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).
Secret memo discussing the high cost of aluminium castings for the Chassis Division and suggesting Vickers as a supplier.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 142\4\ scan0107 | |
| Date | 26th May 1938 | |
| 1202 SECRET. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}5/R.26.5.38. ALUMINIUM CASTINGS FOR CHASSIS DIVISION. Since the Expansion Programme, it appears that more and more of the chassis aluminium castings are being made outside the Factory. The quantities at present are so small that nobody wants the job and prices are uneconomically high in consequence. Judging by Leylands figures it is quite ridiculous for us to pretend that we are getting value for money with regard to light alloy castings. In contrast to all this we are now getting iron castings produced with very little scrap and at a fairly reasonable price. The resulting tendency is for the Works to want everything to be made of cast iron. Since the commercial vehicle people are using more and more aluminium we do not anticipate that the amount we shall use on our products will become less. We, therefore, suggest that it would be advantageous to get Vickers to handle both the aluminium and the iron castings for the Chassis Division. He actually made this suggestion himself. He states that nearly all his men have worked with aluminium as well as iron. He seems to be capable, but, at the moment, not fully employed. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||