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Sunbeam Helps to Build Up the RAE

13th July 1945, Page 24
13th July 1945
Page 24
Page 24, 13th July 1945 — Sunbeam Helps to Build Up the RAE
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Airframe Jigs, Machine Tooh, and Trolleyhuses. Included in War Programme B'ORE the war; the principal product, of Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles; Ltd., .Wolverhampton, was,. of course,. trolleybus chassis, and whilst the company has continued to make them. right throughout. the war period under authorization of the M.O.S-, its activities in--other directions have been concerned with the making of machine tools, airframe jigs and Many other air-. craft k.nits, and jigs, fixtures. tools Rod gauges by the thousand. It Was realized by the management

as far back as 1938 that, if war came, then there would be a big demand for machine tools. As the company already had experience in this particular field and the skilled labour and plant necessary for this class of engineering work, a complete replanning of the works was instituted with a view to quantity production.

The result was that, by September,

1939, the concern was in a position to play an _important part in meeting the demands for machine tools for e.quipping the new armament factories and for the plant extensions of existing engineering establishments.

Since that time, the Moorfield Works of Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles, Ltd.. have been responsible for the production of a wide variety of types of

machine tool. One of the -most interesting stories connected therewith concerns the manufacture of the P,7 automatic, a machine originally of Swiss design and make.

When it ,became evident that stli7rplia' from Switzerland .would be unobtainable, the Sunbearn company was ,approached by. the British agent with request -tio -undertake. its manufacture. No draWings Were available in-thiS country, but a machine of Swiss make was sent .to Wolverhampton.

It was at once dismantled, working' . . , . . It was at once dismantled, working' . . , . . dm-Wings made, jigs and tools mann... faitured, •and the P.7 .automatic was soon in quantity " production.

s Dealing, with the„ company's effost 10. it raS the building sip of the RA.V., it hat been reSponsitile for the.,:p.to, elnction of units for a number 01 types of„ aircraft. 1-1'or instance, the original

airframe jigs for the Stirling bomber were made by the concern, aud pilots' seats and flying controls for the same type of aeroplane were produced in large numbers.

In the company's tool room, jigs, fi'Xtures, tools and, gauge have been produced to meet not .only its en:yn requirements, hut for iupply to, many of the leading aircraft builders, and concerns producing armoured fighting vehicles and other munitions of war:. -As senile indication of the volume of work, with which the tool. room has had to,cope, it may be Mentioned that, in the five years ended September,: 1944, over 14,000 gau,ges and 2,300 jiga and fixtures had been made for outside organizations. :,

Sunbeam Commercial Vehicles,. Ltd...

• is still engaged on a variety of worlis

including important contracts fOr ttio Admiralty.

During the war years, a standardized type of two-axle chassis' has been manufactured by the company in considerable numbers for operation in thiS country. In general design and layout, this W-type chassis followed closely the pre-war MF2 two-axle chassis.

Although the majority of the chassis supplied has had double-deck bodies mounted on them, the type is equally suitable as a single-decker.

These 'N-type trolleybus chassis have been supplied to over 20 municipalities during the past few years, ,such concerns as Park Royal Coaehworks, Ltd., Weymanns, Ltd:, C. H. Roe, Ltd., and Brush Coachwork, Ltd., having built the bodies.

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Locations: Wolverhampton, Sunbearn

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