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).
Dynamo supply negotiations with Lucas, covering pricing, specifications, and quality assurances.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 36\4\ scan 232 | |
| Date | 1st October 1933 | |
| -2- Contd. expressed with the whole installation, including the dynamo, would be reduced more than is realised, and probably the dynamo E.575 model now in use might be considered satisfactory in the bulk of cases. I then suggested to the Lucas Co. that they should undertake to build 100 dynamos of the 1" longer pattern. They remarked that they had not hitherto put such a small number into production, adding that unless we could assure them that there is a reasonable prospect of our requiring more than 100 of this type of dynamo, the cost of production would be quite out of proportion to the cost of the E.575 dynamo now in use. When pressed to fix a price, Lucas' mentioned a figure which was, in my opinion, too high and I informed them that to stand any chance whatever they would have to reduce their price to £19.10 0d at the outside. Lucas' eventually agreed to do this and I think that on further consideration they may be prepared to still further reduce said figure and if the Committee and R approve of the action I have taken, I should make an effort to obtain a reduction on this price. With regard to R's remark that he had not seen any of the practical parts which it is proposed should replace defective ones, I was assured by Lucas' that the 1" longer dynamo has been run long enough to satisfy them that the extra length of armature does not increase the vibration through the deflection of the long shaft; in fact the shaft is being manufactured of a superior class of steel and is heat-treated to compensate for its greater length. R.{Sir Henry Royce} appears to be under the impression that we have complained of the brushes supplied by Lucas' not giving satisfaction. In this connection, we may say that we have not found it necessary to complain, as the C.M.9 brushes (Morgan Crucible Co.) hitherto supplied, and still being supplied, have been quite satisfactory, but tests which Lucas' have recently made have lead them to believe that the ECO. type of brush (also Morgan Crucible Co.) would give greater satisfaction, hence they have afforded us the opportunity of testing same out. | ||