A RUN ROUND THE DENNIS WORKS.
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Cleanliness and Orderliness Features of a Factory with Rural Surroundings. Some of the Methods and Processes Employed.
MHERE is an old saying in the North of England that
"Where there is snuck" (pronounced 'nook) "there is money." In many engineering works one has not to look far to find muck. A study of annual reports does not reveal the fact that money does always follow muck, as some of the muckiest works we have seen arc in the hands of receivers.
If anyone is looking for muck it is useless going to the , works of Dennis Bros., Ltd., at Guildford, for he will find none there. Messrs. Dennis seem to have recognized to the fullest the importance of pleasant surroundings, light, fresh air, cleanliness and comfort far their employees. To begin with, the town of Guildford is one of the most picturesque in the country and is surrounded on all sides by beautiful scenery, ana is entirely free from the gloom and squalid appearance of the usual manufacturing town.
The works, which stand a little way out of the town, are built in a style that makes them more of an ornament than an eyesore, as is, unfortunately, the case with so many factories. When one enters the factory and passes through the various shops, which are lofty, warm, light and supplied with fresh air, there is an entire absence of that feeling of depression which is so common in many large works. The impression we formed was that, if we had to pass the rest of our lives as ordinary operatives working in a factory, there are few factories we should choose in preference to that of Messrs. Dennis Bros.
One other point which struck us was the absence of anything in the nature of nigger driving ; every one was doing his best, but apparently without being driven.
At the Guildford factory, every part of the chassis is made except the engine. All Dennis engines are made at the works of White and Poppe, now belonging to Messrs. Dennis Bros. It is well-known that Dennis's were the first to develop the use of the worm, or at least to apply it to commercial motors. This is a feather in the cap of British engineering, as the worm has, with very few exceptions, become the recognized drive for commercial motors all over the world. Having regard to this firm's relation to worm drives, the worm-making department of their works was the first section we inspected. Great care is taken in the production of both worms and worm wheels. One of our illustrations shows a worm being milled in a machine specially built for the purpose. After milling and all other operations, the worms are, of course, deeply case-hardened.
It is well known that there is no method by which steel articles can be case-hardened without a certain amount of distortion Or warping taking place. In some factories in which worms have been produced, it was the practice merely to polish the threads of the worm to give them the necessary looking-glass face whiCh prevents abrasion of the brcnize wheel against which they work, and not to correct any distortion due to hardening.
In the Dennis works, however, a grinding process is carried out in a special machine which corrects all errors due to warping—and leaves the surfaces in a smooth condition so that only a small amount of polishing is necessary to bring them to the required looking-glass finish.
In the manufacture of the worm wheels great care is taken. The teeth which engage the worm are milled out in a special machine very nearly to the finished size. After this, the wheel is allowed to cool down, as appreciable heat is generated in the cutting owing to the very hard nature of the phosphor, bronze employed. When cool, the wheel is placed in a second machine which completes the c-string by taking off only a very fine shaving.
The employment oc automatic machines in these -works is carried to a very
high pitch, and in some Of the large shops one can see only a man here and there feeding the machines with new materials and taking away the finished products. Labour is saved, too, in many of the operations. For example, the whole of the holes in the end of a gearbox are drilled at one operation..
The machine employed is a very large and costly one, but it is only by the employment of such machines that firstclass work can be produced at a reasonable cost, and that interchangeability can be relied upon.
!--t The machine shown in the second of Our illustrations is one that was developed in the works. s, It consists of three large-range radial drilling machines, so arranged that their arms will . reach aogrpart 'Of tithe', longest-chassis , frame. As Will be-seen;the frank being operated „upon is mounted on trunnions, Which enable the workeii`to bring any side uppermost • W' Jigs are clamped to the frame which , direct thealrills-Viall parts where holes are required., Overhead runways are provided for handling the frames, so, by means of the whole arrangement, frames are completely drilled and accurate interchangeability procured with the minimum amount of manual labour.",-,vis,s,,weN.
Another feature of the works which attracted our attention was,Lthat devoted to the storing of spare and replacement parts. In many otherwise well-organized concerns this department does not receive the attention it merits. The sales of commercial motors, unlike pleasure cars, depend largely on repeat orders. No firm could expect to , prosper if it relied entirely on first sales, ' and there is nothing more likely' to encourage repeat orders than the keeping of a large stock of replacement parts, and their rapid and accurate despatch when required. Messrs. Dennis have given special attention to this section of their business.
Our illustration gives but a poor idea of the extent of the Steck of spare parts, yet it will show the absence of confusion and mudde which so often characterize this department in some works.
We hope to be able, at some future time, to illustrate the works at Coventry, which .we understand employ a larger number of hands than the very extensive works at Guildford. Some idea of the extent of the Dennis factory may be "gathered from the fact that, during the war, it was able 0tirririell'a‘ fully; equipped chassis every four and a half houlTdiTrini the day and night. Thetwlirks:: are7Compkte with their own railway siding, generating, plant' fOr`electricity and gas, stacks of seasoning timbeVinhae hall, ahtletic grounds, and dwellings for some of their:emPleyees...:
4NO'-parade. of -philanthropy is made, but a clear under'standing of all that makes working conditions attractive, coupled with' a thoroughly practical knowledge of the business; seems to characterize the management, which probably accounts for the absence of labour unrest at these works.