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).
Price increase for Bentley stabilising bumper bar weights due to material costs and new tooling.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 118\2\ scan0341 | |
| Date | 17th December 1936 | |
| 1023. To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH.{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer}16/AP.17.12.36. BENTLEY STABILISING BUMPER BAR. We visited Messrs Wilmot Breedon yesterday, in connection with their quotation of 2/6d. price increase due to the use of 8% antimony weights. We found that Messrs Wilmot Breedon obtain the weights from Messrs Pritchett & Gold and E.P.S. Co. Ltd., (connected with Peto Radford Ltd.) and were shewn the correspondence between Wilmots and Pritchetts concerning these weights. The weights are die cast and according to Pritchett & Gold, new dies will be necessary owing to the different con- traction of the new alloy during cooling. In addition, the cost of lead has increased recently from £18. per ton to £24. per ton and Pritchetts are taking advantage of the necessity for a new quotation to allow for this. The following is the increased cost to Wilmot Breedon Ltd:- 1. £18. for new dies. 2. Cost of weights increased approximately from 3/1d. per set to 3/7¾d.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} per set due to increased cost of lead and small amount of Antimony. Messrs Wilmot Breedon pass this on to us as follows:- 1. £18. spread over 200 bumper bars = 1/9½d.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} 2. Increased cost of weights. = -/6½d.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Total...... 2/4d. We are not yet convinced that it is necessary to have new dies so we have asked Wilmots to supply us with 5 sets of weights cast in the existing dies with 8% antimony so that we can see whether they contain blow holes or cavities on the surface. In any case we consider that the die costs should be spread over more than 200 bumpers as we use 600 per year. continued | ||