Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-05
INDUSTRY SEEKING
BETTER PRODUCTS
Scientist and Engineer Are
Devising New Articles in
Many Lines.
Special Dispatch to The star.

NEW YORK, November 5.-1nQuSCry
is seeking new pots Of gold in the engi-
neering laboratory. Utilizing opportu-
mites for research in the present depres-
sion period let-down in sales activities,
the scientist and the engineer in the
metal working Industries particularly
are creating new products and rede-
signing old ones, according to the sum-
mary OF a joint survey just completed
by American Machinist and Product
Engineering. New metals, new alloys
and new colors are making possible new
developments In industry. and the home
and the factory alike are affected.
I'm the metal-working industry, which
Is made up of 31,049 plants whose prod
ucts are valued at 1888, 600, 1856 annu-
ally" states the report, leading pro-
ducers are preparing In the laboratory
for that quickened demand for new
products which will come with the re-
turn Of the Nations buying power to
normal. Any manufacturer who Is sit
ting back waiting for better times, and
who Is expecting to make these better
times with his last years product, Is not
likely TO encounter even good times.
His competitor may be. found to have
accumulated the whole bag Of tricks"
Seek New Designs.
Manufacturers in the metal-working
field in all sections of the United States
submitted information for the survey
study. Eighty per cent OF these report
ed that they are paying more attention
to new designs this year than they did
In 1929. Ninety-eight per cent have
worked on improved products in 1890,
and 80 per cent report they intend 10
work on the development of new prod
llcts in the next six months.
The survey revealed the fact that
many materials and media which were
hardly known to industry In the early
years following the Great War have to-
day advanced to commanding places IN
the field Of manufacture and design
One Of these Is the nodded part. IN
1918 industry consumed S,OOO, wv
pounds Of plastics. Last year SS,OOO,0OC
pounds were used in making nodded
parts utilized in l02 types Of products
The field of their use ranges from tnlage
instruments to guns, ammunition and
cutlery and from pipe organs, radio AND
oil burners to sewing machines, all
compressors, oil field tools, turret lathes
food, textile and paper mill machinery
domestic ironers and high-voltage
equipment. In the early stages OF then
DEVELOPMENT, 20 years ago. nodded parts
were confined exclusively to the elec-
Stainless steel, which made its first
appearance generally in industry foui
or i've years ago, Is another material
which has demonstrated its growing
usefulness. Originally used for a lew
kitchen appliances. it has grown 70 ?. %
important in the manufacture OF many
products. It's newer applications today
include use in the making OF hydraulic
machinery, railway motor cars, wood
working. canmaking, food, pneumatic
shoe. paper and filtration machinery;
welders, mining machinery, automobile
and airplane parts and equipment
hardware and guns, high-pressurt
valves. Matchmaking and textile ma
chinery, gasoline pumps and dispensing
devices, electric railway apparatus
pharmaceuticals, sporting goods, watel
systems and electrical and pneumatic
portable tools. The high resistance -
stainless steel to corrosion has mace II
an important medium in the manufac-
ture of equipment and apparatus 1oi
the chemical industries.
Aluminium and its alloys, originally
reaching their highest total OF use II
the kitchen, also have come to the lore
front Of materials used in manufacture
The pots and pans which once used ur
most OF the aluminium produced. nave
given way to a multiplicity OF applca-
tions of aluminium in the metal-Work.
ing field. High voltage equipment and
electric motors are two productS u
which aluminium is used today. IL u
important In the manufacture OF air.
planes and Is utilized in the construc'
ton of railway cars and locomotives
other uses range from construction
equipment, chemical machinery and apI
paratus and foundry equipment to stee
furniture, power transmission equip
ment, oil burners, toy electrical trains
Welders, spray painting equipment, eiec-
trical typewriters and calculators.
Uses for Chromium. n
Chromium plating, today an impor-
tant medium In the field OF design ano
manufacture, has grown in three or four
years from a place confined exclusively
to the automobile field. Now the DE-
signer in the metal working industries
utilizes chromium in more than Zoe
kinds Of product. 1t is used in locks
electrical wiring devices, bearings, mt
tings for welded pipe lines, water soft
eners, cameras, radio, cars and loco
motives; motor trucks, vans and buses;
electric railway apparatus, forging ma
chinery, light therapy equipment, aero
nautical instruments, airplanes, metal
specialties. plumbing fixtures, silver and
plated ware, electrical portable tools
store and building equipment, sewing
machines, fishing tackle and skates,
kitchenware, agricultural machinery
and many other products intended Tor
the home and the factory.
The joint survey revealed huge gains
in the use Of lacquer. In 1928, industry
consumed 3,255 ,B57 gallons. Last year
1t used so ,000, 900 gallons and developed
increased applications of the material
in giving color to more than 100 types
Of product These include elevators.
telegraph apparatus, household and
radio equipment, ONCE appliances, cleo
trio refrigerators, radiators for house.
ware, road machinery, electric clocks and
timing devices, flashlights and bat
teries, Industrial trucks and tractors,
airplane appliances, airport lighting
equipment, automobile bodies and many
other uses.
The metal working industries, the
joint survey report shows, expend So
OOO, 900 900 annually for product parts
and materials, these divided into four
major classiflcations Of automotive and
aircraft, machinery and equipment,
railroad and shipbuilding and all other
worthwhile metal working activities.
The demand for the product parts and
materials comes in the main from metal
working companies In Michigan, Ohio,
New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wis
consin, Connecticut, Indiana, New Jer-
sey, Massachusetts,, California and Mis-
souri,
In the total Of 81, 04s metal working
plants in the United States, the survey
report says, 7,128 plants make prod
ucts valued annually at $13,512, 000, 900,
or "a per cent of the total value OF all
metal products turned out in American
plants. OF the total of 81 ,049 such man
ufactories, 4e6 are steel works and roll
ing mills, whose annual output Is valued
at $2,779, 840,23S. There are 277 agri-
cultural implement plants, employing
80 .346 workers and turning out products