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).
Proposal for a test house and rig for gearbox work and noise investigation, outlining the financial benefits.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 143\1\ scan0149 | |
| Date | 20th February 1936 | |
| -2- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer}4/KW.20.2.36. (4) A test house with sound insulation and a supply of D.C. power for variable speed motors could be extremely useful for a variety of work other than gearbox work. It is already proposed that fan noise investigations should be done in this test house. The main rig would also be useful for motoring engine units for investigating noise problems. (e) The financial benefit that would be obtained directly from the installation of the rig would consist of a reduction in the cost of development and design work and a reduction in the number of scrapped parts. When a failure occurs on one part, the strengthening of this part generally necessitates altering several others in addition. With our present system of testing in which one weakness may be discovered within the first 2 months and another adjacent one a year later, it is quite possible for several parts to be modified more than once in order to cure the weakness of other parts. If the rig were available a new design of gearbox could be subjected to a full endurance test within 1 - 2 months by replacing parts which fail with similar parts. The rectification of all weaknesses can then be made when the test is completed. This would lead to a saving of cost in design work and in the manufacture of large numbers of experimental parts. The speeding up of testing possible with the rig is bound to improve the quality of our products which must be a financial benefit. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/F.J.Hardy. | ||