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).
Suitability of steel used in a gear supplied by the Ford Motor Co.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 136\1\ scan0101 | |
| Date | 12th October 1933 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} X+11 BY.4/J.12.10.33. Gear Supplied by the Ford Motor Co. We note that you have received copy of the Laboratory report HL.1/AG.11.10.33., concerning the above gear. In our opinion the steel used by Fords for this purpose would not be suitable for our requirements on account of the fact that it is much too hard and brittle after treatment. We appreciate however, that the process of Cyanide Hardening demands a steel having a high core brinell as the case obtained by the Cyanide process is very much thinner than that obtained by carburising and in order to avoid crushing of the case a material with a high tensile core is quite essential. We are of the opinion however, that it should be possible to obtain a material having a lower carbon content than that used by Fords which would be more ductile than their material and yet have an adequate core strength for the purpose. [Signature: Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}] BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||