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Chapter 1160: The Takeoff of Machining Technology

Moreover, if the Security Bureau were to discuss such sensitive matters with the Tsar, it would make it seem as though French intelligence had thoroughly compromised Russia's internal affairs.

After all, Paul I was a notoriously paranoid man.

"You don't need to worry about this anymore," Joseph said, waving Lavalette away. He frowned, realizing he couldn't personally intervene in the matter either.

He suddenly tapped his forehead. 'Of course, there's always Alexandra.'

He would have her write a letter to Paul I, mentioning that someone might be plotting against him. A father would surely listen to his own daughter's warnings.

The Director of the Security Bureau then turned to the situation in Central Asia. "The grain stores in Khiva and Bukhara have been severely depleted. Currently, even if Russia manages to regroup its forces, it will be difficult for them to launch another offensive toward India before next year's harvest—unless we assist them by supplying materials through the Black Sea route."

Joseph immediately shook his head. "There is no need for that."

The British would soon discover that for Russia to march south from Central Asia through the Khyber Pass was an impossible goal. The transportation conditions were abysmal, and the logistics simply couldn't keep up. Consequently, the British would stop pouring resources into Persia and Afghanistan.

However, the ordeal of the Bakhov Legion served as a stark reminder to Joseph: logistics required even greater attention.

In truth, back when Napoleon and Moreau had pushed into Austrian territory, the French army's logistics had been equally strained. Especially when passing through sparsely populated areas where they relied entirely on rear transport, the logistical costs were three to five times higher than when fighting on the west bank of the Rhine.

If the French army were to march across Central Asia, could they do better than Bakhov?

Joseph immediately thought of a logistical "miracle tool"—canned food.

Canned goods would allow an army to carry large quantities of meat, significantly reducing the volume of logistical transport. A half-kilogram tin of meat provided nutritional value equivalent to three times its weight in grain.

Furthermore, cans were easy to stack and could be packed tightly into wagons. A single wagon could hold over a thousand tins, and loading or unloading them was far more convenient. The cans were also waterproof, which could eliminate the need for heavy tarpaulins to cover the wagon beds, saving another fifty kilograms of dead weight.

Additionally, canned food was pre-cooked. In an emergency, it could be eaten as soon as it was opened. Sometimes, launching an attack fifteen minutes earlier could decide the outcome of an entire war.

In the past, Joseph had considered building a cannery, but at that time, only glass bottles could be used as containers. They were not only expensive but also prone to breaking during heat sterilization and even more fragile during transport.

Historically, during the Napoleonic Wars, glass-bottled canned food only reached a production rate of a few thousand bottles per month, making it impossible to use for large-scale military supply.

Joseph looked out the carriage window at the faintly visible cluster of buildings belonging to the French Academy of Sciences.

Now, French precision machining equipment had begun to experience a blowout in growth. There were no longer any technical barriers to producing sealed tin cans.

In fact, with the support of high-precision lathes and milling machines, coupled with high manganese steel bearings, it might even be possible to manufacture a crimping machine.

Indeed, his visit to the Academy today was to attend the demonstration of the production-ready "High-Precision Turret Milling Machine."

With limitless investment, Whitney and the Lenoir brothers had completed the design of the new milling machine in less than ten months.

This industrial masterpiece would propel France toward a technological takeoff in the field of mechanical engineering.

Tin cans were merely one of its most trivial applications.

For security reasons, only about a dozen senior officials from the Academy and the Royal Precision Equipment Company were there to greet the Crown Prince. There was not even a band present.

As Joseph stepped into the experimental workshop guarded by soldiers, he immediately saw the four-meter-long, pitch-black, high-precision milling machine.

The steam engine used for power had already heated its boiler, emitting a rhythmic "click-clack" sound.

Seeing the Crown Prince observing the new machine, the chief designer, Whitney, hurried forward from the back of the group to introduce it eagerly. "Your Highness, this 'Royal I' turret milling machine has achieved a machining precision of 0.2 millimeters."

Philippe Lenoir, standing behind him, whispered, "Actually, it can reach 0.16 millimeters."

Whitney glanced back at him before turning to Joseph. "Yes, it can reach 0.16 millimeters at times, though it is not yet entirely stable. As you know, it still requires time for fine-tuning and improvement."

He then pointed to the complex feed mechanism. "At the same time, it can directly process curved and concave surfaces, handling workpieces up to 55 centimeters in size. A skilled technician needs only twenty minutes to complete the machining of a complex bearing bracket..."

That speed might not sound like much, but in the late 18th century, when machining relied primarily on handwork and was at most assisted by linear machine tools, it was nothing short of a miracle!

Usually, just cutting a side notch for a bearing bracket would take two hours.

The entire workpiece would take at least a day and a half to finish, and its precision would be nowhere near what the "Royal I" milling machine could achieve.

Whitney then gestured toward the steam engine at the rear of the milling machine. "Your Highness, this is the LJ20R steam engine, specially designed by the United Steam Engine Company. Its rotation is exceptionally smooth..."

Joseph interrupted him, asking the question he cared about most: "How effective is your new milling machine at processing steam engine crankshafts?"

Whitney froze for several seconds, then turned to exchange a glance with Lenoir. He eventually replied in a hesitant whisper, "If used in conjunction with a lathe and a grinder, it could indeed process crankshafts..."

A flash of excitement crossed his eyes. "That's right! We could mill the crankshaft directly. We wouldn't even need bolts or welding!"

Joseph sighed inwardly. It was still the early days of machining technology, after all. It seemed the technicians would have to slowly figure out more advanced designs and manufacturing processes on their own.

Whitney was still contemplating the crankshaft issue. "The precision of the grinder might not be enough; it would require manual finishing. It should be possible to complete one crankshaft in about two days..."

A crankshaft's structure was extremely complex. Currently, they could only be forged by hand. To produce a single qualified crankshaft took at least ten days.

Furthermore, a crankshaft processed by a milling machine would essentially be a single-piece structure, possessing strength and precision several times higher than those made by hand.

Seeing the chief technician dazed in thought, the General Manager of the Royal Precision Equipment Company hurriedly gave a wink to Philippe Lenoir.

The latter immediately stepped forward and bowed to Joseph. "Your Highness, please allow me to demonstrate the 'Royal I' milling machine for you."

"Very well. I am looking forward to it."

Lenoir bowed again, then selected a trapezoidal iron blank from the material pile and skillfully secured it into the milling machine's fixture.

As he pulled the lever, the gears engaged. The steam engine at the rear drove the milling cutter, made of high manganese steel, into a high-speed spin.

Iron shavings flew in every direction.

Just twenty minutes later, Lenoir wiped the sweat from his brow and removed a spindle bracket for a lathe from the fixture, holding it up for everyone to see.