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 unsatisfactory progress by Motor Panels Coventry in locating and storing press tools for B.V. bodies.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 155\4\ scan0157 | |
| Date | 28th February 1941 | |
| To: Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/EAG. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/EAG.2/RH.{R. Hollingworth}28.2.41. 1385 PRESS TOOLS FOR B.V. BODIES Since our visit to Motor Panels Coventry, at the end of November last, wooden jigs for B.V. have been collected by us from them and stored at Shardlow, and an attempt has been made by Motor Panels to locate and list the steel Tools and Templates at their works. On Wednesday last, February 26th, we visited them and interviewed their Mr. Smith to see just what progress they have made in locating and storing the tools. We found that apart from locating some of the tools, very little has been done towards collecting them together and storing them in a satisfactory manner, the reason given that more had not been done, is that they have a lot of Government work in hand, shortage of labour and lack of equipment to move the larger dies. They have been unable to locate a number of the smaller tools, some of which were existing tools which they had, that have been adapted to suit B.V. and had not been specially marked for our job, and due to change of personnel they have been mislaid, and some of the templates and patterns have been scrapped. We consider that the position of the tools from our point of view is very unsatisfactory and that unless some effort is made by Motor Panels to collect the tools, list and number them, have them greased and stored in a proper manner, there will be very considerable delay before they can get into production after the war is over. They should also know what tools will have to be replaced and we feel that this alone will delay the start of production considerably. Mr. Smith would give no definite time that they would require, we gathered from our conversation that it would be at least six months. Appended is a copy of the letter which we have sent to Motor Panels, dealing with this matter. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/EAG. | ||