MOTOR IMPROVEMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 25

MOTOR IMPROVEMENTS

WHERE CHEMIST HELPS

In emphasising the advance in' design and manufacture .effected by motor manufacturers generally, and especially those of British motor vehicles, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders pjint out how the chemist andimetallurgist have contributed to the gen-, eral result by their investigations, of materials. Science, has aided the manufacturer in every branch'of motor con- 1 struetion;, the metallurgist has shown the correct alloy to use in the coi-3true-tiou of the chassis"; has told the bodymaker what will be tho suitable upholstery material, and has provided the cellulose lacquers fox-" finishing tho bofly externally. It has .assisted in the improvement of tires and brakes,, provided - finer, springing- to- minimise road shocks, reduced upkeep costs through the provision of accessories and components giving service without the need for constant attention, improved electrical equipment, and done! a" vast amount of work to secure for the owner of the vehicle the maximum economical seryicp with the minimum of trouble and expense. ' ,

An important, direction in which the efforts of the chemist h'avo been direct-; ed to increase the safety of motoring has been the deyelopment of glass with: all the advantages ..of the standard or.■. conventional''description, but -w;hich will iiot'shatter of'isplinter:''" "":'■:'■'' '-I .;■■.■ The chemist has also given,', attention to the ensuring of an adequate and ample supply of fuel for requirements, both present and future, by developing

improved methods of. distillation, by conservation of the supplies of known fuel, and.by discoveries of alternate fuels. .'".'■'

Another direction in which the laboratory is playing an "increasingly importantpart in the ensuring that cars givo their best service for longer periods than formerly, is in the improvement of highway', construction. The roads of Great Britain are world famous as an example of the very best methods of construction, and their qualities of smoothness and longevity are directly attributable to the excellence of the materials .used in their construction, in the selection of which the investigations m the laboratory play an important part. ■