Chapter 67: Cannon Manufacturing
Shortly after the road construction was contracted to local rich nobles, the speed of construction increased significantly throughout the Empire. With their influence, they were able to procure raw materials at a lower cost and utilize the manpower resources under their control more efficiently, this boosted the road construction speed greatly.
In just a few weeks, multiple independent branch construction projects began simultaneously within the nobles' regions. These projects were built according to the government's standardized design, which included two separate roads. Each road featured a one-directional, three-lane route for commercial traffic and public use. Additionally, there were dedicated roads on both sides of the main road for postal services, police affairs, and emergency services. This new standard was adopted across the empire. The construction boom had a profound effect on the economy of the Vijayanagara Empire, intensely stimulating it and creating more than a million jobs.
While the Empire bustled with activity, the emperor had new plans in mind. Vijay boarded a carriage and headed to a secret location in Chitradurga. With him were various design drawings for a 24-pounder cannon that he had designed. He had decided that it was the right time to develop these cannons for military use and fortifications.
Upon arriving at the secret location, he was greeted by Hey Ram and the researchers. Vijay had promoted Hey Ram to the Armory department at the Institute of Military Sciences, as Raya Ironworks was on the right track after the creation of the blast furnace, and Hey Ram had gradually shifted his focus from weapon production to researching new and improved smelting processes.
"Long live your Highness! Long live Vijayanagara!" Hey Ram and the researchers greeted.
Vijay nodded to the researchers as he entered the building. Inside, the room was filled with various melting equipment, including the newly improved and larger blast furnace developed independently by Raya Ironworks. Surprisingly, it boasted 20% greater efficiency and a 30% increase in metal melting capabilities after the upgrades.
"We have an important task ahead of us," Vijay began his speech, distributing the design drawings he had brought with him to the researchers. He continued, "I have designed an improved cannon capable of firing 10kg (24 pounds) iron projectiles. Now, our challenge is to figure out how to manufacture this cannon as quickly as possible," addressing the researchers and Hey Ram.
Vijay had taken the initiative to advance iron-making methods ahead of their time due to the impending war. To create a standard early modern cannon, high-density iron ore was essential. While most of the iron ore in Vijayanagara was magnetite, which wasn't the densest, it could still be processed into strong steel for cannons when combined with the right alloys.
He used his knowledge from the golden finger to share information about quenching, tempering, cold hammer forging, and stress relief methods with Hey Ram and his group.
"First, we need to make steel. To do that, we take the wrought iron, break it into smaller chunks, and heat it to high temperatures until it becomes molten. Then, we introduce high-temperature, high-pressure air from the blast furnace into the molten iron. Afterwards, we introduce other elements like silicon and copper to enhance the metal's strength and durability," Vijay explained.
He had already sent Sondagars to discover the required minerals before, luckily they ended up finding silicon in Kanyakumari and copper in Chitradurga. He chose these two elements for their relative purity, requiring minimal processing.
"Finding the right ratios for the alloy will be a challenging task. I suggest starting with a ratio of 4:3:1, For wrought iron, copper and silicon respectively."
Vijay recommended.
The alloy he mentioned was composed of 80% iron, 15% copper, and 5% silicon, known as an "iron-copper-silicon alloy." It was typically customized for specific industrial or engineering applications based on desired properties such as strength, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance.
"After forming the alloy, we'll use ceramic moulds," Vijay pointed to a shape on the document as he continued, "We will be following this design to produce the moulds for the pouring of molten metal." Vijay chose ceramic moulds due to their high heat resistance and cost-effectiveness. One ceramic mould could be used multiple times. Also, the cannon design he presented was a front-loading cannon, not a breech-loading one, as front-loading cannons are easier to manufacture and require fewer specialized conditions. However, Vijay included a vent (fuse) at the back for safer firing and quicker reloading."
"Next, we'll quench and temper the barrel until it's sufficiently hard and dense. Then, we'll employ the cold hammer forging method to decrease the grain size, enabling it to withstand the immense stress during firing. Smaller grain sizes improve both the stress relaxation resistance and the yield strength of the final product. Finally, for enhanced temperature resistance and tensile strength, we'll utilize the stress relief method as a finishing touch,"
The stress relief process for cannons includes subjecting the cannon barrel to controlled heating, soaking it at a high temperature to release internal stresses, and then gradually and uniformly cooling it down. This process helps reduce residual stresses that may have built up during manufacturing, enhancing the cannon's structural integrity and safety. It ensures that the cannon is in a stable and predictable condition, minimizing the risk of structural failures when the cannon is fired.
Typical heat treatment techniques applied to steel forgings include annealing, normalizing, quenching, and tempering. Precipitation hardening applies to superalloys like titanium.
Vijay concluded, providing a clear plan for the manufacturing process.
While Hey Ram and his companions heard many new words they had never encountered before, they somehow grasped the meanings and applications of these terms.
"For the final step, I need you to manufacture a wagon with a sturdy and lightweight chassis that can be pulled by a single horse," Vijay concluded.
Hey Ram and his companions at the institute began mentally simulating the manufacturing process. Hey Ram, the most talented among them, quickly worked out the manufacturing process. His face beamed with excitement and eagerness to begin.
He swiftly went over to the blast furnace to smelt some wrought iron to make steel and initiate the cannon forging process. A few moments later, the other researchers also joined him in his task.
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