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).
Withdrawal of a standardisation sheet due to cost and concerns over overhead charges.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\3\ scan0247 | |
| Date | 3rd December 1936 | |
| 1310 Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. to G/Rb.{R. Bowen} c. to RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/R.3.12.36. COSTS. We are withdrawing the attached standardisation sheet because, though the proposed modification improves the part in question, we do not think it is worth 4/5d. Looking at the pieces we should have estimated 2/- as a maximum figure. We cannot understand a material cost of 2/3 for a distance piece of this sort. We have come up against another difficulty in the cost figure for light alloy drums. The overheads on cast iron drums are 175%, on aluminium drums 200/250%; this may be correct, but it is rather disconcerting. If we are to accept figures like the latter one, we should like to have a fixed list of such charges agreed to by everyone so that we can plan accordingly when developing any article. Without reliable costing, we are severely handicapped in our endeavours to produce a better motor-car for the money. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||