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The Production of All-British Injection Pumps

25th May 1940, Page 34
25th May 1940
Page 34
Page 35
Page 34, 25th May 1940 — The Production of All-British Injection Pumps
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Some Observations Following a Visit to the Greatly Enlarged and Finely Equipped Works of C.A.V., Ltd., at Acton

AVISIT of inspection to any important works in this country is now not the comparatively simple matter of pre-war days. Recently, however, we were invited by C.A.V., Ltd., Acton, London, W.C.3, to inspect the greatly extended and finely equipped works of that company, and we were informed that we were the first representatives of the Press to have been accorded this privilege.

The opportunity was one that we Would have been loath to have missed, as a particular interest attaches to the work being carried out by this important company. To us, this lay, mainly, in the intensive manufacture of the excellent C.A.V. fuel-injection equipment, which the enterprise of the company has developed into a 100 per cent. British product in respect of both labour and material.

Properly to deal with this activity, we must delve into the history of the war of 1914-18. At the beginning of that period, the magneto was the almost sole means for ignition employed on commercial vehicles and on most private cars. Yet we were faced with the situation that the market was almost exclusively held by a German machine, of which there was but little stock here. For a long period the deficiency which resulted from the cessation of imports placed us in an extremely difficult position which took many months to overcome. '

C.A.V., Ltd., realizing the growing importance of the oil engine as applied to road transport and its almost total dependence upon injection pumps of German manufacture, decided, with commendable enterprise, to prevent a repetition of the previous fiasco by arranging to manufacture here first-class equipment, which would render us independent of foreign manufacturers in the event of another war occurring. Now an ample supply of these precision instruments, which are used not only for road transport but in connection with other forms of armament of vital importance, is assured.

Apart from this particular activity, the company has an excellent reputation for its axial-type starters, high-output dynamos, electrically operated windscreen wipers, direction indicators, batteries, control panels. etc.

To meet the needs in all these directions, the works has been greatly increased in floor area, and flow production inaugurated in all the major departments. Here, every thing is produced, with the exception of the raw materials, castings and forgings.

As an example of the meticulous nature of the work, it may be mentioned that some 50 operatives are engaged solely on injection pump and tool design. Actually, during our visit, our first call was to this section, which embodies also the production and costing departments. All these are in one huge office, some 70 yds. in length with, at its centre, a filing section for technical drawings and records.

The tool room, which we visited next, is unusually large and comprehensive, with its own material stores. Here, apart from the large equipment of machine tools, there is a hardening department with I.C.I., Birlec and Wild-I3arfield furnaces. All the machine tools have individual motor drive, with no overhead shafting.

Carrying on, we passed to an important section for the maintenance and servicing of works equipment, in which, also, is manufactured testing equipment for injection pumps: and so to the factory proper.

We were particularly interested in the construction of the yokes for dynamos and starters. The material for these is originally flat, but is pressed circular and then welded.

Machine-tool equipment throughout the works has been completely modernized, and those machines considered to be of exceptional value are protected by roofs of thick steel plate.

We noted that the pump camshafts of the normal types are in forged steel, but in special cases are cut from the bar.

So far as possible, everything is constructed to jig. Jigs are also employed for testing purposes, as with certain of the injection nozzles. The nozzles are mounted individually in the centre of a circular device, on which are mounted

sights resembling those on a gun. Nearer to the nozzle are slotted plates marked in degrees, and sighting across to these gives the angle of each spray. In addition, each nozzle is tested separately under a pressure of approximately 125 atmospheres before mounting into its holder, although, in many cases, the nozzles are supplied without the latter, for replacement purposes and as spares.

In the case of the small injectors, sometimes the plungers are lapped in 20 at a time on a special machine, which rotates and reciprocates the barrels, the plungers being stationary, but the majority is lapped in by hand. The holes in the nozzles can be drilled to as small a diameter as 0.2 rum., although the normal is 0.3 mm. It is almost unbelievable that twist drills can be made to such dimensions, but we checked this by examining the tools under a microscope.

Inspection of the interiors of the nozzle bodies is effected by microscopes carrying, at their ends, tiny electric bulbs, such as are employed in medical work.

In the testing of the complete pumps, the chief object to attain is an equal delivery of fuel to each cylinder. For this purpose, use is made of the special testing equipment to which we have previously made reference. The pump is giveu a certain number of revolutions, and the output from each barrel delivered into a test tube. The levels in these are then carefully checked, and must coincide to within a very small degree of error.

Reverting now to the electrical side of production, we w ere especially interested in the winding department, where armatures are fabricated. These vary from the tiny type

employed for the windscreen wiper to that of 8 ins, in diameter for trolleybus dynamos. Both automatic and hand winding are employed, according to the circumstances, and to watch the delicate work being performed by woman labour is a revelation.

Progressing further, we viewed the complete assembly bench utilized for the A.E.C. 104 control board.

For certain classes of work, where the production is large, metal-band conveyors are mounted in the centresof the assembly benches; these permit a continuous production flow.

Safety conditions of operation are most carefully observed. All machines which might in any way be dangerous are so protected that it would be most difficult for even the careless worker to receive injury. These precautions were strikingly apparent in connection with the numerous press tools, both large and small, in most cases the press being shut off by a gate before the operation is effected.

• Good light and effective ventilation are factors which make for efficiency, and which the visitor cannot help but remarking, whilst we observed, with some interest, that many of the workers, particularly the females, were advocates of the " drink more milk" campaign,

Our description of the processes has necessarily been cursory, because of the great area ,covered and the large number of departments involved, but we saw sufficient to convince us that the thousands of workers employed are carrying out their duties under ideal conditions, each doing his or her bit with a cheerfulness which was obvious.

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Locations: London

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