After nearly a year of diligent work, Li was able to bring out his first-generation nut-manufacturing machine, putting out 120 nuts every minute. Although this rate was somewhat slower than its German counterpart, the machine carried a price of only US $ 3,500, a mere 1 / 33 of the cost of the imported machine.
如果他能發明出成本較低的機器，企業界定能接受。將近一年的時間，他做出國內第一代螺帽成型機，每分鐘生產一百廿粒螺帽，產量雖略遜於西德的機器，但是售價十二萬元，只是西德進口機械的卅三分之一，在市場上有絕對優勢的競爭力。