New Britain herald., 1926-01-22

back of the economical production .of every mechanical necessity or labor saving machine In the world. stand the machine tools that made them possible. Without these we could have no industry as 1t now exists. There could be no factories for the making of either necessities or luxuries,
 Tt Is gratifying that there is growing recognition of the import anc3 of the machine tool industry in the economic scheme. An indica. ton of this increasing recognition i is the thoroughness with which many large users of machine tools are studying their equipment pro. blems from the engineering and profit points of view. It Is true that even in somc of the larger plants there still exist hit-and miss meth. ods of discarding and buying equip ment, and that education to substi- 'tute definite policies is needed. Like wise in the plants of medium size and in the small shops ideas are not so well defined as they should be. There Is a duty to be performed, on the part of the machine tool build CTS, on the part of the machine tool salesmen, and, perforce, on the part of the educators Of the machin- cry industries, to supply the def. ciency.
 Reasons for Discarding Equipment | Equipment is discarded because 1t Is worn out or because 1t Is ob- solete. Almost all machine tools are made up of several castings pro- portiohately large. with smaller parts Of other materials There is seldom a great amount of wear on the castings. and the deterioration Of cast iron is not rapid. Of the parts made of other materials, new cnes can be made or bought. Inas- much as wear upon all parts Is sell dom uniform, 1t would seem that if each part were replaced as it be. came worn the machine would neS- ar wear out. Experience proves. however. that there is q relation be- tween the cost of repairs and the cost Of ~cw machines, that, if deter mined accurately. will indicate when expenses for repairs are no longer justified There are to be talk cn into consideration the losses due 10 the -productiveness of the machines while In course of repair The repair cost record Is being maintained by some of the largcs' sers of machine tools. If the plan should be adopted universally much of the ancient equipment now in use would be withdrawn from active service. Moreover, the records of the costs of repairs. used with the rec ords of initial costs, would enable all users cf equipment 10 arrive at sound rates of depreciation.
 Buying Methods
 There is definite movement away from the selection of machine tools and equipment of like import anco by the purchasing agent of purchasing department, There ar, exceptions, where the purchasing agent Is man of engineering train ing or caliher. who could properly he called an equipment engineer However, in almost all plants of ap rreciable size, tho formal order is iSsu"d by the purchasing depart. lmcnt. which Is responsible also fol follow-up. Many times the rnque,ts for quotations arc written and sign "d by tho purchasing departme In some plants. where the purchas. ing department has nothing 70 dr with the acquisition of eduipmcn except the clerical work. 1t Is never. theless necessary for salesmcn tc make their ovnrtures 10 that de rartment. and upon all visits 10 Fr , through the formality ot Fainlnl admittance by applying first 10 th' purchasing agent.
 NO fault should be found will
 he arrangement lust describe, where 1t exists. Each plant has iti own problems 70 solve in takini carn Of visitors. Where there ar, many o' them some routine mus bn followed in the interests Of th, seller and his timc as well as th, buyer and his 'imo.
 "Discardcd equipment is dIsros ed of by being sold 10 other users by heing cold 10 dealers in usc' equipment; and by being scrappcd AS the scale Is descended from th high production shop and the sho' 'vorking against keen competition it '- found that there Is q marko for discarded equipment in th 2 shops where not so much is rnquir rd from machine and wh"r competitive conditions are not so g" vcrc II is not good economies ' throw into thc scrap machines thn DO: ess gool nart Of their lif and 0, course they are gong 10 b ! sold and resold just as automobile are
 "whethnr the machines ar sol direct 70 the new users or 10 dealer In used machinery depends upo market conditions, and the effor th~t tne seller is willing 10 make '
 "nd customers. Evidently there an economic need for the dealer i
 used machinery since he retail
 his place in inc industry.
 Among certain urers Of machiA - tools there Is policy not 10 hllo'
 dis" -icd machines to trnd aroun
 for ionE periods. 1T there is n r market available within q reason t nhle length Of time after the ma - chimes gre taken from the epuir