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).
Cost reduction measures for crankshafts, including changes to balance weights and machining processes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 132\1\ scan0143 | |
| Date | 17th June 1939 | |
| 1116 (Swdl{Len H. Swindell}'s report only. in file 614 + 1260) By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} c. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} c. Roy{Sir Henry Royce}/Les.{Ivan A. Leslie} c. Da.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} c. Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/Jnr.{Charles L. Jenner} c. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Swdl.{Len H. Swindell} CRANKSHAFTS. A crankshaft is a basic portion of any conventional engine, and we have, therefore, not relaxed our efforts to reduce the cost of this unit. Integral balance weights have been argued about many times and now we have an answer. We still believe that by co-operating with the forging people we can design less costly balance weights, but as they are they will pay their way at the moment. Omitting drilling seems to us to be a debatable economy because we understand that drilling is the most economical way of removing material, and the Lincoln Zephyr can afford the luxury of a hollow crankshaft. Perhaps RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}/Reid could say what it would cost to drill a crank if several were done simultaneously by one operator. The customer gets nothing out of profiling the webs. We, therefore, think that this operation should be omitted. He gets more bearing area when the webs are machined, and, therefore, this operation is worth while, especially since with better equipment it should not cost so much. We have already proved that with our existing filtration, main bearing material and bearing area, there is no appreciable disadvantage in going to a carbon crankshaft. Lincoln Zephyr have been using disc oilers for four years and we have had no information of trouble. We have asked the Works to copy what has been done, but so far they have not been successful, partly because we have been unable to provide a model. We have cabled to America for a Zephyr shaft and machining particulars. Summarising, therefore, recommended savings:- Carbon Steel £1/5/- Integral Balance Weights 15/- Delete Profiling of webs 15/- Disc type oilers £1/-/- ------- £ 3/15/- ------- | ||