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 Bakelite and stabalite instead of ebonite for electrical components to reduce costs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\3\ Scan038 | |
| Date | 18th March 1921 | |
| Contd. -2- I did not know that I had to trouble you or my self in this matter, as I thought our people at Derby were obtaining such parts O.K., but I find from the very high cost of our electrical equipment, that this is not so. I notice that the American Bosch Company have some excellently finished parts, and I wondered if the black was also Bakelite, and whether they did their own mouldings. As far as I can see you can safely use Bakelite for all purposes where ebonite was used, and so avoid the necessity of machining or hand finishing the parts. Bakelite, however, seems quite unusable for friction surfaces, such as distributor of the rubbing contact type with carbon brushes or hard steel, then one must use stabalite, which has the/advantage that the articles come from the moulds very rough and inaccurate. Kindly look into this matter quickly for me if you can possibly spare the time, as the matter is very urgent. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||