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).
Engine production, highlighting part commonality between the Wraith and a new engine, cost reductions, and machining recommendations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\5\ scan0332 | |
| Date | 14th May 1938 | |
| 1260. RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/R.14.5.38. ENGINE PRODUCTION. With reference to the proposed increase in tool equipment for the existing Wraith engine, in view of the fact that we are likely to produce a quantity of these units, we would draw your attention to the fact that we have retained the same crankshaft, connecting rod and piston on the new engine which has just been designed. We have also retained the same cylinder centres and the same flywheel and clutch. In tool equipment, therefore, each specification dealing with these parts will continue to be useful when the new engine is brought in. With regard to Bought Out material such as carburetters, push rods, valve springs, crankshaft forgings, etc., we have been working, and still are working, on getting price reductions, and have got some quite promising results which can be utilised for getting the final cost of the complete engine. There are other potential reductions which can be made in material cost. As we mentioned to you, the figure that is of the greatest interest to us is the number of equivalent man hours for which you think you can manufacture the engine. We suggest that it would be an advantage to have the figure for the electrical equipment independently as this will be different on the cast iron unit due to belt drives, etc. If you have any recommendations to make with regard to the machining of the crankshaft after examining the Jaguar Shaft, we shall be interested to have them. We are almost at once running connecting rods straight from the die, and feel that there cannot be any justification for machining these rods all over as at present. We do not see why you should not count on unmachined rods for your labour analysis. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||