Service Depends on Engineering Research
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A Large Department for Technical Development has Recently been Completed by the Maker of Bedford Vehicles. It is Wholly Devoted to Enhancing the Quality of the Vauxhall Company's Products
AT first glance it is hard to see how an expenditure of £175,000 on research can promote cheap motor-vehicle production. Whilst it is obvious that the quality of the product• will be improved, one would expect that this substantial expenditure would have to be covered by higher price's.
A long-sighted view is necessary to appreciate the true position. If this be taken, it becomes evident that by laying down comprehensive equipment for testing and investigation, not only will the vehicle gain in efficiency of performance, thereby affording better service and representing better value for money, but also manufacturing operations will be improved, accelerated and cheapened. In other words, money expended in equipping and staffing an experimental engineering department is an investment that can hardly fail to return profits to both maker and user.
On Tuesday last we visited the new section of the works of Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., Luton, which is devoted almost exclusively to research. Here we witnessed the methods adopted of improving the breed of Bedford commercial vehicles and Vauxhall cars. We also saw the means employed for tracing to their root cause any weaknesses that may exist, in order that every fault may be eradicated, and for determining those features of design that give, in practice, the best results, in order that users may enjoy the most satisfactory service from their vehicles.
This engineering department, which has recently been brought into full operation (the building and its equipment) cost the sum named above. It covers 101,082 sq. ft. and is staffed by 335 persons. It follows modern practice in respect of construction and general layout, whilst among the apparatus included are machines for investigating the
behaviour of a large number of components and parts. These are examined while working under conditions that can be varied from those of ordinary running to degrees of extreme severity, whilst. the testers and operatives work in circumstances calculated to promote maximum efficiency. It tells more convincingly than words the value set upon technical development by the management of the Vauxhall company.
We do not propose to attempt to describe.the equipment of this department or the operations and processes carried out within it. The machines are comprehensive in their scope, and the tests an invaluable source of information to the designing staff, and a security to the user.
One significant observation we made in the course of a tour of the department, was that not only are Bedford and Vauxhall components examined and tested, but also those of other makes.
The object, presumably, on the one hand, is to learn, in cases where knowledge is to he gained, and, on the other, to ascertain in what directions progress is being made in the industry, thus maintaining a broad outlook and keeping up standards that are of general application.