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).
Use of 'Chromidium' iron for cylinder castings and its potential wear effects.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 132\4\ scan0065 | |
| Date | 25th May 1937 | |
| CYLINDER CASTINGS EB.2929. Referring to ROY.{Sir Henry Royce}11/MG.24.5.37. and the Midland Motor Cylinder Co. Ltd's letter of May 10th, as stated in this letter I discussed the question of material very fully with their Technical Department, at that time their opinion was that they would be able to give us the higher brinell by the introduction of nickel, although they strongly urged that we should use their standard product. As a matter of fact the brinell figure of the "Chromidium" iron is distinctly lower than I anticipated it would be, and I am satisfied that we shall not get the same absence of wear with 'Chromidium' iron of low brinell as we do with our nickel alloyed iron with its brinell round about 270. I do not consider that this Company dare take the risk of accepting 'Chromidium' iron with a brinell round about 200 to 212, and am therefore definitely of the opinion that we should continue to depend upon our own castings in view of the attitude adopted by the Midland Cylinder Castings Co. There is no method by which we can obtain cylinder wear effects other than by running for an extended period of 50,000 miles, - under the normal working conditions of a car, as used by a medical man or our customers in London, where cars do not do very much mileage, but are being constantly started up and run for short periods only, which represents the worst condition under which an engine can be used, BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||