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).
The American Bosch battery ignition distributor, comparing their manufacturing and pricing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\3\ Scan033 | |
| Date | 1st March 1921 | |
| X3513 Extract from Cyl/G7.3.21. X.3916. X.3917. X.3513. X.4275- AMERICAN BOSCH BATTERY IGNITION. In continuation of my letter of March 4, '21 on this subject, replying to Mr. Royce's letter of Feb. 16th, I wish to add the following notes :- (4). Distributor. The American Bosch Company produces in normal times several thousands- sets of magnetos and battery ignitions every week. There is no fitting or filing work in the while factory, even burrs from machine operations being removed by special tools without hand work. The assembly work is done largely by girls, and is mechanical as far as possible. Armature coils are wound on small revolving spindles with a mechanical traverse like winding the shuttle of a sewing machine, the insulating enamel-silk sheets being applied by hand after winding each layer. Everything possible is pressed or moulded. The magnetos are tested on long benches, several hundred at a time. On quantities of two or three hundred magnetos which differ from standard, the Bosch Company put them through a special department called the "special contact" department, considering such quantities too small to put through their regular production. We would suggest that on quantities such as ours, the moulding dies for Bakelite would be prohibitive in price. The bakelite molding outfit at the Delco factory, is quite as expensive a plant as our Drop Forge shop at Derby, each press resembling a small steam-hammer.in size and weight. The prices quoted us by the Bosch Company on electrical equipment are their standard trade prices, and the same equipment can be bought from retail stores at prices not more than 50% above these. Therefore, we are sure that the Bosch Company would not want to increase the price after they got in full production on parts for us, provided they did not differ materially from their standard production. S302(?) 7D 11-1-21 100(?) H'S(LL) 991-Y9E2 M M | ||