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).
Production difficulties and high scrap rates for D.W.S. jacks for the Phantom III chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 139\1\ scan0148 | |
| Date | 23th May 1936 | |
| ROY.{Sir Henry Royce} c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Sfty Mx.{John H Maddocks - Chief Proving Officer} X1166 GRY.{Shadwell Grylls} E/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey}1/HP.23.5.36. D.W.S. Jacks. Confirming our conversation of this morning on the subject of the difficulty of obtaining D.W.S. jacks for the Phantom III chassis, the present position as we see it is as follows. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} and E/Lid{A. J. Lidsey} visited Messrs. Shelley's, Roberts and Talboys in Birmingham on the 15th inst. to investigate the difficulties which are being experienced in producing jacks which are satisfactorily free from oil leaks. We were told that they were experiencing over 90% scrap in producing the jacks due to the fact that they were having difficulty in moulding the rubber on to the jack tubes. The opinion we formed of the job was that there was no evidence to prove that faulty adhesion of the rubber to the rams is responsible for the oil leaks, but that the more probable cause of the leaks is due to the large "spew" or "flash" which is left on the rubber due to using moulds which in our opinion were not sufficiently accurately made. We pointed out our views and as a result were informed that four new moulds accurately made and finished would be put in hand immediately. These moulds were comparatively simple to make and yet we understand that none have as yet been completed and we can obtain no satisfactory statement as to when they will be available to put into service. They are, therefore still attempting to produce jacks out of the same moulds and still experiencing the same difficulties. Production is held up for sets of jacks and we can obtain no satisfaction at all from R.T.Shelley Ltd; all we get are promises which are not kept. We feel that from a technical point of view we have done all that is possible and that we must ask you to investigate the present very unsatisfactory position from the point of view of obtaining sufficient supplies for our production needs. E/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey} | ||