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).
Machining difficulties with crankshafts made of .4 Carbon Steel for B.60 and B.80 engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 123\5\ scan0302 | |
| Date | 16th February 1939 | |
| SWPL 10HH Please let me know what Brinell the shop can machine Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} To DY.{F R Danby} from HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} c. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr}5/VS.{J. Vickers}16.2.39. CRANKSHAFTS IN .4 CARBON STEEL. Difficulty has been experienced in machining crankshafts produced in the above material for the B.60 and B.80 engine units. After roughing out, these shafts were heat treated here under the supervision of the Laboratory to a Brinell hardness of 321, machining in the case of the B.60 shaft being carried out by the Crankshaft Dept. and in the case of B.80 by Messrs. Ambrose Shardlow Ltd., Sheffield. On the B.60 shaft the chief complaint has been difficulty experienced in the boring operations, but Shardlows say they have had trouble with all tooling operations. It will be appreciated that the resultant increase in cutting times and the additional cost of special cutting tools required will tend to offset the reduction in cost effected by the use of carbon steel unless arrangements can be made either to heat treat in the finished condition or reduce the hardness to a figure that will ensure easy cutting. HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} | ||