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).
Standardisation, cost, and quality of chromium plating for radiators, chassis and other fittings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\6\ Scan085 | |
| Date | 11th November 1929 | |
| To BH from Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} X1360. WorE/T.11.11.29. --------------- CHROMIUM PLATING. I am pleased to see that you are ordering 10 sets of material for Radiators and other fittings in Brass instead of Nickel Silver, for Chromium Plating. This question of chromium plating should be treated as a most urgent job; we want to be in a position, as early as we possibly can, to standardise for production the best chromium plating that we can get. At the same time the Works (say ARM) should consider the whole problem from a question of cost, that is to say - we want to be able to chromium plate the chassis, as standard, that it will come out cheaper, or at less cost - no more, than our present nickel. I understand that we have a reasonable chance of chromium plating coming out at a price, when stand-ard, cheaper than present nickel, so that the Works should study the cost most carefully in the production of these ten sets. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} tells me there is great demand for chromium plating, and that people will not very much longer, buy chassis without it, or some similar finish such as Staybrite. The few chassis which we are supplying with chromium plating is coming out at a fearful cost, something like £30 over our present standard nickel, which seems to be altogether wrong. The purport of this note is:- (1) to get the ten sets built up at the earliest moment, (2) that a special effort be made to bring the cost down to less than our present nickel finish, (3) to get the best chromium plating done by people whom we know, at present, to be able to plate the finest quality. I presume that you are also arranging for all the other parts on the chassis to be chromium plated in the best and cheapest way. I would also like the whole list of parts which are instructed for chromium plating to be reviewed in detail to see whether we are chromium plating any parts which are not absolutely necessary. [STAMP: RECEIVED NOV 11 1929] Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} Wh | ||