Liu Li had just caught her breath in her seat and hadn't even had a chance to say a few more words to Zhou Wei and the others when she saw the project manager who was presiding over the meeting gesture in her direction. Then, a middle-aged man in a gray Zhongshan suit with a calm demeanor, sitting in the center of the front row, picked up the microphone in front of him.

The room immediately fell silent, all eyes fixed on him. Liu Li recognized him; he was Director Han of the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry of Light Industry, one of the highest-ranking leaders at this briefing. Her heart leaped into her throat again.

"Comrade Liu Li from Hongxing Machinery Factory," Director Han's voice came through the microphone, not loud, but very weighty, "your report just now was very practical, especially the problems and solutions you raised from the perspective of the production line, which were very valuable."

He paused briefly, glanced at the materials in his hand, and continued, "I have a question. Your proposed 'prestress compensation' method sounds ingenious, but how dependent is it on the skill level and experience of the operators? In other words, can this method be reliably promoted and applied by ordinary workers without you as the 'inventor'?"

Upon hearing this question, even team leader Chen Siyuan sat up slightly. Zhou Wei and Sun Mei exchanged a glance; the question was indeed insightful and a challenge they would have to face in their subsequent promotion efforts.

The other experts in the audience nodded in agreement, clearly showing their interest. Even the most useful technology loses much of its value if it cannot be widely adopted.

Liu Li felt her heart, which had just calmed down, begin to race again. She took a deep breath, picked up the microphone in front of her, and instead of answering immediately, nodded sincerely: "Director Han, your question is very crucial. It is indeed one of the biggest challenges we are currently facing."

She did not shy away from the issue and directly acknowledged the current situation: "At this stage, the operation of this method, especially the application amount and timing of prestress, does indeed require experienced technicians who can adjust it based on their feel and familiarity with the equipment and materials. To achieve the best results, the 'human' factor is still very important."

She changed the subject and continued, "However, our team is already working on solving this problem." She gestured to Zhou Wei and Sun Mei, "We are collaborating to systematically test and accumulate data on the optimal process parameters for different materials and typical structural parts, with the goal of creating a relatively standardized 'process guidance card'."

She tried to explain in simple terms: "For example, when processing a certain type of thin-walled aluminum cylinder, we conduct a lot of experiments to determine the approximate range of the initial prestress, how many steps to add it, how much to add in each step, and what cutting parameters to use. We clarify all of this and make it into a simple operation guide. Even if the workers do not fully understand the complex principles behind it, as long as they follow the steps in the guide, they can basically guarantee the results, greatly reducing their reliance on personal experience."

She also mentioned the fixture improvements she is currently developing: "We are also trying to optimize the fixture itself, such as adding a more intuitive force value display or limit device to make the adjustment process more 'foolproof'. In the long run, we may even consider integrating simple sensors to achieve semi-automatic control. Of course, this will take time."

Her answer didn't offer vague guarantees, but clearly pointed out the current situation, the efforts being made, and the future direction. It acknowledged the shortcomings while demonstrating a pragmatic approach to solving the problems.

Director Han listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time. After Liu Li finished speaking, a smile of approval appeared on his face, and he said into the microphone, "Very good. You don't shy away from difficulties and have a clear solution. Technological innovation is like this: it's difficult to go from nothing to something, and it takes hard work to go from something to something excellent and then to widespread application. Your direction is very meaningful. I hope you will continue to conduct in-depth research and come up with a more mature and easier-to-promote process solution as soon as possible."

After he finished speaking, he put down the microphone.

A murmur of goodwill rippled through the meeting room. Liu Li's words had clearly won the approval of the leadership. Team Leader Chen Siyuan let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, his gaze towards Liu Li now filled with complete reassurance.

Liu Li put down the microphone and realized her palms were sweaty again, but this time, she felt a great sense of relief. She knew she had passed this hurdle again. The leader's question had precisely pointed out the direction in which they needed to work harder next.