RADIATOR SPECIALIZATION.
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AT the invitation of Mr. Peter Suck we recently visited the works of the Motor Radiator Manufacturing Co., which are situated at Warwick Road, Greet, Birmingham.
Mr. Serck formed the company, and commenced the manufacture of radiators iii Bermondsey in 1907, but as the business rapidly expanded he moved to larger premises in Coventry, where a start was made in January, 1910. Expanding still further it was found necessary to build a still larger works, and in 1913 a factory was erected on the present site.
Previous to the-war practically all our light radiator tubing was imported, and when war broke out the company realized the inevitable scarcity of this tubing which would occur, so built a large tube mill to cope with it.
In 1918 the Government took control, and from that time until May of this year the company devoted all its energy to the manufacture and repair of aeroplane radiators. The works now cover almost three times the area which they did before the war ; they are well designed, with plenty of ventilation and ample lighting, and apart from this a well-equipped canteen, seating 150, provides for the comfort or the workeeople, of whom '&6111e 600 are employed.
The change over from war-time work to that of peace has not yet been fully effected, but it is estimated that when the works are in full swing, and provided that sufficient numbers of the various makes of car -radiators are ordered at a time, so that standardization may be adopted as far as possible the output will be something' like 50,00b radiators per annum.
The company specializes in two types of radiators, the ordinary honeycomb and their own, which is known as the " film " type, the latter is built up of copper or brass strips which are waved along their whole length and •soldered together in pairs along their edges, so that a. very thin layer of water circulates between them.
We followed all the stages-of manufacture, from the swaging down of the tubing to the finishedand tested product.. After the tubing is swaged to the correct diameter and to a thickness of approximately five thousandth e of an inch, it is tested under -water with an air pressure of about 20 lb. per sq. in., and any defective portions are cut out; it is then cut into lengths equal to the width of the honeycomb block for which it is required. The small tubes thus made are 'fed by "hand an to a travelling chain, which conveys them through a gas even, by which only the ends are heated; the chain finally drops them into a tank of cold water, and thus completes the annealing process.
To enable the tubes to bed into position with their ends -close together, while at the same time leaving ample water space between them, their ends are expanded into hexagon shape, and it. is thisexpanding which necessitates the annealing, otherwise many would split.
The tubes are then assembled in wooden jigs, and the ends still further eitpended by light blows with a hexagonsectioned taper punch; dipping into a bath of killed spirits and thee into a bath of solder completes the honeycomb itself; and after ,a thorough wash, first in hot sod e and then in clean water, fob lowed by drying in an oven, it is ready to be soldered into its caSing.
All the radiators are subjected to -repeated trials when finished; they are first given :a 10 lb. to the sq. in. air pressure test under water and then a 7 lb. hydraulic test ; in the ease of aeroplane radiators a "speed of flow through" test is also given.
At present no radiators for commerciai vehicles are being dealt with, but this side of the business may develop. •