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25th January 1957
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Road Haulage in the U.S.A.

AN interesting review by Mr. R. C. Williams, president of the American Trucking Associations, deals with the operations of the U.S.A.• hauliers during 1956.

There are now 2,800 Class 1 inter-city truckers with annual revenues of over 200,000 dollars. They alone carried 345m. tons of freight, an increase of 4.4 per cent. on the figure for 1955. Their gross revenue was 4,525m. dollars, a rise of 9 per cent., but expenses rose to a record 4,371m...dollars. The value of new equipment in this sphere at 3,000m. dollars, was as much as went into the railways during 1956, and Mr. Williams believed that the prospects for 1957 were favourable to road haulage. Of the 10m. trucks in use, about 1,300,000 are on long-distance haulage and can be considered as competitors of the railways,

which themselves operate over 100,000. Farmers account for 3m., and another 5m. are in the fleets of ancillary users such as dairies, mining companies, stores, newspaper and oil concerns.

Expansion of Eutectic Welding

A S mentioned last week, Eutectic Welding Alloys j-k Co.. Ltd., are now occupying a large new factory at North Feltham Trading Estate and an interesting story attaches to this move.

Some 60 years ago, Mr. J. P. H. Wasserman, a Swiss chemist and metallurgist, first observed the surface alloying which takes place during brazing and saw the possibility of a new method of joining metal. He therefore founded a laboratory which developed the low-heat-input method of welding.

His son, Mr. R. D. Wasserman, continued the work in the U.S.A. and termed it the Eutectic method., Its success led to the formation, five years ago, of the British company.

The principle is that of surface alloying at temperatures below those at which the base metals fuse. The advantages include lower distortion and residual stresses, high strength and dependability. Originally, the low-melting filler metals were developed for use with blow-pipe, carbon-arc or furnace heating, but similar products employing the metallic-arc process were made available and now offer the same strength and other physical properties as conventional fusion welds, although the amperages employed are lower.

Eutectic can tackle almost all welding tasks, but its particular interest lies in its value for maintenance and repair by welding on the spot without shutting down production lines for long periods.

Mr. Wasserman told a representative of this journal that much work was being done now in the repair of vehicle springs, whilst special electrodes had been designed for welding cast iron.

Other products of great interest are available, one being a solder in paste form which requires only a match flame in dealing with light-gauge metal.

Lectures on the process are being given by the company in many parts of the country.

Geneva. Show Buildings Improved

Q,WITZERLAND is very proud of its fine exhibition "-.1 buildings in Geneva and is constantly adding to their size and making internal improvements.

Visitors to this year's Motor Show there will find a new large entry hall and a modern restaurant which can accommodate more than 800 people. There are also available spacious conference rooms.

Other improvements are an entire transformation of the lighting and a big effort by the architects to create better communications between the different

Many people look upon the Swiss Show as one of the most interesting and agreeable to visit. Whilst being fully representative it is sufficiently compact to permit full examination of the exhibits without undue fatigue. Geneva also posseses a refreshing air of business and pleasure.

Oilers Now Save More

wITH higher fuel prices prevailing the cash savings " of oil-engined vehicles compared with petrol are greater than before. F. Perkins, Ltd., quote figures supplied by local authorities concerning the consumptions of vehicles engaged upon different types of operation.

On refuse collection a petrol-engined vehicle used 31 gal. a week and an oiler 13, representing a saving of £4 13s. 11d. A petrol gully emptier consumed 32.8 gal. and an oiler 12.7, saving £5 3s. 4d. An oilengined road sweeper saved £4 1 Is. 9d. a week, consuming 12 gal. a week, compared with a petrol machine's 29.9 gal.

Over 500 local authorities now use Perkins oil engines, claim the company, compared with 29 in 1952. A manufacturer of municipal vehicles is stated to fit oil engines in 75 per cent, of appliances produced, whereas two years ago only 25 per cent. were so equipped.

Film Shows for Nothing

NOT everyOne realizes how a good film show can be given at little or no cost. For example, the Central Film Library has recently issued a list of over 60 films which are available free-of-charge, and all have been approved for their usefulness to British industry. The subjects cover wide interests and a few which concern this industry particularly are "Time, .Space and Effort" from Unilever, which deals with the unit load system of materials handling and demonstrates many types of fork-lift truck; and " Rehabilitation in Industry," which shows what can be done to secure the early return to work of injured employees, and is sponsored by Vauxhall Motors. Another materials handling film is "The Flowblock Pallet Plan " by Fisher and Ludlow, and there are others dealing with electronics and mechanical power.

Written applications for these films should be made to: The Central Office of Information, Industrial Section. 83 Baker Street, London, W.I.

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Organisations: Central Office
Locations: Geneva, London

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