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Standardization Extended to Half-bearings

21st November 1947
Page 51
Page 51, 21st November 1947 — Standardization Extended to Half-bearings
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

A LTHOUGH the industry is making tAheadivay with standardization of vehicles, the wisdom of standardizing components is not so widely realized. Component makers remain severely handicapped by the variety of individu.L ally designed parts which they must produce:

In his speech to sharenolders this year, the chairman of the Glacier Metal C6., Ltd., Alperton, Wembley, Middx pointed out that the company, at any given moment, is producing 4,000 different types of plain bearing in its factories. Standardization of components, however, rests more with the makers than the users.. Makers must offer standards, then encourage users to adopt them. • The Glacier Metal Co., Ltd., with this thought in mind, decided on a standardization policy during the war and made plans to offer standard ranges of plain bearings directly hostilities ceased. A start was made with standard wrapped bushes and although it is barely 18 months since these were introduced, they are used to-day throughout the engineering industry, A recent announcement introducing Glacier standard half-bearings is, therefore, of considerable interest. These bearings are of the "thin wall " strip type, steel hacked, white-metal lined, of which the company makes millions each year for the motor industry.

Standardization of half-bearings, however, presents a number of problems, which Make it impossible, at the outset, to produce and stock them for deliverY off the shelf, as with bushes. For instance, in motor engines, bearing length is a critical dimension. If 'the designer were offered a standard slightly longer than that for whichite had room in the housing, he would have to make his engine longer in order-to fit it.

Such a major modification Would, of course, eliminate the advantage of fitting a standard. Conversely, if the nearest standard were shorter than that which could be fitted in the housing. the designer would sacrifice hearing area if he adopted it.

What the company has done, therefore, is to establish a range of bearings with standard outside diameters. The designer selecting from this range is required merely to size his housing bores to suit. Bearing length and features such as oil holes, grooves, gutterways, position of locating lugs, etc., can be as desired. Within limits he can also specify wall thickness. • The advantage of these standard halfbearings lies in the fact that those who use them save heavy tooling charges. because stock press-tools and other stock tools exist for the standard outside diameters. Quicker delivery can be made with these standards as they are formed from stock coils of bi-metal strip. Here the rolling mills benefit as the sizes of steel strip they supply are reduced to a specific number of standard sizes.

These Glacier standards have been adopted not only by engine builders, but by manufacturers of compressors, pumps and machine tools, whose assemblies require split hearings.

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