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).
Discussion memo on production delays and costs for 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engine patterns.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 123\5\ scan0174 | |
| Date | 17th November 1938 | |
| 1044 also 1260 Mr. Walker (P.S.) c. HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} c. RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}/Vs.{J. Vickers} Rml/R.17.11.38. PATTERNS - CAR ENGINES. A discussion took place between HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr}, Mr. Walker, Mr. Vickers and Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} to clear up the troubles which have caused the delay in the delivery of the 8-cyl. cast iron engine to the Experimental Shop. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} pointed out that the first print for the 6-cyl. was sent to the Pattern Shop 6.5.38. and the first casting received 12.8.38., i.e., the time taken for this work was just over three months. In the case of the Eight, however, the first drawing was sent 14.6.38., and the first casting could not possibly be delivered before 21/11/38 giving an elapsed time of over five months. Mr. Walker pointed out that on 14.6.38. he only received a preliminary print of the Eight and that this was insufficient to enable him to make the patterns. On the other hand, the D.O. have since assured Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} that the information issued was exactly as asked for by Mr. Walker, and that when he received this information he went away satisfied. Since no reply was made to RY/CS6/EH.14.6.38. indicating that the information was inadequate no blame can be attached to the D.O. Mr. Walker stated that making one pattern do for six and eight had made the job far more difficult than if two separate patterns had been used, and that he had been against this procedure from the start. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} agreed that he had been mainly responsible for urging that an endeavour should be made to use a combined pattern for the two units. Apparently, considerable economy has been realised by the move as Mr. Walker indicated that the cost of converting the six to the eight had only been about £40. Since the total cost of the original 6-cyl. pattern was over £200, it is difficult to understand the time taken over the respective jobs, i.e., if £40 is correct one would not expect this amount of work to take more than a fraction of the time of the original pattern. | ||