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).
Testing and production of Nitro Hardened Steel for crankshafts.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\1\ scan0218 | |
| Date | 2nd October 1930 | |
| To Sr. From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} Y C 69 Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/MJ.2.10.30. X.4469. X.7010. Re. NITRO HARDENED STEEL. Replying to Sg{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}33/E29.9.30. We consider we shall never find out possible 'snags' of Nitro Hardened Steel until we have put a batch through on production. You will see in R's. memo R4/M16.9.30., he recommends that we shall spend £20,000 on this steel. We, of course, could not recommend that such expense should be incurred. R.{Sir Henry Royce} is satisfied now that we have proposed to make a definite move with this steel. We chose the Phantom crankshaft because there is a very wide margin of safety on this shaft. The risk of failure is very small compared with any of our other engines. Although we have only run 16,000 miles, the car is still running with this shaft, and it is certain before we deliver any Phantom cars with Nitro Crankshafts this car should have covered 25,000 miles. In the meantime, of course, we should be carrying out further tests on the aero engines and the 25 HP. We still believe the correct way is to put in hand a batch of production shafts. If it is thought that 50 is too many we might reduce it to 25. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||