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 the Zenith Carburetter Co. Ltd. to discuss the production of carburetters.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 20\9\ Scan085 | |
| Date | 17th January 1936 | |
| E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Dr. Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} SFT.{Mr Swift} EWT. Copy to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} X1033 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}2/T17.1.36. Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} and I visited the Zenith Carburetter Co.Ltd. on Wednesday 15th instant. We took a model Carburetter with us, and viewed the factory and had a long talk with the Zenith officials. Their factory generally is better equipped than the S.U. Company's, but they have similar labour conditions and congestion. They are moving into a new factory out in Middlesex, covering three acres of ground. They would not be able to make our Carburetters in their production, because in the main their labour is Semi-Skilled and their workmanship would not be good enough, this the Zenith people agreed with. Fortunately they have a nice, though small, Tool Room and they are going to make our Carburetters in this Tool Room, separate and away from the Carburetters they are making for Fords, Humber Combine, Austins etc.. They seemed a good crowd with plenty of enthusiasm to give us a good job. Their Works Manager is one of the old sort, and obviously has had plenty of experience, and we are indeed fortunate in this respect. I do not think they will be able to supply us with Carburetters by the middle of February, in my opinion it will be sometime early March, although they are going to have a good shot at it. They do not wish now to make our Carburetters with cast iron bodies, they prefer bronze as originally intended, they think they will get too many breakages at the flange etc. They are not in a position to stove enamel our Carburetters, but will equip themselves, and in the meantime I have promised that we will stove black enamel for them in our factory when they are ready; indeed, I promised to assist them in every possible way to give us good Carburetters. I am satisfied that they are flat out to give us good workmanship and finish. contd: | ||