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).
Summary of a cheap, simple, and distortion-free steel hardening process for use on parts like crankshafts and brake drums.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\S\September1928-October1928\ Scan159 | |
| Date | 16th October 1928 guessed | |
| contd :- -3- able to give the correct machining allowance on any normal part if they have the drawings. Summarising the position, the process appears to be very cheap and simple. It appears to have got through the experimental stage even on gears and flexible shafts. It would appear to be very much cheaper than case-hardening owing to the absence of distortion enabling the part to be finished machined before the final hardening in most cases, except light pieces such as cyl. liners. It is stainless and rustless. Such qualities as the steel possesses would of course be invaluable to us on pieces such as crankshafts, brake drums, axle gears etc.etc. Mr. Duval, the French engineer, who has done all the development work in France in conjunction with Hispanos, has offered to come over any time and in conjunction Firth Derihon, the British Licencee's, see that we get anything we want rapidly and also incorporating their very latest developments. We suggest that it is worth making every effort to get some of this steel running experimentally as soon as possible. Attached to R's copy of this note are photographs of a few parts actually being treated by Aubert & Duval on a production scale and also details of the process showing the different heat treatment recommended for various types of steel before hardening. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} | ||