 The area in which Kalvin wanted to devote most of his time was:
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, August 1958. Kalvin Feetch shrunk visibly. "But Mr. Piltdon," remonstrated Feetch unsteadily under his employer's glare, "don't you remember? Our own Piltdon opener barely manages to open a can in eight point nine without chimes. "But Mr. Piltdon, our opener still has stability, solidity. It is built to last. It has dignity...." I want it completely developed, engineered and tooled-up, ready for production. "But Mr. Piltdon, four months is hardly time enough for development, even with an adequate staff. I've been trying to tell you for years that we're bound to fall behind because we don't have enough personnel to conduct research. A designer had to dream at his board, investigate, search, build, test, compare, discard. He had always wanted to devote all his time to research, but Piltdon Opener had not given him that opportunity. Twenty-five years of close supervision, dead-lines, production headaches, inadequate facilities and assistance. What had happened, to the proud dream he once had, the dream of exploring uncharted engineering regions, of unlimited time to investigate and develop? Ah, well, thought Feetch straightening his thin shoulders, he had managed somehow to design a few good things during his twenty-five years with Piltdon. Since the early 1980's the schools had been turning out more technicians than industry could absorb. Well, he had to start— "Chief," said Hanson a few weeks later as they entered the lab, "I'm beginning to wonder if the answer is in the hand mechanical type at all." "We must work along classical can-opener lines. Departures, such as the thermal or motor-driven types, would be too expensive for mass production." It might seem that use of the proper gear ratios would give the required velocity, but there were too many other factors that negated this direct approach. Sector type cutters, traversing several arcs at the same time, had seemed to offer the answer for a while, but the adjusting mechanism necessary to compensate for variable can sizes had been too complex to be practical. Twenty-five years of your life you put in with Piltdon, and he'd fire you just like that if you don't do the impossible. The Piltdon Company is built upon your designs and you get handed this deal!" "I drew my pay every week so I suppose I have no complaints.
 Research
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