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).
Unsatisfactory reliability test results of Dubilier condensers compared to in-house versions.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 34\1\ Scan238 | |
| Date | 4th April 1921 | |
| [Stamp: Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} From PY C. McC C. EFC. RECEIVED 4 APR 1921] COPY. X2512 EY6-P4.4.21. X.2512. CHASSIS - CONDENSERS. With reference to the Condensers which have been made by the Dubilier Company and were tested out by Faraday House, with the object of convincing us that same were perfectly reliable, we tested the batch of 36 which were supplied to us, on our normal standard production test, with the result that 3 out of 36 failed. In consequence of this I asked EFC to try and check the position further, by putting 12 of the same batch of condensers through a set of reliability tests. The result of this was that 4 out of 12 failed. In order to actually demonstrate to the Dubilier Co. that their condensers still are unreliable, it will be necessary for us to put 12 of our own condensers through an exactly similar series of tests as the 12 Faraday house tested Dubilier condensers when in the event of all of our own condensers standing up we shall have definitely proved that the Dubilier method of building condensers is unreliable. I have not, at the moment, been able to test out 12 of our own condensers, owing to the fact that we were so pressed by the Works, in order to keep production going, that we used up every R.R. condenser we had in the place, in order to put chassis on test, and therefore I have had to wait until new material was obtained and Mr Brock is able to complete 12 condensers out of the new batch which is going through. I regret that it took EFC. some time to evolve his test, and that after testing the Dubiliers none of our own were available, but this was quite unavoidable, and conditions are such at the moment, that I cannot agree to release the Dubiliers until I have definitely proved that they are at least equal to our own product. At the moment they appear to be decidedly inferior. I am making this explanation in order that you may not feel that the position is being unnecessarily held up, and that you may enlighten the Dubilier Company on the present position, so that they, on their part, will not feel that we are sitting tight and doing nothing. By | ||