modern. Now, it seems like a century has gone back!
"Mr. Alex, look, we have designed a brand new control system specifically for you. This control system is simple and direct and is most suitable for your use. Please rest assured that as long as you replace it, this gantry crane will definitely be able to return to normal."

The simplest is the best, this is returning to nature.

Alex didn't say anything else, just sighed.

What's new? The seats in the control room are all polished. All this is just a second-hand gantry crane. But what else can they say now? It's still okay as long as it can be used. Don't take it too seriously.

Alex watched the men scramble to connect the cables, then watched as the control system was restored.

"Mr. Alex, it's ready to use now!"

Alex nodded and was about to give the order, but then he thought of something: "Wait for me to go down, then you can start the test."

Cranes are special machines and have many restrictions when used. They are sometimes dangerous. For example, there have been incidents of tower crane collapses on construction sites. As for the people operating the tower cranes, it is equivalent to falling from dozens of floors high. The consequences can be imagined.

Alex feels that one should be careful at all times and put safety first.

"Okay." Lambert also thought of something: "I'll go down with you."

The big guy stood in the open space below, far away from the gantry crane, to ensure that he would not be hit even if it collapsed. Only then did Alex use the radio to notify those above.

"Mike, pay attention, get to work, and lift the sand out of the dock!"

The sand and soil in the dock need to be dug out. This is the first step. In fact, a 10,000-ton gantry crane is not necessary, but since we have this gantry crane, of course we have to try it out first to see if it can work.

After shouting, everyone waited, waiting for the gantry crane to move, but... the gantry crane never moved!
"Mike, what's going on?"

"Report, all operating levers are not working."

"why?"

"We suspect there are also chips in the drive motor!"

Is there any left in the drive motor?
Ordinary electric motors do not require chips. They can rotate directly by applying electricity. There is no need for chips. However, advanced electric machinery must be controlled by chips.

Even an electric bicycle has chips in its speed regulating mechanism. Although Zhenhua Heavy Industries is an expert in manufacturing cranes, the motors are all directly obtained from Mingzhou Group. Jin Taiyang Motor Company has the most experience in DC brushless motors, so all the cranes use DC motors.

The AC motor has a simple structure, but its speed is fixed, which is determined by the frequency of the input AC power. The speed of the DC motor is continuously adjustable, which is very useful for devices such as cranes that need to be raised and lowered at any time. Therefore, whether it is a supporting manufacturer or a technical requirement, using a DC motor is the best solution.

There are defects as well. The power provided at the dock must be alternating current, which needs to be converted. Moreover, the conversion needs to meet the need for continuous regulation. Therefore, the motor also needs chips to control it, and these chips are now on strike!
It is too easy to restore the 10,000-ton gantry crane to work simply by modifying the operating system!

Alex's face darkened, and Lambert's expression also turned very ugly. What should they do next?
"Mike, disassemble the motor, remove the controller in the motor, and replace it with a simple rectifier device."

Converting DC to AC is difficult and requires a special circuit, but converting AC to DC is simple and can be solved with a few diodes. Now that things have come to this, there is no other way, so just continue dismantling!
Mike above was stunned. The motor is the soul of the machine. If it is dismantled, it may cause other problems.

But... never mind, just tear it down, it’s Lambert’s order anyway.

One day later.

"Mike, restart!"

This time, the gantry crane finally started to move slowly.

The gantry crane can move in three directions: front and back, horizontally, and up and down. It has finally resumed working!
"Okay, Mr. Alex, we have solved all the problems for you. This gantry crane is now usable! Now, we hope you can pay us the balance as soon as possible."

Alex nodded. "Of course, we are the ones who abide by the terms of the agreement the most. Since we have signed the agreement, we will definitely do it. But... we have to use this gantry crane for a while first."

"What? You still want to try it out? Don't forget that you are also working with us to jointly develop the electromagnetic catapult!"

Lambert couldn't help it and threw out the trump card.

India looked around the world and finally chose Britain to work with them on this important equipment for aircraft carriers. The down payment has been paid, but they have not received any technology. If they do not pay the balance for the gantry crane, the British can also tear up the contract and not give them the technology.

"Of course I know, but what we are talking about now is the gantry crane, not the electromagnetic catapult." Alex's meaning was very clear. One thing is one thing, don't make trouble.

"Now, let's try to lift up the truck full of sand below."

Asan's truck is quite capable of carrying a lot. Even though it is just an eight-wheel truck, it can carry more than 100 tons. If it were to climb up slowly by its own power, it would be very difficult. Now that the gantry crane is ready, it is also very easy to use it to lift the eight-wheel truck up.

No one thought that there would be any problem with a 10,000-ton gantry crane lifting eight-wheelers weighing about 100 tons.

Alex also thought it shouldn't be a big problem.

"Okay. Mike, operate the gantry crane for the first operation. Pay attention and be careful!"

They use primitive mechanical controls, and all operations depend on the skill of the operator, who must be quick-eyed and quick-handed.

"clear."

Soon, the hook slowly went down and caught the steel cables hanging on the four corners of the car. When the hook went down, one could feel how huge this thing was. Such a hook was almost as wide as the rear eight wheels!
To lift 10,000 tons, the hook must be strong.

"Sheng, pay attention, be sure to go slowly!"

The operator operated the corresponding operating lever, the wire rope was slowly tightened by the pull of the motor, and the hook also slowly rose. Everything seemed so normal. However, when the wire rope was tightened, the hook began to work hard, and the motor also began to work hard.

"Add some power!"

The operator slowly pushed the operating lever, and the motor suddenly started to spin wildly. The wire rope tightened rapidly, and it was visible to the naked eye that the rear eight wheels were flying upwards!

"Oh, damn, I didn't tell you to open it that wide!" Mike cursed.

This is like using the catapult on an aircraft carrier that launches 30-ton carrier-based aircraft to launch a model car. The model car will be accelerated to a terrifying speed in a short period of time because the thrust is too great.

A gantry crane that can lift 12,000 tons naturally has a very powerful motor. Now, if you want to lift a 100-ton truck, it is simply overkill. If the motor is slightly increased in power, the rear eight wheels will start to fly upwards.

So the operator quickly reduced the power, but the rear eight wheels continued to jump upward due to inertia, so the wire rope hanging on the rear eight wheels suddenly loosened slightly, and one of the hooks opened!
The three corners of the rear eight-wheeler were still hanging, but one corner was loose. It could no longer maintain its balance and immediately flipped over, with the sand and dirt in the rear bucket falling down with a loud noise!

There were exclamations from below.

Some people were running and some were shouting. It was clearer from a distance that when more than half of the sand and soil in the rear eight wheels had been poured out, the vehicle suddenly turned upside down, broke free from the hook, and fell from mid-air!

It's over! An idea popped into Alex's mind.

Soon, the news spread all over the world.

"Hello, everyone watching TV! Today we just received the latest news that an accident occurred during the construction of the new dock at the Cochin Shipyard in India. A dump truck fell from the sky. The accident caused a total of three deaths and sixteen injuries, five of which were serious..."

How could a dump truck fall from the sky? Of course it was because it was lifted up and then fell down! What was it lifted up by? A gantry crane, 10,000 tons!

It should be a piece of cake for this gantry crane to lift a dump truck, right?

You don't understand this, right? Come, let me tell you, this is actually what happened...

In the east, Qin Tao also saw the news and smiled. "They are really capable. They actually changed our advanced gantry crane to pure manual control. It's hard for them. How can a human's reaction speed compare to a computer?"

"That's right. A 1,000-ton gantry crane needs all kinds of sensors to monitor all kinds of data and be prepared for any response at any time. This gantry crane has long entered the high-tech era. It's not easy for Ah San to change back to manual control."

"Next, Ah San will probably be very angry, and the consequences will be serious."

"What consequences?"

"I guess they will put the blame on us and ask us to be responsible, or even demand compensation."

"Boss Qin, you are absolutely right. An Indian team has already gone to Zhenhua Heavy Industries."

Zhenhua Heavy Industries, reception room.

"The gantry crane produced by your Oriental has caused a serious safety accident in our Cochin Shipyard. You must take full responsibility for this!" Alex personally led the team and started yelling as soon as he arrived here.

"Excuse me, when did you buy our gantry crane?" The senior executives of Zhenhua Heavy Industries ignored these guys and just sent a small receptionist over. At this time, the receptionist's face was full of seriousness: "Can you give us the contract?"

"Here is the contract." Alex motioned to his men to hand over the contract.

The receptionist carefully opened it, took a quick look, and then shook his head: "I'm sorry, everyone, we are not Party A or Party B. This contract is not signed with us."

"It was signed with Rosyth Shipyard. We bought the gantry crane from Rosyth Shipyard, and that gantry crane was produced by you, so you are responsible for this matter!"

Alex knew that this incident had nothing to do with Dongfang, but this accident had proved that without Dongfang's operating system, the gantry crane would be a waste! Precision sensors and precise program control were necessary to ensure safety, and human intervention was not enough.

The Rosyth Shipyard was only responsible for installing the electronic equipment back on the gantry crane, but if they wanted to use it, they had to come to Dongfang, so they came here with a thick face.

“I’m sorry, you need to claim compensation from Rosyth Shipyard for the gantry crane you bought from Rosyth Shipyard. It has nothing to do with us.” The receptionist continued, “It’s like I bought a second-hand car a few days ago, and then found that the car broke down and couldn’t start. I have to find the dealer who sold me the second-hand car, not the manufacturer, because my contract was not signed with the manufacturer.”

"We don't care. Anyway, you produced this gantry crane, so you have to be responsible..." Alex hadn't finished speaking when he saw the receptionist stand up and said, "You are not our customers, so don't waste your time here. Please go back."

Is this going to drive people away?
"You must take responsibility. If you don't, we will publicize your despicable behavior and your gantry crane to the whole world..."

"Security, please send these guests away!"

Looking at the security guard who appeared at the door, Alex gritted his teeth and sat back down. "Okay, let's continue. If I ask you to help restore the system, how much will it cost?"

"I have never encountered such a thing. After all, the gantry cranes we export are all signed with customers under an agreement that prohibits transfer to a third party. Any consequences of the transfer have nothing to do with us. However, since you have come from afar, I will ask you a question."

In front of these people, the receptionist started making calls, and after a few minutes, he got the correct answer.

"Everyone, if you want to restore the system, it will cost 60 million US dollars."

"Sixty million? You guys are kidding. You Orientals only sell a gantry crane for sixty million dollars!"

"That was the price a few years ago. Now, the same gantry crane costs 120 million US dollars, and the cost of restoring it is only half, which is very cost-effective."

"Humph, you are just ripping people off. We won't agree with that! We will sue you in the International Court of Justice and ask it to freeze your international accounts!"

"Security, show the guest out!"

Alex looked at the security guard who had not left and gritted his teeth. "Okay, then we'll pay the deposit first. I'll give you 10 million US dollars. You help us unlock the door, and then we'll pay the balance slowly."

"I'm sorry, our company has a rule that we require customers who come from India to pay in full."

(End of this chapter)