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).
Potential use of Monel metal as a superior alternative to nickel brass for certain vehicle parts, weighing quality against cost.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 38\2\ Scan124 | |
| Date | 23th December 1920 | |
| X.3456 To R.R. of America Inc. from R.{Sir Henry Royce} (For the attention of Cy.) c. to CJ. c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} c. to EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to HL. X4300 (struck through) X3417 (struck through) X3456 RE MONEL METAL. I am quite of the opinion, judging from the analysis of this metal, that it would be superior to the nickel brass which we ar present use for castings and sheets, to obtain the usual silver finish of our chassis. I do not think, however, that it is of vital importance to go to the extra cost suggested for this metal, as the actual cost of keeping the present nickel silver fittings polished is very small compared with the cost of keeping the car washed, and cleaned in other respects. I thinkthat there may be parts in which this superior nickel silver would be of value, and quite agree that we at once adopt it for our petrol filter gauze. We should also like to experimentally see it for the close plating and radiator sheets as you suggest, on two or three chassis. If you will kindly send us the necessary quantity of metal, we should then be able to judge if the appearance was vastly better than that we are obtaining. You will realise that the cost of the chassis has so increased due to the altered conditions, and the cost of labour and materials, that our efforts must be to make reductions in cost, unless it is | ||