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).
The costs and processes for pump repair work, including proposals for flat-rate pricing.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 162\1\ img028 | |
| Date | 28th March 1939 | |
| -2- RM{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/JBD.{John B. Dixon - Fuel Systems}2/JH.28.3.39 a lot of clerical work and even then would still be unsatisfactory and a cause of endless dispute. In view of the fact that all repair stock is stripped and tested after repair by S.U. at the works it would involve no extra labour if the repair was carried out at the Works and would save the packing and transport. We suggested that the parts required were purchased from the S.U. and the work carried out here in the same way in which the new pumps for production are assembled. Cases of old units not to the present limits would be left to the inspectors discretion and scrapped if advisable. The only other suggestion made was that a flat rate for repair should be fixed which in a rough estimation, Harris stated would be about £1.0.0d. We feel however that it would certainly avoid the double cost of assembly if we buy the pieces and consequently the cost should be considerably less than £1.0s.0d. per pump. The question of the price of the parts required will have to be fixed and what rebate we will get for parts such as armatures which are possible to use again. We suggest that this will be the only satisfactory method to deal with the matter and as far as we can see involves no difficulties. It is possible that as soon as we arrive at the cost for repairing say 100 pumps, we should be able to fix a flat rate which the depot could charge to cars instead of an elaborate individual costing for each job done. It is no surprise that the question has at last arisen and there is no doubt that S.U. have a strong case and till now we have purposely not raised any question regarding the repair work. Originally Mr. Skinner agreed to modify the G.S. pumps to G5SC free and presumably the five years repair work for nothing do compensate us to a degree for the trouble and expense these pumps have caused. They are now justified in stopping the free of charge work which in effect meant that they were guaranteeing the pump indefinitely whereas we have reduced the guarantee period and so saved about £1.0s.0d. per pump. They have continued to repair free over the year period. | ||