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).
Extract from a letter discussing potential cost-saving measures for car batteries while emphasizing the importance of not compromising quality.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 164\4\ img059 | |
Date | 1st December 1931 | |
Extract from letter. To accompany ROY{Sir Henry Royce}3/MG9.12.31 to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} "One of the internal constructions "which has been shown to help so much is the wood and ebonite "separators and if the ebonite were omitted there would be quite a "saving, but the life would go down very much and it would be a very "backward step to take. As both we and the Chloride Co. have listed "a De Luxe model with this feature it would mean that Rolls Royce "were buying batteries less good than even those listed by prominent "makers. "We quite appreciate that you want to make some savings "and we have thought the matter over to see if there is anything we "can suggest without detracting from the good working of the battery. "There would be a small saving if you burnt the cell to "cell connectors together instead of bolting them. We think that "this would be certainly as good and in some respects a better job, "but some of your people prefer them bolted so nothing has ever been "done. "Another suggestion we have in mind is whether you could "not omit the covers. There would be quite a saving here if the "covers and screws were omitted. Incidentally their omission might "make the topping up and attention to the battery more easy to do. "The chief thing is for you to discover whether the tin tray which "contains the battery is sufficient to protect the top from mud, dust "etc. If it is not at present it might easily be arranged to be. "Another thing which would save a bit would be to make the "40/50 battery in one unit instead of two if there was sufficient "output to justify and overcome the initial cost of the tools. After "the tool cost was gone there would be a saving. "Another feature in the high cost is the individual "delivery and packing up of each battery separately on being sent to "coachbuilders. The average motor car firms have batteries dumped "into their works by the hundred and they look after them and keep "them charged and send them out on the cars, but the trouble with "you is the long delay at the coach builders when the batteries "might deteriorate and when the owner came to take delivery he would "find a half run down and partially spoilt battery. We do not know "what your arrangements are but if you took delivery of the batteries "in, say, dozens at your depots and in some way you took them to the "coachbuilders when the cars were finished, if you had some cheaper "means of doing this than sending them individually as we do, there "would be a saving to be had there. "We hope that these few remarks may be able to give you "some lines of thought as to possible economies without affecting "the battery, but we do repeat again that we are very much against "doing anything that would seriously upset its quality. | ||