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).
Justifying the machining time expended on Dennis tin alloy bearings.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 116\1\ scan0021 | |
| Date | 14th January 1938 | |
| 1020a. To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} from HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr}1/VS.{J. Vickers}14.1.38. DENNIS BEARINGS. Referring to Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/R.11.1.38, regarding the machining time expended on the tin alloy bearings for the Dennis Company. We agree that the setting time of 7 hours prior to "turning faces, etc." appears somewhat excessive, but on taking up this matter with Turner, we find that included in this figure is the time require to produce the necessary spigot and pot, which we understand amounted to approximately 4 hours. With regard to the 9 hours setting for final turning, here again 4 1/2 hours must be taken into account for the production of two split bushes and a spigot; furthermore, 14 bearings were in operation and each half was first clocked on a face plate and then fitted to the spigot and clocked again to ensure perfect concentricity. When experimental work is sent outside the Department for machining it should be understood that the machine to which this work is allocated is in all probability engaged on Production components, which must be broken down to receive the new work and reset after completion; both of these times are, of course, charged to our order number. It is possible that had this item been produced in our own department, an economy would have been effected by the use of a highly skilled machine operator, but we feel that in the circumstances the recorded times are justifiable. In many instances, however, we agree that it is difficult to account for machining times booked against Experimental order numbers by Production Departments. HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} [Signature] | ||