Employees of the Kim Jong Thae Electric Locomotive Complex affectionately call Kim Tok Son, casting workshop manager of the complex, an inventor.

Some 20 years ago, he was appointed to the casting workshop after graduating from Pyongyang University of Mechanical Engineering.

As he majored in foundry engineering during his university days, he could display special skills in the shop, which takes important part in the manufacture and repair of vehicles including electric locomotives and passenger cars.

“Metallic material is very important in producing casting. The quality of goods depends on what kind of material is used,” said Kim Tok Son.

At the time, the country was suffering difficulties due to the shortage of materials.

So, he buckled down to solving the problem.

His first invention was non-magnetic binding wire for the rotor of the electronic locomotive that does not use nickel.

He developed the proper variety of steel before establishing it in all processes, ranging from the melting of molten iron to rolling, drawing and plating.

He brought out lots of technical findings that contribute to the production of various kinds of castings, forging workpiece and rolled workpiece with the help of steel, cast iron and nonferrous metals after buckling down to the undertaking.

The establishment of the production process of structural alloy steel is one of them.

“Several kinds of steel are used for the production of alloy steel workpiece. He succeeded in matching the composition of them by pooling efforts of the technical group of the complex,” said Hong Il, staffer of the technical development department.

Thanks to the establishment of this alloy steel production process, the complex could successfully produce damp-proof traction motor of tube trains, axles and gears.

He also contributed greatly to completing the production technology of castings based on combustion model casting after years of painstaking joint efforts with scientists of Kim Il Sung University.

The technology, which has been introduced into many units on the domestic front including his workshop, helps produce castings whose precision is superior in dimension and quality as compared to before.

His inventions have been applied to a new type of metro car, cableway tramcar for Lake Chon on Mt Paektu and AC electric locomotive which were recently produced by the complex.

In addition, he developed tungsten-free high-speed steel and spring steel for the production of railway fixed products.

He always encourages others, saying “Everything can be done if there is will”.