Users' Demands Can Guide Manufacturers
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THE Institute of Road Transport Engineers was an important organization for manufacturers, said Mr. Henry Spurrier, managing director and general manager of Leyland Motors, Ltd., at a luncheon, last week, when members of the Institute toured the works, Its importance arose from the fact that, indirectly, it told the makers what to do.
Mr. Spurrier said that manufacturers would do what engineers wished, if only the latter agreed to want the same things. Manufacturers, he felt, would • be extremely pleased if fleet engineers would get together, agree on solutions and let the factories know the answers that would please everybody.
Export Problem
Users had to remember, however, that in these days the makers had also to please the customers overseas, but the Government had so restricted the design of vehicles for the home market that
• few of them were acceptable abroad, and he commended that problem to the attention of representatives of nationalized industries who were present. If the industry were to be successful, the use of internationally acceptable vehicles on the home roads must be encouraged, for there was no valid reason why machines that could work in Holland or South America could not function equally well in Liverpool or London.
Mr. Spurrier hoped that members of the 1.123.E. would be able to make an annual visit to Leyland, so that they could see the changes , that were constantly taking place.
Mr. W. Whitehead, MI.R.T.E., said he appreciated that present conditions would not permit manufacturers to do all they wished. However, the vehicles in home industries had to be used in overcoming a variety of different problems and he hoped that, when conditions alloWed, makers might give more attention to the varying needs of ind ustry.
On arrival at the Leyland works, the members of the party were welcomed by Mr. A. B. Chadwick, publicity manager, who gave a brief outline of the history and ramifications of the company, the Lancashire properties of of which extend to 344 acres, about
1,750,000 sq. ft. being occupied by buildings. •
Employees number approximately 10,000. Chassis component and spareparts manufacture occupies 5,500 employees, bus bodybuilding 1,450, and the iron and steel foundry 650. Factory output is now approximately 7,000 chassis and 1,000 double-deck bodies per annum, of which about 40 per cent. are being exported.
The tour of inspection included the injector shop, heat-treatment department, machine shops, engineering drawing (Ace, research and development department, body shops, customer personnel training and apprentices' training. At the Farington works, the tool room, foundry, engine shop and chassis assembly departments were seen.
Better Crankshafts
Particular interest was manifested by the members in the work of the tool room, where each year during the introduction of the latest models, jigs valued at over £150,000 were designed and made. Another high spot of the visit was the examination of the nitriding plant. All Leyland crankshafts are hardened by this process, which is stated to produce a shaft 21 times as hard and nearly twice as strong in resistance to fatigue as the usual hardened and tempered steel type.