^ ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY — SMITH 203 



The cooperation of university and industrial scientific effort has 

 also contributed much to the progress of development by bringing sci- 

 entists of different training closer together on specific problems. For 

 instance, much of the recent progress in the improvement of insula- 

 tion for electrical apparatus has resulted from the combined efforts 

 of physicists, chemists, and electrical engineers working harmoni- 

 ously in close-knit groups. For many years, only a limited number 

 of scientists in the universities had shown any interest in dielectrics, 

 particularly solids. The engineer stumbled along rather blindly, and 

 little progress was made until all phases of the problem were coor- 

 dinated through the industrial laboratory. This relationship not 

 only has served an important function in coordinating the efforts of 

 individuals, but also has exerted a strong influence in bringing to- 

 gether the various departments within an organization as well as 

 outside agencies on problems of mutual interest. A new develop- 

 ment for one department is often seen to be of value to another. 

 Thus, research acts as a clearing house for information and stimu- 

 lates its flow from one department to another. 



JOINT RESEAECH BETWEEN MANUFACTUKER AND SUPPLIER 



Another coordinating function of the industrial laboratory is the 

 cooperative work between electrical manufacturers and the suppliers 

 of raw materials. For many years, electrical manufacturers have 

 carried on cooperative research with manufacturers of steel, carbon 

 brushes, insulating materials, and other raw materials. As a result 

 greatly improved materials have been developed. These in turn 

 enable the electrical manufacturer to build more reliable and more 

 efficient apparatus, which can be extended into new and larger fields 

 of application. 



IiroUSTRIAL RESEARCH SHORTENS TIME BETWEEN DISCOVERY AND USE 



Another important accomplishment of the industrial laboratory 

 has been to effect a marked reduction in the time between the dis- 

 covery of a new idea and its commercial application. For example, 

 only a few years ago scientists conceived the idea of using as a 

 germicidal agent a certain type of lamp the rays from which are 

 lethal to bacteria. In the last 2 or 3 years the resulting Sterilamp 

 has been put to regular daily use in tenderizing meat, retarding 

 spoilage of foods, killing bacteria on drinking glasses, helping to 

 prevent infection following surgical operations, and many other 

 important tasks. 



Even today, however, special attention must be given to this phase 

 of the problem: After the research work has been completed and 

 the theory or principle of operation has been verified, there still 



