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).
Private memorandum analysing the cost of forgings for the Wraith shaft.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\5\ scan0341 | |
| Date | 30th May 1938 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} PRIVATE. COST OF FORGINGS. Going over the forging cost figures got out by Wilks and applying them to our own shaft, the cost of labour and material for the Wraith shaft in .4 carbon steel should be £1, the overheads about 3/6d. This is on a conservative basis. To this must be added die cost and profit. Knowing the price other people pay for their crankshafts, it does not seem feasible that the die cost could be more than £1 per shaft. Adding 15% profit to the cost of producing the shaft and a fair price for the Wraith shaft would appear to be 50/-. This comes out at 6d per lb, which shows that the estimate is conservative as shafts are, we know, being bought in the same material for 4d per lb. The lowest quotation so far for the .4 carbon Wraith shaft is £4 or, 9d per lb. It seems clear that this is about 50% above an economic price. Many of our other forgings seem to be even worse value for money, as their die cost is small compared with that of a crankshaft. We think that the matter should not be allowed to rest without further investigation. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||