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 to High Duty Alloys Ltd. discussing the potential use of magnesium castings on car work to save weight.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 142\4\ scan0024 | |
| Date | 27th June 1936 | |
| 1701 Exptl. Dept. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}15/KW. 27th June, 1936. W.C. Devereux, Esq., High Duty Alloys Ltd., Trading Estate, Slough, Bucks. Dear Devereux, I have been discussing with Mr. Hives the use of magnesium castings on car work. He tells me that you are now making a very complicated casting for Bristols. For a long time we have been wanting to use some magnesium castings on our car work, and as a matter of fact we have run several pieces such as gearbox, dashboard, clutch pits etc., and would standardise them to-day if we could get supplies of castings at a reasonable price. Furthermore, on the Phantom III we have a mono-block casting on which, could it be made in magnesium, we could save 1 cwt. We have heard so many conflicting statements made about magnesium castings that we should like to discuss the matter with you. We cannot believe that if a firm like Crossleys can use magnesium in bus work, and include crankcase castings, that it is not possible for us to do something with this material. Could you fix a date when it would be convenient for us to come over and discuss the matter with you ? Yours sincerely, FOR ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED. | ||