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).
Visit to Messrs. Vandervell Products Ltd. to assess their manufacturing capacity for small jigs and fixtures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 143\3\ scan0358 | |
| Date | 12th June 1940 | |
| 1204 To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from HPS{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr}/LB. c. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr}2/VS.{J. Vickers}12.6.40. Visit to Messrs. Vandervell Products Ltd. - 11.6.40. Messrs. Vandervell Products were visited yesterday following upon their offer of assistance with the manufacture of small jigs and fixtures. Their production equipment consists almost entirely of semi-automatic press tools used in the manufacture of bearings, and is therefore of no use for any other purpose. They have, however, a small but well equipped Toolroom with facilities for heat treatment, and an air conditioned Standards Room with Zeiss measuring apparatus. The following machine tools are installed :- 2 - Heald Internal Grinding Machines. 2 - Universal " " 2 - Tool and Cutter " " 5 - Surface " " 3 - 8" Centre Lathes. 3 - Horizontal Shapers. 5 - Small Milling Machines. 1 - Radial Drilling Machine. These are all first class tools, but for the total of twenty-three machines there are not more than fifteen day operators and no nightshift whatsoever, the practice being, apparently, to transfer operators from one machine to another as the necessity arises. Efforts are being made to obtain additional staff from outside sources, and consideration is also being given to the question of transferring men from other parts of the factory in order to make up a full shift, but with the present staff, and bearing in mind that their own maintenance and tool programme cannot be neglected, it is unlikely that Vandervells will be able to deal promptly with any volume of outside work. They can, however, place certain grinding machines at our disposal, and since they are well accustomed to the degree of accuracy required arrangements are being made to send along a quantity of gap, ring and plug gauges of various types which are ready for the final sizing operation. We have also despatched the necessary material from P.T.O. | ||