Colombus Radio

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 29, 15 December 1937, Page 7

Colombus Radio

. the organisation behind th ''HWKCrCT ' Success is the : realization of a worth idea/t . . . The romantic growth of tl; Radio Corporationof NewZtjaland', Lti manufacturers of Columbus Radio, n presents nothing less than a triumph c achievement. It is also a tribute t the. high id'cals of fair .trading whic have always shaped its destines . . FuHamentally, -these 'are to make th lic,t radio sot possible for New Zci and conditions, and to sell at the lot est price-;consistent with.,fair trading The first' -receiver. ever produced b the. Itadio Corporation was a crysts set with a. 2-valve amplifier;. -this wa the first inexpensive electrically opei ated set on the market?,, and as sue met ' with instantaneous success. S rapidly did business progress that addj tionat Staff was soon required, and th founder undertook a trip to Aimeric and England in order to purchase th most up-to-date equipment available fo radio manufacture, and to arrange fo supplies of the finest raw materials. Byj'December 1932, the output of set was 500 monthly, the staff now numbe ing nearly 50, and an American radii ! engineer of wide experience was chie designer in charge o,f production. A the organization continued to expand with increased] public acceptance of it products, more overseas experts wen engaged, in charge of the various tech nical departments, including Mr. J. Jen sen of Jensen Speaker fame who cairn from America to install the necessar machinery and equipment, and to super vise the production of Radio Corpora tion lour speakers. By [December, 1936, the organizatioi had grown 'beyond the capacity of it capital and a public company was forn edi with a nominal capital of £80,000 A-t the same time, the factory was ex tended until now it covers closc on 40, 000 square feet of floor area. Variety of Departments. Under one roof we find the multi tudinous departments and skilled tech nicians whose services are -required ii the iproduetion of a high class radio In. the machine and -tool making shop winding machines are made and dies,fa: stampings and pressings, The metal department, produces the varioui metal pieces,'including the xamous Columbus one-piece chassis which eliminates the possibility of loss of alignment due to "weaving." The chassis are spot welded (eliminating screws and rivets) and metal parts go to. the dueo and-plating department where they are cadmium coated and sprayed for good appearance, and to prevent corrosion. . Transformers and coils ave made in -fully equipped departments replete with all neccssaryi special precision and testing equipment. Small mechanical parts, where . minute care is essential, are made-in a separate-room, and there are also processing, photographic, etching and art departments. Contrasting to.the noise and bustle o,f the rest of -the. factory, the speaker department works in a separate section of the factory in absolute quiet, so that the very, accurate work required' in fitting and testing may not be in any way impede^. Final Assembly and Testing. When the products of all departments are finally assembled 'in Colum'bus receivers, they are 'tested in screened sound-proof rooms. Here a compdfehensive test is made of every-component part of the set, including the same set of valves with which the set is finally sold. Then as a double check, each set goes to a final tester whose duty it is to examine every set from the point of view of the purchaser and to reject any, which in any way at all, fall short of the exacting Columbus standards. From one room to 40-000 square feet; from two men to over .200 employees —from a spare time job to an important secondary industry only an outstanding product could achieve success like this, in so short a time.