Vital Bits and Pieces
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MANY hundreds of parts go to the making of a commercial vehicle chassis, and, in some cases, there are nearly as many in the body. However small it be, each is essential, otherwise it would not be included, and a great deal of importance may .depend upon even the smallest part, such as a split-pin, locking Washer or lock-nut. Failure of any one such item may result in an assembly coming adrift, with ensuing breakdown or accident.
We lay emphasis on this point for the reason that no commercial vehicle is constructed throughout by its nominal maker. It involves a great number of other trades and producers, and upon ' them, about equally with the vehicle maker, lies the responsibility of giving their best in material and workmanship.
As a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. so is a complete vehicle dependent upon all the parts from which it is constituted. It is of little use to have a beautifully built and powerful engine, reliable gearbox and stout long-wearing back axle if irritating delays be caused by the failure of what Might be considered minor components.
Small Failures Mean Heavy Costs Admittedly, merely from the point of view of capital expenditure, the replacement of some small part which has failed may not be expensive, but in commercial road transport particularly, the waste of time inVolved is far more important from both the monetary consideration and the inconvenience resulting, whilst with any vehicles sold by us for use overseas, where distances may be vastly greater than in Britain and spares probably less easy to obtain, the trouble caused by a small failure may prove to be an even more seriotis matter.
There is probably some considerable advantage in having so many interdependent people con'cerned with a single vehicle. Every maker of components should be striving to produce better designs 'and qualities, whether the articles in question be large proprietary units or materials such as upholstery.
In this issue we publish an extensive list of suppliers in numerous categories who are exhibiting at the Commercial Motor Show, and a perusal of the many pages devoted to them will indicate what a great field they cover and the hundreds who are busily engaged in it We have sometimes had complaints from home and abroad of annoying failures, some minor, some more grave, of parts such as starters, dynamos, ignition details, shock absorbers, meters and gauges, fuel pumps, therrqostats, head-lamp dippers, etc., quite early in the lives of the vehicles to which they were fitted. Trouble with these has, in a number of cases, earned the vehicle manufacturers some approbium. Now who can be blamed for such incidents? The chassis maker may say that the onus, rests upon the producers of the components concerned, the latter may retort that the vehicle maker gets the quality that he is willing to pay for, and that parts of a higher class could have been supplied at a slightly higher cost. Both may suggest that the operator would not be prepared to increase his outlay accordingly.
Cut Out Any Weak Links There are some people who might be inclined to think that certain of the component makers are relying upon fairly frequent replacements to ensure the continuity of their sales and turnover. In our view, and particularly to encourage the export market, components and accessories should be of such a quality that their life, .individually, will, as far as is reasonable, be equal to that of the vehicle as a whole. It will always be necessary to replace certain items, such as contact Points, sparking plugs and other parts subject to considerable wear. It would manifestly be impossible • or impracticable to make those sufficiently strong or large as to involve neither replacement nor repair during the normal life of a vehicle.
Apart from fundamental factors such as design and the strength of the materials employed, accuracy in production-, accompanied by most careful inspection, are matters which should reduce the risk of early trouble.
We want to see the overseas markets in out field not conquered merelytemporarily but held permanently. and with adequate co-operation from every branch of the vehicle-producing industry, this should be capable of achievement, We appreciate the difficulties that have been encountered owing to frequent shortages in the most suitable raw materials, but these are being steadily overcome and we have every hope that the thousands of visitors, both from home and abroad, who will critically inspect British products at the Show will be agreeably impressed by the many improvements that have been effected amongst what we have described in the heading to this article as the " bits and pieces."
It must be remembered that the commercialvehicle industry, as one of our greatest assets in the export field, is being constantly urged to achieve higher output, and this is reflected upon every producer, large and small, whilst many of them are also called upon extensively to supply the manufacturers of private cars. With expensive vehicles held up, partly finished, for the lack of what are often comparatively small parts, great pressure has to be exercised upon the suppliers of these, and the flow must consequently be increased almost beyond the capacity of particular works. which can be enlarged only with great difficulty as regards 'both building and tool equipment. Many of these problems have been solved during recent months, and we may now, with a fuller measure of confidence, look for both quantity and quality.