Fluorescent Lighting Plays Trick n Workshops
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FLUORESCENT lighting in the workshop could give the impression that moving machinery or belts were stationary, or moving much slower than they actually were, Mr. W. R. Booker, cleansing superintendent of Rochdale said in a paper on modern developments in workshop practice which he read last Friday to the Public Cleansing Conference at Eastbourne. This stroboscopic effect could he overcome by spreading the lamps over three phases.
It was paradoxical that the greater striving by the manufacturer for increased efficiency in vehicle operation had resulted in more complicated design. This particularly applied to gearboxes, and differential and brake assemblies. The overall design, however, was such that the engine and other units obtruded as little as possible on the payload space.
In the modern workshop. it was not sufficient for the employee merely to have the basic tools of his trade. Specialized tools and equipment were also essential. By the use of specially developed tools, the less-skilled worker could carry out operations which normally would be left to the mole skilled.
A development which had much to commend it was the growing practice of using reconditioned units: It saved money, time and workshop space.
The desirability of reducing the time that a vehicle was out of commission had led to the operation of a two-shift system in some workshops. The normal day shift was concerned in the main with overhauls, large repair jobs, unit reconditioning and breakdowns. The evening or night shift was occupied with routine maintenance, and in correcting faults reported by drivers as they brought in their vehicles at the end of the day.
No job which could not be completed during the shift would normally be started while other jobs were waiting and, generally speaking. smaller jobs would he tackled first, so that the greatest possible benefit would be obtained from the working of the shift, and all vehicles, wherever possible. would be roadworthy the following day.
The high performance demanded from the modern vehicle had called for an increased standard of accuracy in machining and checking components. and reduced tolerances had brought about developments in measuring gauges. One was air-operated.
A special plug gauge had two circular measuring jets diametrically opposite on the skirt and connected to an air controller supplied with compressed air through a manometer. When the plug was inserted in the bore, the total amount of air flowing through the measuring jets depended pn the gap between the jets and the walls of the bore, and dimensions could be read off directly from the graduated scale of the manometer. The large scale made possible by the manometer tube enabled extreme accuracy of measurement to be obtained.
Referring to the use and abuse of certain spanners, Mr. Booker said that greater employment of torque spanners, in conjunction with torque figures supplied by manufacturers, would be welcomed. Such a torque wrench became an essential tool and might have a graduated dial, or be pre-set so that when an excess of torque was applied, no further leverage could be exerted. The pre-set type was probably to be preferred.
A portable hydraulic brake-servicing tank was a, great time-saver. Connected to an airline, it enabled an Operative, single-handed, to empty the hydraulic system before carrying out repairs, to test for leaks, bleed the system and so on.
The discussion revealed that delegates were more concerned with obtaining skilled labour than with the type of equipment that was necessary. Mr. A. E. Barrett (Stepney) said that his local Employment Exchange had about 100 vacancies for mechanics. The reason, he said, was the small difference in wages between skilled mechanics and unskilled labour.
Both Mr. Barrett and M. Booker preferred the hydraulic lift to sunken pits. The men, they said, liked the lift because it gave them more room in which to work and the lighting was better.
Mr: Barrett raised the question of abrasion and its effect on resin-bonded fibreglass bodies. Mr. Booker replied that he did not doubt that at this stage in the development of the fibreglass body. makers would not recommend them for refuse-collection vehicles.
Mr. M. Sivaraman (Madras) revealed that in India the unskilled worker earned £10 a week and the skilled man £30 a week. so that there were no problems in wage differences. Asked whether he had views on bonus schemes for workshop gaff. Mr. Booker replied that he favoured the paying of a merit award. A mechanie who was skilled in the maintenance of both petrol and oil engines should, he said, be entitled to such an award.
One way of attracting more 'mechanics to municipal workshops, said Mr.. Scott (Burnley), was to improve the conditions tinder which the men had to work. He had, he said. seen too many shops in which the conditions were appalling.
Mr. J. Ames (Chislehurst) claimed that too much stress was placed on fuel saving, when there was the all-important advantage of reliability. An oil engine, he said, would run for 100.000 miles without overhaul.
In answer to a question by the delegate from a minor authority, Mr. Scott said that where the number of vehicles was small, maintenance could he contracted out, or use could be made of the free instructional courses offered tw vehicle and engine makers. Another delegate cornpained of the time taken to couple and uncouple the equipment, and of the time taken by the machines in travelling. A delegate who contested these points said that it took less than two minutes to couple or uncouple equipment to the prime mover.
Machines were better than men, said • Mr. S. Foster (Tunbridge Wells), because they gave better compaction and fires did not spread so readily. Having had no experience of pneumatict red machines he wanted to know how they stood up. Mr. Ames replied that the cost of tyres was reasonable; he had a machine which ran for seven years on one set. Mr. Ames agreed with Mr. J. D. Henry (Dundee) that special attention should be paid to air filters and the fuel pump. Mr. F. Roberts (Birkenhead) questioned Mr. Ames' suggestion that a machine used on a small tip could he operated for the same amount as one man's wages. It cost him, he said, 8s. an hour. This point was clarified by Mr. Ames, who gave a figure of 196, covering a period of three months, which included wages. To what appeared to be a general question, "When is it economical to use machines?", Mr. Ames replied: "At all stages."