Huge Industrial Development

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12355, 27 January 1926, Page 4

Huge Industrial Development

Petrol Distribution in BvilK

Great WorKs Installed at Miramar

There are many who remember the old wonderland at Miramar, and who recall the multiplicity of amusement* which brought hundreds of people daily from the city. Although au that now remains of this arena of entertainment is a few high iron fences, ' the site upon which the old bsildings stood will yet attract many people to its precincts, for, by sheer

force of industrial progress, and by the irrepressible evolution of modern methods, as well as through the far-seeing and enterprising policy of the company concerned, the locality has been converted into a wonderland o'f industrial activity. The people who now visit this spot, however, will be on a far* different lay' to those who sought a ride on the yean Wave, or to experience a terrifying walk through the chamber of horrors. They Will see stretched before them, covering the greater part of 28 acres; the new works of the British Imperial Oil Company, which company has the distinction of being the pioneer distributors in New Zealand of bulk motor spirit Slid kerosene. NATIONAL MOVEMENT The announcement of the opening of these works is more significant than at first appears to he the case, because the new works, which were opened two days ago by the Prime Minister (Hon. J. <3. Coates), mark one of the greatest steps in the facilitation of motor transport in this country that has ever been ventured. With the ever increasing volume of motor trafßo on th». roads—and the prospects of a!greater increase through the advent of better highways—the demand for petrol is necessarily great; and the uneconomical method of handling it in tins will shortly become too cumbersome.. The opening ceremony of - these works signalled the completion of jfche first

step of the Shell Company’s comprehensive bulk scheme for New Zealand, 25 : years having elapsed since they commenced to distribute in . bulk in the Commonwealth. i The movement is a national one, and I although the plant for the storing and treatment of the oil is'situated in Wei-, 1 tington this provides the toundation | stone of a scheme which .will eventu- ‘ ally supply petrol in bulk from the I North Cape to the .-81uff....A1l con- ■ gunners throughout the Dominion —moI torists and others —will benefit by tne efficiency of the method, and the value of this to the man in the provincial .town through the consequent reduced cost of petrol permissible by disposing of coiitly tins and cases lor pacKiug. CHEAPER PETROL This is the aspect which is going to affect the pocket of every user of motor spirit in New Zealand: By reducing the cost of production through distributing in bulk, the company shoald shortfy be enabled to reduce the price of motor spirits. it is the tinning and transport costs which at present add to the* price of this and it is particularly pleasing to dwell upon the fact that i British enterprise has solved the problem for this Dominion. All the machinery and goods used in the factory at Miramar are of British manufacture, and provide the last word in efficiency for economical and expeditious working. . - The function of these works is to receive the petrol in bulk from steamers which bring it from overseas—the first of which has already arrived—and to store it preparatory to sending it to the different centres by ingeniously devised motor-lorry tanks and rail-car tanks- In addition to that, there, is a large tinning factory,, where the -tins are made, where the petrol is'tinned and cased, and from whence it is sent to those places which are not adapted to receiving the goods in bulk. A visit was recently paid to the works by a representative of the “Times,” who was Conducted through the various buildings by Mr 8. Thprr burn, superintendent engineer of . the installation at Newport, Australia, and Mr A. E. Middletop, superintendent engineer for Wellington. The dimenfions of the plaoe and the standard of efficiency in operation are amazing, while the precautions taken against accident and fire—manifest in every

part of the huge ground—is but another tribute to the thoroughness of British methods of industry. PREVENTION OF FIRE “The first demand I will make is for your matches,” said Mr Tborburn to his journalistic visitor, who was compelled to search his pockets for stray

lucifers and hand them over for keeping till the inspection was finished. Such is the method adopted towards the staff, each member of which is forbidden, for the safety of himself and his fellow-workmates,. to carry matches while ia the precincts of the factory. A cupboard is provided, for these in a .commodious dining room.

Bat this is not the only precaution against fire.- Around the various placfes which are likely to he susceptible to a blase, there is built a low bank of clay, so that if the petrol is ignited and runs out over the ground, it is confined to the particular area in which the conflagration -commenced. The huge storage tanks are. similarly surrounded.

“We are now in the danger zone;’’ said Mr Middleton after the small -party had traversed portion of the works. The danger zone appeared no different from the remainder of the factory, hut on one eide of the road, was a huge store for motor spirit, into which the tinned and eased petrol was conveyed. •So meticulous are the precautions in this area, that a motor lorry with engine flnng is not allowed within 100 feet of the store. If in an emergency a quantity of spirit is required-, direct from the store,, the lorry doep . npt -back up to it in the ordinary ’way, but is dragged to the doorway of the store by a home wearing specially 'constructed shoes, and dragged back to the stipulated dis-

tance (before being re-started under its own power. RISKS MINIMISED. Should a fire break out in - one of the huge storage tanks—and- this is extremely unlikely—there is attached to each a spray of water, which, (when operated from a distance of 100 feet, will prevent its spread, and also check the volatility of the petrol. The electric. lights in the store are enclosed in compartments of cast iron and plate glass; and cannot he touched

except from the outside of the building. This minimises the risks attached to slioit circuits, or other electrical accidents. The main offices, which are as yet in the course of construction, are immediately inside the gate, and when completed will present a handsome structure, the assistant superintendent’s residence being erected on toP- , On the other side of the entrance is the motor lorry garage, which has at present room for* ten vehicles, while a structure of similar capacity will shortly be greeted alongside. Then theto is the repair workshop, and various stores to be seen before one passes on to the tin factory building, and engine roOm. Power is generated

by a 75 h.p. Orossley engine, the first of its kind in the Dominion, worked by oil fuel, and capable of being stained in less than a minute. An ai? compressor with a capacity of 175 cubic feet of free air pep minute, is used for pumping spirit and kerosene, while electric energy is supplied for gravity conveyors and for lighting.

HUMAN-LIKE MACHINES The tin-making factory is in_ itself a hive of industry. When tKe tin plate reaches the factory it first enters the trimming machine, from which it passes over to the hemming machine to have the longest edges folded over so that every two plates hook, up to make one tin. From here the tin travels to the panelling , and bending machine, where in one operation, the lettering is printed, and the tin is bent at right angles to formhalf of the side of one tin.. This is then sent- through another process to have the other naif hooked, then" to

have the top and -bottom affixed, and when this is done the tin goes further to receive a special squeezing before passing through to be soldered. These tin-making machines ore capable' of turning out 12,000 finished’ tins in a day. The soldering device is a marvel of mechanical ingenuity, aqdtips the tins over with human-like precision, sliding them along in the bath of solder, which iB in turn kept molten by a powerfulblow furnace beneath. In future all the tins, both kerosene 1 and motor spirit, sold by the Shell Company throughout the Dominion, will be made entirely with New Zealand. labour at this factory. In the case-making factory there is further evidenoe of the perfection to which machinery, can be brought, the boxes being turned out at the rate of 3i per minute, nails and every ingredient necessary being fed by mechanical devices. The printing machine impressed the trade design upon the box ends in the best two-colour styleblack and red. Huge r6oms are lined with case-wood stacked as high as the ceiling, and it is anticipated that ever 100,000 of these cases will' be used monthly, oi about 1£ millions per annum. ‘ INGENIOUS DEVICE. As the visitor passes towards the landing-stage, where 18 lorries can be loaded simultaneously, and in fifteen minutes be on the road with a stock of petrol, he notices a l , little building; where the kerosene department-new

in its infancy —is conducted, this-being a separate entity in the vast, factory. The filling-room is where the tins, after being brought along on the gravity oonveyars, are lined up—ten at a time—and, with one pull at ariever, filled by 10 nozzles, which automatically find the holes in the top of the tins themselves. As the deni and for petrol increases, this 'filling' plant can be enlarged to a 24-filler one. With one man operating this, the machine will fill with ease 1000 4-gallon tins per hour. ’ Capping, or sealing,' the tins is a separnte operation, which is ’accomplished in a building apart. The soldering bolts used for this purpose axe

heated in fuel oil furnaces, which are in turn housed in a shed at a safe distance. The heated soldiering holts, after being quenched to a dull red, are conveyed to the capping shed in a spe-cially-designed carrier over an aerial conveyor. The tins, having been capped and sealed, are then passed through to the Btore; The' store tanks compound presents quite a fortified appearance with its eight huge tanks surrounded by an embankment sft in height. The tanks are fed and relieved by an elaborate system of piping, the main of eight inches interior diameter conveying the spirit from the wharf, and the sixinch diameter pipe taking kerosene. It would require constant practise to become accustomed to the working of. the multiplicity of wheels and cocks, which are so cleverly designed and arranged as to be fool proof, and it is impossible for the various spirits to become mixed! Motor spirit and liquid fuel can he pumped from the ship at the rate of 200 tons per hour. For kerosene there are two tanks, each of 2000 tons capacity; for motor spirit two tanks;—one of 8000 tons and one of 44)00 tons—while for oil fuel there are two, of' 10,000 tons and 300 tons respectively. Tne last-named is the working tank. There are also three gravitation tanks, each holding 11,000 gallons, into which the liquid is pumped from the working tanks, thence to the lorry tanks (through hydrants) or to the filling room to be tinned. EFFICIENCY IN CARRIAGE Throughout the whole operation of the factory—frbm the time the tins are made till the cases land on the platform to be taken away^—everything is carried along on gravity conveyors, which operate with remarkable smoothness and at a very useful speed. So steady are they, in fact, that the full tins pass down an easy grade to fchef capping room, and not a drop is spilt. At the places where the conveyors have to pass through the open air, they are covered in for protection from the weather, and wherever the conveyors commence at a fair height, the goods are lifted On specially constructed elevators, there to be deposited oh to a travelling belt. The,.lubricating oil. department is not overlooked. This is one of the more scientfiio aspects of the trade, and, the room is fitted with every mod. ern’ device for the treatment ancl . blending of lubricating oils .to . meet the demands of the! trade. So varied ■are the requirements of,the many oilabsorbing machines on the market today, and so, exacting are the demands of the internal combustion engine, the high-speed electrical units, and the many other classes, that 1 , upwards of 150 different grades of oil need to be provided. . . ■Just what the bulk system means to the Dominion can hardly be over-esti-

mated; The-Shell company, by pioneering the, movement, has proved what economies can be ©fleeted in distribution, and what benefits can be afforded consumers, and the reoent installation of this system into the inland centres in Australia has achieved in most instances a substantial reduction in the prico Of petrol. The delivery by motor and rail tank car will be no small factor in the general scheme. The lorry tanks ale elaborately fitted, and contain two — sometimes three —compartments, so that -motor spirit end fuel oil may be carried simultaneously in lots up to 600 gallons' at a time. OTHER WORKS COMING It is intended that the company’s operations will at fiist be confined to the main seaport towns throughout the Dominion, and then extended as rapidly as possible to the interior. The System will be linked im so as to provide ■ every possible facility for efficient distribution. Works similar to those at Miramar will.be constructed iat Auckland, and when completed these Pill comprise the most modern equipment for this class of work. The bulk cargoes - will be brought from overseas in the Shell Company's own fleet of 1 ankers. WORK FOR MORE MEN From Singapore to British North Borneo vessels of' this fleet carry cargoes to all parts of the world, and in the transportation, refining, and marketing of the products more .British ships, more British capital, and more British

workmen are engaged than in any other, oil company in the world. In the number of men employed the new works will mean much to Wellington, for it is expected that when the concern becomes well established there will be between 300 and 400 men employed. This should prove an asset to the residential locality of Miramar. The whole of New Zealand’s requirements in motor spirit and kerosene have hitherto been imported in packages, but the opening of the shell works will enable them to be brought here in bulk. Where tins are required in ■the less populous areas, they will of course be manufactured here. Coastal depots will bo established at the chief "sea 00-f' throughout the Do-

minion, and these in addition to delivering in 'bulk to their own areas will also distribute in bulk to inland depots by means of rail tank oars and motor vehicles. . . 1 In this way it is anticipated that bulk petrol will eventually be supplied to every town in New Zealand. NEW ZEALAND MATERIAL USED Permanent employment will also b« provided for many New Zealanders throughout the smaller towns and at the various depots. Even the motor vehicles —with the exception of tho chassis—will be constructed at New Zealand workahops. Preference is always gjven to local material in the installations, while Empire products are used throughout in the manufacture of packages in the Dominion for all Shell goods. , Each of the largest motor delivery vehicles owned by the British Imperial Oil Company ia able to carry ,in one load sufficient petrol to drive a car once round the world. 1 OIL FUEL FOR SHIPS j Fuel oil, for steam raising in ships, is not ao extensively used in New Zea-, land as in Australia where the largest liners replenish their bunkers with Shell fuel oil at all chief ports of call. With the establishment of Shell works at Auckland and Wellington, however, bunkering facilities will also be provided for the supply of fuel oil to ships tor burning under their boner.*, and for use in internal combustion engines. Hhe use of crude oil in ships tor industrial purposes is heiag widely and rapidly extended and the provision of oil bunkering stations in the Dominion will bring New Zealand porta within the scope of the worldwide bunkering service maintained by Shell, whose 120 odd fuelling stations encircle tho entire globe. TRANSPORT AND POWER The company has spared no effort and will maintain its reputation by endeavouring to provide still cheaper cost of transportation, with its beneficial effect on all classes of the community Motor transport is everywhere carrying essential commodities of the masses and thus petrol plays its pint in the daily lives of tho people. It drives hundreds of thousand motor cars. It drives thousands of_ commercial vehicles which crowd the thoroughfares of commerce, carrying the fnrmers’ milk, butter, cheese, meat and wool. It pulls the plough and provides power for practically every purpose. It daily whirls into operation the milking plants of thriving I dairy farm® l ®- In all these avenues of usefulness a saving in the cost of petrol is a saving to the farmer as well aa to the motorist. That the distribution of Shell products in bulk will prove a decided advance on present methods there can be no doubt whatever, and Shell’s establishment in this new industry in New Zealand will undoubtedly confer enormous benefits to the Dominion as a whole. BACK TO POPULARITY ■ During the war, owing to the fact ,thut Shell was used almost exclusively for the motor transport and for the manufacture of the famous T.N.T. explosive for the armies in the field, the supplies of Shell for New Zealand were 'acutely restricted. But with the resumption of supplies ns soon as war restrictions could be removed, ’ Shell has rapidly re estahlish-sd itself in the New Zealand market and vithi the improved methods now being used. Shell will no doubt attain the same premier position in this country that it enjoys elsewhere.

The works at Miramar, in their completeness and efficiency, are a tribute to the enterprise of tne company controlling them, and it is more than pleasing to observe that it is British capital and Britishers >vho are behind what promises to prove one of the greatest striuos in industrial development which this Dominion has ever taken,

Cheaper petrol means more machinery; more jmuhinery means increased industry; increased industry ..represents progress; and industrial progress will' be the greatest factor'in gaining for New Zealand her plate among the' various units of the Empire as am indispensable asset to the Motherland. >