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).
Letter from The Light Production Co. Ltd. discussing cracks in RR.53 castings for Aerolite Pistons.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 86\2\ scan0251 | |
| Date | 5th September 1934 | |
| X236 TELEPHONE: VICTORIA 0671 (5 LINES). CODES: A.B.C. 5TH EDITION. ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY. ON ADMIRALTY, WAR OFFICE AND AIR MINISTRY LISTS. THE LIGHT PRODUCTION CO. LTD PROPRIETORS OF THE LONDON PISTON RING CO. LIMITED. CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR: M.V.ROBERTS DIRECTORS: C.E.GEORGE, WM.THIRTLE ENGINEERS TELEGRAMS: INLAND, NAPOLEONIC, SOWEST, LONDON. FOREIGN, NAPOLEONIC, LONDON. 60/66, ROCHESTER ROW, WESTMINSTER, S.W.1 WORKS AND GOODS ADDRESS: 61/67, GREENCOAT PLACE, WESTMINSTER, S.W.1. OUR REF. CHB/IR YOUR REF. HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 1/KW. 5th September 1934. Messrs. Rolls Royce Limited, Experimental Dept., DERBY. Dear Sirs, For the attention of W.A.Robotham Esq. We have your communication of the 3rd, following upon our telephone conversation on that date, and are pleased to note the details of the further severe tests to which you have been subjecting Aerolite Pistons. With regard to this question of cracks, in considering the matter there is no doubt that care should be taken to differentiate clearly between the two types. Taking the RR.53 castings, which we understand are cracked down the flutes, there is very little doubt in our minds after our considerable experience of this matter, that we have never produced RR.53 castings without these cracks existing before the pistons were put in an engine. They are due to the thinness of the section at this point, and take the form of crystal boundary rupture during cooling, which has been distinctly revealed by examination under the microscope. These cracks have been by far the greatest source of our foundry scrap and constitute the only real difficulty in producing pistons in this material. | ||