Advantages of Affiliation to I.A.E. Research
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A s we have mentioned before on several .occasions, the Research Laboratories of the Institution of Automobile Engineers are certainly performing a great volume of most useful work on many problems of vital importance not only to the industry, but also to the war effort. In our issue _ for February 20, we referred to preliminary I.A.E. researth on producer gas as applied to motor vehicles, and we learn that this research is being continued.
Now, however, comes the main point which prompts these remarks. The results obtained, invaluable as they may be, are not available to the whole industry, nor can they be published by the Press, until a considerable period (in the neighbourhood of a year) after the date on which they come into the hands of those operators and manufacturers who are affiliated, numbering just over 300.
This means that the aforesaid members benefit to a very considerable degree, actually, in many cases, out of all proportion to the expense which they incur in joining. They benefit additionally from the fact that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research contributes £1 to the Laboratories for every £2 raised by the industry. This means that, in effect, they obtain 50 per cent. interest on their expenditure.
Affiliation is open to all operators of motor vehicle fleets, to manufacturers of vehicles, engines, motorcycles, tyres, accessories, also to producers of materials employed in the industry, oil companies, and other research organizations.
We know that many important operators and makers in various categories carry out experiments on their own account, and they may well be duplicating work which has already been performed, and with infinitely greater facilities, at the Laboratories. How much better it would have been for these to have obtained the various research reports as issued by the Laboratories, which, as mentioned previously, are confidential for a considerable period.
We would, therefore, strongly advise all those who are interested and qualified to become affiliated. The strengthening of the Laboratories by their support would react in another way. It would enable more valuable efforts to be made in directions which are, at present, for financial reasons, not open.
The Laboratory Research Committee is formed from the membership, and, naturally, can exercise its influence upon the classes of research which shall be undertaken, so that those affiliated can presentS their particular problems for consideration, which would no doubt receive attention if the results accruing from such research would be likely to prove beneficial to others.