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 cost reduction on the Bentley exhaust system by changing from Staybright steel to aluminized mild steel.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 86\3\ scan0173 | |
| Date | 5th June 1936 | |
| X223 To Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} Reduction of Costs. Bentley Exhaust System. We have been experimenting for some time with different materials and various treatments of materials on the above exhaust system, with the object of dispensing with the use of Staybright steel owing to its costliness, and we have now succeeded in running a system made up of mild steel treated with sprayed aluminium, known as "Aluminizing", on our last 15,000 miles car - B-56-BN.{W.O. Bentley / Mr Barrington} The front downtake pipe and expansion box have completed 12,000 miles, and the remainder of the system 18,000 miles, and the material appears to be in very good condition. We therefore propose to submit this system for standardisation on future cars with 2 exceptions. Firstly, although the downtake pipe looks in quite good condition, as it gets hotter than any other part of the system, we feel that we should like to run more mileage and watch developments before finally agreeing to this particular pipe being changed from Staybright to 'aluminized' mild steel. Secondly, we do not like the present method of welding the downtake pipe into the expansion box, as the whole of the weight of the front portion of the exhaust system is taken at this point, and we suggest that a collar be fitted on the expansion box, rivetted and welded, and the downtake pipe pegged and welded into the collar. This matter has already been put before the Design Dept. for their consideration. A complete specification of the proposed exhaust system is herewith attached, and we suggest that it will mean a saving of approximately £1. 15. 0d. per car. We are including in the Standardisation Sheet a further saving of approx. 10/0d. by the substitution of 24 SWG. M/S. nickel plated lagging covers in place of the material now used. At the moment we have run a set of these covers 5,000 miles and they appear to be in very good condition. Ha/G.H.Whyman. | ||