Experiments with various treatments, including anodic, cadmium, and lead plating, to prevent aluminium screw threads from seizing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\6\ Scan002 | |
| Date | 9th December 1927 | |
| X1360 R. {Sir Henry Royce} From Hy. {Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} C. Wcr. C. Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Hy {Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} 1/W9.12.27. RE TREATMENT OF ALUMINIUM SCREW THREADS TO AVOID SEIZURE. Re R.1/M.21.11.27. With regard to the above, we have made experiments on a few scrap parts with different kinds of treatment. One part has been subjected to the anodic treatment and this does not seem to be very promising, as the screw thread has a great deal of friction when tightened up and feels as though the threads would become worn out by frequent movement. Only the external thread was treated. Another piece has been cadmium plated, and this treatment appears to be successful. It is impossible to cause the nut to stick or seize by manipulating by hand. A further sample is now being electro-plated with a thin coating of lead to see what the effect of this is. The cadmium plating occupies about 15 minutes, whereas the anodic treatment takes several hours. It would appear therefore, that if the cadmium plating be found satisfactory, it would be a very simple matter to cheaply treat all aluminium threads which are necessary. We have arranged to produce a number of the bronze threaded parts of the aero engine in duralumin and these will be cadmium plated and fitted to an engine to be tested out. Hy. {Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} [Signature] | ||
From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).