National Resources Planning Board, Industrial Research 



329 



belonging to 55 different industries ranging from iron 

 and steel, power, machinery and tools, and motor 

 vehicles, through chemicals, ceramics, electrical ma- 

 chinery, and petroleum, to food, clothing, amusement 

 equipment, beverages, musical mstrumcnts, and in- 

 surance, and even large mail-order houses and depart- 

 ment stores. 



The approach to industry for this information was 

 made by means of over 600 letters sent to executives in 

 charge of research in selected firms, and to the members 

 of the various research committees of The American 

 Society of Mechanical Engineers. These letters were 

 pm-posely plu-ased briefly, merely defining industrial 

 research in the words of Dr. C F. Hirshfeld as "or- 

 ganized fact fmding of any sort that is financed by 

 industry," and asking for "a brief statement of the 

 research functions performed by mechanical engineers 

 in your organization," even if "this fact-finding function 

 in yoxir company is not formally organized as a research 

 laboratory." Because of this brevity, the material 

 submitted is neither homogeneous nor exhaustive — a 

 quantitative survey of industrial research is being 

 undertaken by others — but also because of this ap- 

 proach many of the answers contain points of view, 

 opinions, and side lights on research that might not 

 have been elicited by more formal and meticulous 

 questioning. Over 400 letters have come from mem- 

 bers of more than 325 industrial and other organiza- 

 tions, the responses ranging all the way from "we are 

 unable to cooperate in the matter referred to" to 

 extended descriptions and stimulating essays on re- 

 search, some of them in printed form. To all of the 

 cooperating individuals and to the organizations they 

 represent giateful acknowledgment is hereby made for 

 their cooperation, which has often involved an expendi- 

 ture of much time and effort. 



Quotations from these letters form a considerable 

 part of this report. For the purpose of clear condensa- 

 tion, the phrasing of the writer has not always been 

 followed exactl3', even in matter within quotation 

 marks, for which liberties apologies are hereby offered; 

 but it is believed that the meaning of the original writer 

 has been preserved in all cases. 



Distinction Between Mechanical 

 Engineers and Others 



One of the difficulties emphasized by many corre- 

 spondents is that of distinguishing between "mechanical 

 engineers" and other sorts of engineers, particularly 

 chemical, electrical, textile, and agricultural engineers, 

 and also between engineers, metallurgists, physicists, 

 and certain types of chemists. One correspondent 

 writes, "Thus it may be said that our industrial research 

 performed by mechanical engineers covers a very wide 

 field and a field which frequently overlaps, or which is 



coordinated with, research by chemical engineers along 

 more clearly defined chemical engineering lines." 

 Another writes, "It is quite impossible to differentiate 

 mechanical from chemical engineering research in our 

 organization." In another field, a research executive 

 writes, "Our industrial research work is a mixture of 

 mechanical, chemical, and petroleum engineering. 

 From a management viewpoint, it has been found that, 

 with the exception of certain specialized work, an en- 

 gineer with a degree in any of the engineering sciences, 

 who is aggressive, adaptable, and possessed of vision, 

 will work into industrial research quite nicely." In 

 another company the "chief petroleum engineer" is a 

 mechanical engineer. A rubber manufacturer writes, 

 "The limitation to mechanical engineers in your letter 

 is difficult as the work of mechanical, electrical, chemi- 

 cal, etc., engineers is interlocked and interdependent." 

 The vice president in charge of research of a large non- 

 ferrous metal industry wi'ites: "To sum it up, it is 

 difficult to say how much the mechanical engineer alone 

 contributes to research in ovu" own experience. I would 

 rather say that he is an important partner, his impor- 

 tance being greater in the more strictly mechanical in- 

 dustries, and less in other industries." And the head 

 of a governmental bureau says of an unusually com- 

 prehensive research program that "all of it is under the 

 leadership and direction of engineers, physicists, and 

 chemists, with no possibility of segregating them." 



Wliere a distinction is made, opinions differ as to the 

 importance of the work of the mechanical engineers. 

 The director of one industrial research laboratory writes, 

 "At the possible risk of offending the mechanical engi- 

 neers, it is our opinion, based upon our own experience, 

 as well as upon the contacts which we have had with 

 other industries, that industrial research, or organized 

 fact-finding of the more fundamental character in the 

 field of mechanics, is carried out primarily by physicists 

 rather than by mechanical engineers." But the direc- 

 tor of the technical di\'ision of another company writes, 

 "It would be proper to say that all of our research is in 

 the field of mechanical engineering as you define it. 

 The physicist and chemist that we employ assist in 

 problems related to engineering." A research engineer 

 in an aviation-engine factory writes, "Too much semi- 

 fundamental work is laid out and attempted by physi- 

 cists, chemical engineers, and chemists. In conse- 

 quence, the application of their results is an attempt to 

 apply the specific to the general without information 

 sufficiently broad. In my opinion, work on engine 

 principles should be conducted or directed by mechan- 

 ical engineers"; and the director of still another indus- 

 trial research laboratory writes, "Our feeling is that, as 

 evidenced by oiu- work for the past 10 years, the mechan- 

 ical engineer at this laboratory wUl imdertake any prob- 

 lem that comes to liim, of whatever nature. My hst 



