Chapter 74: Assembly Line
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North of Qingzhou City.
Upon arriving at the steel workshop, Xiao Ming gathered the craftsmen to teach them the effective use of the hydraulic forging press.
The steel workshop was entirely constructed from blue bricks. On one hand, this structure effectively prevented fires, and on the other, it was sturdy enough.
These blue bricks came from the brick kiln in the industrial district. Initially, Xiao Ming had aimed for red bricks, but he gradually realized that using red bricks in this era was somewhat wasteful, as blue bricks were sufficient.
This also helped reduce costs.
The material used for constructing various workshops was, of course, cement. Since the limestone quarry provided an ample supply of limestone, Xiao Ming began producing cement for the construction of the industrial district.
Moreover, within the industrial district, several main roads were paved with cement, making the area clean and facilitating transportation.
The emergence of these two building materials had long caught the attention of Qingzhou’s merchants. However, Xiao Ming had no intention of making these technologies publicly available.
He believed that blue bricks were relatively easy to replicate. Merchants could likely figure out how to produce them just by seeing them, as the pottery and porcelain industries in the Great Yu Empire were quite advanced, making it impossible to keep such knowledge hidden.
Cement, however, was different. First, there was the need for limestone, and second, the specific firing process. Without either of these, cement could not be produced.
Although merchants discussed these materials, they showed little interest.