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 weight distribution and factory costs of a 20/25 HP radiator, with suggestions for cost and weight reduction.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 149a\2\ scan0118 | |
| Date | 31th January 1933 | |
| -2- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey}7/MA 31.1.33. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Thus we get the following weight distribution expressed as a percentage of the whole. Matrix - 33% Water - 25.3% Matrix case - 29.5% Shutters and operating mechanism - 12.2% With regard to the matrix and water capacity, the most we can hope to save by using the most efficient matrix we know is from 10 to 15 lbs. which is quite a small percentage of the whole. The matrix frame we are sure can be reduced in weight considerably by alterations to design and material used, e.g. the bottom tank, a brass casting, is excessively heavy; the side plates (again brass castings), on the 40/50 tinned brass strips are used. The shutters also we consider excessively heavy for what they have to do. At this stage it is interesting to quote a few factory costs for the 20/25 HP. radiator. The cost of the complete radiator is £35-3-7d. made up as follows :- Matrix 12.4% Shutters and controls. 37% Radiator cap. 1.8% Radiator shell, matrix frame etc. 48.8% The glaring feature of this is the enormous cost of the shutters in proportion to their usefulness. The labour cost of making and fitting shutters is 5 times of the labour cost of building up the matrix, and the material cost of the shutters is 75% of the matrix material cost. We think we should immediately consider the possibility of using the Peregrine type of shutter on this car; (although these are still expensive they must be considerably cheaper than the present ones.) We feel quite sure that the cost and weight of this item can be decreased to a reasonable figure by serious consideration of design and detail. With regard to the matrix, we have no definite figures which can be quoted; the most we can hope for by using a strip type block is to reduce the cost of the matrix by a little over £1. this is approx. a saving of 25% on the matrix but when considered as a saving on the total radiator cost it is in the region of 3%. | ||