A NEW INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3524, 27 September 1921, Page 19

A NEW INDUSTRY

RENEWING ELECTRIC LAAIPS. A new industry having for its object tha renewing of burnt out electric lamps and thus eliminating much of the waste that now takes place is shortly to be started* in New Zealand. A few years ago Mr F. Harrison, electrical engineer of London, who had many years’ experience in the manufacture of incandescent electric lamps, lecognised the great wastage of good material which was taking place annually in Great Britain alone through the destruct ion of thousands 08 burnt-out metallic filament incandescent electric lamps. He applied himself to the task oi rinding a process of refilling the Durnt-out lamps so as to give them a new lease of file, and tfi/.s obviating the wastage of good matsiial. Auer many experiments he was suci'cs: lul in evolving a process by means of which incandescent metallic filament elect.nc lamps could be renewed and sold at tv reduction on the original selling price, the lamp being in every rej spect as efficient as when sold by tho i original makers. Mr Harrison patented his j process throughout the world. A company lac Aladdin Rene\v Electric Lamp L'crj poration (Limited) —with a capital of ; £'.200,000 was floated in London (Sir Harry j bostcr being chairman of directors) to | operate the process on a commercial basis; and large works were established at Wiilesj den, London, which, in 1919 had an out- ! put of 1500 lamps per day. Another large I factory has since been established in BirI rningham. Mini:-.!, awaiting repatriation after the ret urn of tile New Zealand Division from Germany, two young Dunedinites were, with the assistance of Mr J. Burgess, a New Zealand resident in London, able to negotiate with the Aladdin Corporation for the purchase of the patent rights for New Zealand. A complete plant, for the establishing of a factory in New Zealand, was ordered, and this inis been assembled and shipped under the supervision of Mr Tasker, an electrical engineer in London. The complete plant having newarrived in New Zealand, the holders of the patent rights intend forming a company with u view to establishing a factory in either Dunedin or Christchurch. There is reason to believe that the venture will be successful. In 1918 approximately half a million electric lamps were imported into New Zealand, and when the various hydroelectric schemes, which are being started in, different parts of the dominion, are in full operation the number of lamps imported will undoubtedly be considerably increased. The renewed lamps have been subjected to severe tests by the tngineers of various large firms in England, and also afc Faraday House, and it has been proved that they are quite as efficient, and in some respects more efficient than the original lamps. The holders of the rights for New Zealand have had experience of the* process at the works in London, one of them having returned to England for that purpose.