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).
Letter from F.H. Royce to Mr. Bentley regarding the critical importance of thoroughly testing standard units before production.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 180\M6\ img023 | |
| Date | 8th February 1929 | |
| Le CanadelHenry Royce's French residence Dear Mr. Bentley, are you not M.I.E.E. & M.I.M.E. ? (Re Thoroughly Testing and Developing Standard Units) Mr. Hulley is a little anxious that you propose making a fairly large number of alternating current motors for some cranes on order. I hope you will make one of each size and give it a severe test before launching on a number unless you are purchasing a well tested model that you know has stood the test and following this exactly. As far as I remember I have not yet seen a design which is complete and undoubtedly sound, as far as my judgment goes, <u>which would still not be safe to start production upon until made experimentally and thoroughly tested.</u> One of the English faults is that the designs are not proved by testing a specimen (which naturally in large work is not possible) and developing it by overload testing to destruction, which we at R.R. call development work, and is an essential feature of our life, especially in areo-engines. I particularly want you to do this to all your standard units, motors, brakes, crabs, transporters etc. I beg of you to follow this practice, no matter how sure you feel about the design and however simple the part. A good motto for your designers should be framed and hung in the drawing office :- <u>Well Tested Standard Units must always be used and exactly as tested unless Mr. Bentley's permission and signature is obtained.</u> This might help your standardization scheme, patterns, tools, costs, stock and in a dozen ways help the management and reduce the R.D.W. Regarding Transporters, I am very anxious that you should test some improved bogies with inclined wheels on sharp curves, because your present ones have shown that they are dependant on such unsound practice of shrinking in cast iron flanges. Perhaps my impression is wrong (probably it would be better to supply new cast iron wheels) Anyway, I am sure it would be worth trying the inclined wheels at an early date. Shall hope to come and see you at Manchester when I return home which should be soon after the end of March. In the meantime send me any designs you can for criticism, thin blue print paper saves postage and serves equally well. We have had two cars on test out here running in early January 600 to 770 miles per day and night for 10,000 at speed to prove their reliability. I mention this to show you what R.R. practice is. Yours very sincerely, (sgd) F.H. Royce. Copies to :- Mr. Claremont. Mr. Kenyon. Mr. Ward. Mr. Allcock. Mr. Bentley. Mr. Huggins. Mr. Hulley. Mr. Trewewan Mr. Midgley. | ||