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).
Arguing for the continued use of cadmium plating on axle springs to prevent corrosion-related failures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\4\ scan0038 | |
| Date | 11th January 1937 | |
| [REDACTED] [REDACTED] c. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} BY.9/G.11.1.37. 1306 AXLE SPRINGS - RE: CADMIUM PLATING. ------------------------------------- There is no question but that when originally I cleared road spring breakages that one of the main factors was the elimination of plate corrosion, which was arrived at by buffing the plates and finally cadmium plating them. In one instance, which I think Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} will remember, a polished spring had been received for use on the bumper rig, it had not been cadmium plated, and it failed in something like 20 hours, as compared with other plates (cadmium plated) which have given at least 80 hours endurance. An examination of the spring showed that a label had been stuck on the plate, and underneath the label the spring had been attacked by rust pits and the failure took place through the pits in question. Since we have been cadmium plating, springs failures are unknown. I therefore cannot agree to eliminating what I believe to be the safest precaution against broken springs that we have introduced. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||