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Obtaining Pig Iron er'HERE are only a few from Minute Iron I installations in the world
Waste which make it possible to pro
duce pig iron from minute metal borings and filings, iron-ore dust, etc. This material is too light to be dealt with in the blast furnace, as the fierce draught blows it out. When fused, however, it is of great value in the production of high-grade iron. A sintering plant for this purpose is installed at Ford's Dagenham works. It operates automatically at high speed, the metal particles being spread out on a conveyor and passed under an intense flame, which fuses them in a few minutes. Conveyors are used for salvage from the machine shops. Even minute scraps in the cutting fluids are removed by magnets. This is also how the foundry sand is dealt with Thousands of gallons of machine lubricants and cutting fluids are saved in a year. The Final Word in a THOSE who know Mr. Allan Weighty Discussion on I Burgoyne, the prominent Rates Kingsbridge haulier, will relish this story: those who have not that pleasure need to be told that he has an acute sense of. humour and weighs nearly 20 stone. At a recent meeting the ever-green topic of rates was being discussed and, after a time, for some undisclosed reason, the subject veered to the other kind of rat, those which we all have to pay to the local authorities. Some sort of argument developed, and Mr. Burgoyne intervened with the remark that he was the biggest ratepayer in Kingsbridge. " Rubbish," replied one of those present, a man with wide-spread business interests: "You're nothing of the kind." " I'll bet you I am," replied Mr. Burgoyne. " Done," came the answer. " Where's the nearest weighing machine? " was Mr. Burgoyne's retort. nNE of our very good friends in the industry—Fodens, Ltd.—explains this week in an advertisement why it continues its publicity activity. We appreciate both the advertisingoffered and the spirit Which prompts it. Actually, even during a war of this magnitude, a good technical journal is an essential to the industry it covers. Through it are conveyed instructions an information which it would be almost impossible to disseminate in any other. way. So far as we are concerned, it might surprise many readers to know how many technical, legal, costing and other inquiries We receive, not only from operators, but from Government Departments, whilst our technical staff and consultants are constantly dealing with vital problems, such as methods of conserving or making the best use of fuel, conversions of vehicles for this purpose, costing and wage problems for various industries, including sugar beet. It must also be emphasized that it is of great importance for makers of vehicles, units, equipment and 'accessories to keep their names before buyers, even if ordinary sales be few. • Makers and Technical Journals Essentially Complementary. . . Why Interrupt ProrROM time to time since
duction with Futile the. war started parties of Excursions journalists have been invited
by the Ministry of Supply to visit one factory or another engaged on important war work. In the gradually fading hope that some day a really useful article could be founded upon one of these visits, The Commercial Motor has accepted most of the invitations, but the fact is that, almost without exception, they have been little more than tvaste. There we have in mind not merely our own time, but also the indisputable fact that the passage of a party of strangers through any factory inevitably disturbs production, and this becomes still more marked if posing for photographs be permitted. When this Ministry has something which it is important for the people of this and other countries to hear about, by all means let it gather journalists together for that purpose. In the absence of any important news of that sort, we suggest that the interests of all parties, and particularly of the fighting forces, will be best served by discontinuing these purposeless excursions.