旧中国的机器制造工业是残缺不全的、修配性質的、完全依附于帝国主义經济的工业。就火力发电設备(鍋爐、汽輪机、汽輪发电机)来講,完全是依靠国外进口,或者由外国資本直接在中国建立发电厂。我国不但不能制造这些設备,甚至連大一些的修配工作都不得不高价求助于外国制造厂。柴油机制造方面,虽然此发电設备制造的情况稍微好一些,但也只能制造一些式样陈旧的、低速小馬力柴油机,而且完全是以半手工的生产方式进行单个生产,装配的零件还要“对号入座”,連小批生产都談不到。在这样的工业基础上,就談不上正規的工艺路线和完整的工业厂房。工厂設計这門技术科学当然就更不可能存在了。那时候,为数极少的一些設計人員, The old China’s machine-building industry was an incomplete, repair-fitting industry that was completely dependent on the imperialist economy. As far as thermal power equipment (boilers, steam turbines, turbine generators) is concerned, it is entirely dependent on foreign imports, or foreign power is directly established in China. Not only can our country not manufacture these equipment, even the larger repairs have to resort to foreign manufacturers at high prices. In terms of diesel engine manufacturing, although the power generation equipment is slightly better, it can only produce some old-fashioned, low-speed, low-horsepower diesel engines, and it is entirely produced in a semi-manual manner. Even if there is a small number of batch productions, it will not be possible to discuss. On the basis of such an industry, it is impossible to talk about the formal process route and the complete industrial plant. The scientific design of the factory is certainly less likely to exist. At that time, there were very few designers.