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National Resources Planning Board 



the foundations for, and carrying througli improvements 

 in, manufacturing methods. 



In the nonferrous field one company reports: "Me- 

 chanical engineers in our various fabricating plants, 

 working in conjunction with our central engineering 

 department, research laboratories, and metallurgists, 

 are always striving to improve the fabrication process. 

 This work continually involves the design of new im- 

 proved equipment, such as rolling mills, remelting and 

 heat-treating furnaces, ingot-pouring equipment, level- 

 ing or flattening machines, forging, casting, and ex- 

 trusion equipment, and handling devices for use with 

 this equipment"; and, according to another firm 

 making die-castings "further development and ex- 

 pansion of the die-casting process is dependent largely 

 upon research of mechanical engineering, directed 

 toward the improvement of dies, machinery, and 

 equipment." 



A chief metallurgical engineer in a large steel com- 

 pany writes: "The mechanical engineer imdoubtedly 

 has a definite place in research conducted by the steel 

 industry, but he is seldom classified as a research 

 worker. His work is usually practical research with a 

 view of improving processes, production of a superior 

 product, and economies of operation, and the import- 

 ance of his work is recognized by all." Another large 

 steel company reports research work handled by me- 

 chanical engineers on "the investigation and develop- 

 ment of mechanical manufacturing devices," on "the 

 investigation of ways and means for eliminating the 

 cause of mechanical defects in products," and on 

 "special problems involving heat transfer, air condi- 

 tioning, etc., in conjimction with combustion engineers." 



A steel-fabricating plant writes, "We have a mechan- 

 ical and metallurgical research department which is 

 concerned with the development of equipment, proc- 

 esses, technique, new materials, etc., for welding, hot 

 working of metals and the fabrication of pipe, pressm-e 

 vessels and other equipment." Another fabricating 

 plant reports research by mechanical engineers with 

 respect to "improvement in pipe mill processes and 

 equipment, looking to reduced cost and product 

 quality," and, in particular, with respect to "mass 

 production of precision pipe threads." A third fabri- 

 cating organization assigns mechanical engineers to 

 fact-finding work "particularly with respect to can 

 making and can sealing machinery," and lists 8 or 10 

 "typical problems now under investigation," such as 

 "determination of the fabricating factors influencing the 

 strength of soldered side seams, both from the stand- 

 point of the mechanics of the can body and the applica- 

 tion of solder thereto," "development of a satisfactory 

 method for the high-speed soldering of black iron cans," 

 and "elimination of solder particles and dust from the 

 inside of the can." 



These examples, and many others that could be 

 cited, show the great diversity of the industries, and 

 the wide variety of the problems, with respect to which 

 mechanical engineers are performing useful and im- 

 portant research services by studying and perfecting 

 manufacturing equipment and processes. 



Control of Production 



Like the inspection of raw material coming into the 

 manufacturing plant, the inspection of parts in process, 

 the control of the process, and the inspection and test 

 of the finished product embody much that is routine 

 and far removed from research. However, these 

 fimctions often provide useful operating data and 

 several companies that have contributed to this report 

 have shown convincingly that the research method 

 and approach have been used to great advantage in 

 their inspection or quality control procedure. 



One large chemical manufacturer reports that one of 

 its divisions uses engineering research to advantage in 

 the "development of automatic process controls." 

 Similarly a soap manufacturer places responsibility 

 upon the engineering staff for "control of process 

 variables" and a petroleum refiner states that systematic 

 research is required in order "to coordinate and combine 

 successfully the instrumentation required in process 

 control." A lubricant manufacturer requires a high 

 degree of research skill in the development of new or 

 improved physical testing equipment for controlling the 

 quality and uniformity of his product. Two tire 

 fabricators devote much research effort to the techniques 

 of product testing, and one has developed an elaborate 

 method for continuous testing with recording machines 

 to control the accuracy of the tests. A clay-product 

 producer has developed by reasearch, "laboratory and 

 plant control equipment which has eliminated the 

 uncertainty of the human element, making it possible 

 to scientifically control the quality of our product." 

 In the same general way a cordage mill and a maker of 

 dental supplies regard the development of inspection 

 and test methods as important research functions, and 

 a manufacturer of machine tools, small tools, and gages 

 uses "mechanical engineers in research work connected 

 with following the product during its manufacture, 

 and ascertaining, in cooperation with the inspectors, 

 that it functions as planned." 



The search for better instrumentation for routine 

 inspection work has ramifications that can lead far 

 afield from inspection routine. In this category belongs 

 the research that led to such fundamental standards as 

 Johansson gage blocks, and to all the secondary gages 

 that have made mass production possible. Here also 

 belongs the research that has led to the many ingenious 

 automatic inspection devices and machines to be found 

 in mass-production plants. Examples are machines 



