The Iron Age 1943-04-29: Vol 151 Iss 17

Engin. Aiprary APRIL 29, 1943 A PR $0 1943 1 AON AG IN TW os E CTIONS—SECTIO NO NE avy | | D CARBURIZING yR-108 prion on qv “— tw cleo" : mRecolor ono ga sole dening nd torgind- mnabrestind ° eration® all Holde® products o endivide? res! vestiaor® tod Meta o_o noe £ : ’ NN. eating: ance- in ISN’T THERE JUST FOR DECORATION!” 4 ene STUDIES in scores of plants have shown an urgent need for a more thorough understanding of the Single Cutter Bar Turner. For example, we found operators—experienced oper- ators—having difficulty in positioning cutters of varying thickness in the KNOW THE FULL POSSIBILITIES OF cutter slot. The remedy is simple—a THIS BASIC TOOL IN BAR TURNING i ae a “i ; : K hollow set screw wrench used through HE Warner & Swasey Single Cutter Bar Turner isf & & i Me ti tee Canes nl the tock mer used more than any other tool in turret lathe setup} 4. € P " for bar work. It is designed and built to hold closef ¢ + mits easy adjustment of a screw for ae W. B. ; limits and deliver fine finishes under fast production 2 backing up the cutter. Wh . ti ¢ en undersized or oversized diameters occur of : “barber-pole” finishes appear, invariably they can be ? corrected by an operator who knows how to adjust Nv and use the tool. Index To give operators a thorough knowledge of a tool} \%5 ae i they use most often and to provide definite helpful hints} ,,’ RM ANCE | . that will result in better bar perform- aa | : ance, we have compiled a 32-page . Me eer ; booklet, full of illustrations and WARNER ATU hes diaer: rj > 9 re iagrams. Itwill be sent on request. AP 8 ’ SWASEY Batter meee lel Ch ; est aT ae is Ph TO GET YOUR COPY, MAIL COUPON NOW... a ee ee ee eee ee ee ee EVER| Warner & Swasey Operator's Service Bureau, Cleveland, Ohio J. H, Please send booklet, “Better Performance from Single Gm C. S. Bar Turners”. Name | J Address € HARK City I work at (Company) You. CAN TURN IT BETTER. FASTER. 1 A-12 FOR LESS...WITH A WARNER & SWASEY hn es ce ee ee 3 APRIL 29, 1943 17 VOL. 151, NO. © J. H. VAN DEVENTER President and Editor Cc. S. BAUR Vice-President and General Manager 3° ° ° Managing Editor, T. W. LIPPERT News & Markets Editor, J. A. ROWAN Technical Editor, F. J. OLIVER Associate News Editor, D. R. JAMES Associate Editors 0. C. MacDONALD S. H. BARMASEL J. 1. BUTZNER R. E. BENEDETTO Art Editor, F. J. WINTERS Editorial Assistants M. M. SCHIEN G. B. WILLIAMS G. P. BUTTERS Resident District Editors Lt. W. MOFFETT T. C. CAMPBELL Washington Pittsburgh J. D. BROWNE W. A. PHAIR Washington Chicago T. E. LLOYD S. H. BRAMS Cleveland Detroit OSGOOD MURDOCK San Francisco Editorial Correspondents M. PENLEY ROBERT G. MciNTOSH Buffalo Cincinnati G. FRAZAR R. RAYMOND KAY Boston Los Angeles HUGH SHARP JOHN C. McCUNE Milwaukee Birmingham F. SANDERSON ROY M. EDMONDS Toronto, Ontario St. Louis C. H. BACON Seattle ° ° ° A. H. DIX, Manager, Reader Service , ° ° ° » OF pcr Staff ING t F. Blair. 1016 Guo yn Blda.. Cleveland 8. L. Herman, Chilton Bldg. Philadelphia 7 H. K, Hottenstein, 1012 Otis Bldg., Chicago “ner 1S R. Raymond Kay, 2420 Cheremoya Ave., Los Angeles, Cal. » setup H. E. Leonard, 100 East 42nd St., New York Peirce Lewis, 7310 Woodward Ave., Detroit | closeg CH. Ober, 100 East 42nd St.. New York W§ Robinson) 428 Park Bldg., Pittsburgh ction. | W-J: Fitzgerald § ppp eget D0. . Warren, P. O. Box 81, Hartford, Conn. n . L. Johnson, Market Research Mar. cur of B. H. Hayes, Production Manager. -an be R. E. Baur, Typography and Layout - & . ° adjust " ; Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations Member, Associated Business Papers — in the Industrial Arts Index. Pub a lished every Thursday. Subscription Price a too North America, South America and U. S$ ‘ Possessions, $8; Foreign a a year. 11 hints - ps Reg sly Polk oye Cable’ ‘Address “lronage N. Y." ° ° ° Owned and Published by CHILTON COMPANY (Incorporated) Executive Editorial and re Offices Advertising Offices Chestnut and 5Séth Sts. 100 East 42nd St. Philadelphia, Pa. New York, N. Y. U.S.A, U.S.A. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS C. A. MUSSELMAN, President JOS. S. HILDRETH, GEORGE H. GRIFFITHS, EVERIT B. TERHUNE, and, Ohio J. H. VAN DEVENTER, Vice-President Single Cam C. S. BAUR, Vice-President WILLIAM A. BARBER, Treasurer JOHN BLAIR MOFFETT, Secretary JULIAN CHASE, THOMAS L. KANE G. C. BUZBY, P. M. FAHRENDORF HARRY V. DUFFY CHARLES J. HEALS 1 NO -_ Vice-President Vice-President Vice-President This Week in THE IRON AGE— Editorial Production Jitters Technical Articles Arc Welding Electrodes What Causes Industrial Fatigue? Turnings Charged With Pusher Boxes Beryllium Wanted aaa Aeronautical Material Specifications Quench-Straightening of Armor Plate New Equipment—Material Handling Features Assembly Line Washington West Coast Fatigue Cracks Dear Editor News and Markets This Industrial Week New of Industry Personals and Obituaries Machine Tool Activity Non-Ferrous Metals Scrap Markets Iron and Steel Scrap Prices Comparison of Prices Index to Advertisers Se a, aaa Copyright, 1943, by Chilton Company (Inc.) o—_@-——— 37 39 42 44 46 47 54 55 60 64 68 72 74 76 79 119 122 124 126 127 128 177 | | | ; } | | | : Above is pictured the many grinding benches in the area served by the Mahon Hydro- Foam Dust Collector illustrat- ed below. 26 additional Hy- dro-Foam Collectors clear sim- ilar areas and deposit the harmful abrasive dust safely under water. Combined they havea total capacity of 725,000 cubic feet per minute. MAHON PRODUCTS Now Serving in War Production Metal Cleaning Machines, Rust-Proofing Machines, Hy- dro Filter Spray Booths, Fil- tered Air Supply Systems, Ovens — including Drying, Baking, Core and Box Types, Hydro-Foam Dust Collectors, Complete Finishing Systems and Many Other Units of Spe- cial Processing Equipment. STF ¢ & RY = ct a reo m4 ‘Sa e —_ ard a ~~ ye? ‘ s} L. " ert a & . tte ‘ eh = _ | eet Laer Th { wait Tad / Ma 5 This large midwestern plant voted to the manufactur airplane propellers, initially stalled seven Mahon Hydro Dust Collectors. So remark was the efficiency ande omy of their operation, tw additional units have since! added. The dangerous grit and from hundreds of grinding ¢ ations now is whisked away working areas and deposited it bases of the several Collectorsi form of harmless sludge. Compl automatic throughout even tos! removal. Other than the suctior haust fan, there are no moving! to wear out or cause trouble. Nop No spray nozzles. No cloth sc The Mahon Hydro-Foam principle of dust coll equally as applicable to other manufacturing P where dust is a hazard to health and producti ever your business—metal working, foundry, 9 chemical, paint, etc.—this modern method of du! will serve you effectively and with greater Write for descriptive folder. Production Jitters HEN I was a lad of twelve, if you will excuse some personal reminiscences, I lived on the west bank of the Hudson, some fifteen miles north of New York. Every day during the summer at high tide, we used to go swimming, myself and about thirty-five other young chaps of the same age. We were not nudists by conviction or choice, but most of us lacked the wherewhithal to buy bathing trunks. So in our poverty and innocence and not knowing that watchful eyes were upon us, some of us ventured to bathe in the fashion set by our original ancestors. One day a guardian of the law clad in blue and brass descended upon us. In fear and trembling, after we were clad, we were led to the magis- trate’s office. One cop and thirty-five prisoners. If we had only known then what we know now we would have dispersed to the four winds and let the devil take the hindmost! Visions of life sentences in jail or the electric chair flashed through our minds as the JP told us how seriously we had offended public decency and morals. It is true that he let us off with an admonition and an in- junction, but the terror of those moments is probably engraved deeply upon the minds of all of the surviving participants, most of whom now have long gray whiskers. For the next twelve months or perhaps longer, I doubt if any one of us ever ventured to take a bath even in a bath tub. And thinking it over | today, I can't help but feel that the right arm of the law could have been APRIL 29, 1943 ) better exercised in circumventing serious crime than in preventing inno- cent even though unlawful action, and causing a lot of youngsters to go unwashed. ° ° ) Man or boy, nothing will produce jitters and cold chills more than ESTABLISHED 1855 will the threat of the arm of the law. Whether one is innocent or guilty rn plant makes no difference. ufacturi initially Hydro- remark I think it might be well to have a super-investigating committee to investigate the effect of investigations as to how these help or hinder the war effort. Certainly the tempest in a tea pot raised by the Truman endl Committee relative to ship plate inspection was productive of newspaper ion, tw headlines, but whether these headlines plus the satisfaction afforded by 7 sinal ) them to a disgruntled ex-employee will make up for a new psychological onal bottleneck in inspection that is holding up thousands of tons of perfectly indian usable steel is indeed another question. 1 away! do sited it Hectorsi . I{ the Truman Committee had wished to make an unbiased report to >. Compe | the American public, instead of instilling fear in the minds of our plate ven tos! . producing personnel, it might well have paid glowing tribute to the Her- e suctior culean accomplishment of the steel industry in converting sheet and strip moving} mills designed to produce thin sheets to the unvisioned task of producing le. Nopy | thick plates. sloth sce As our President has said: “Fear is the only thing we have to fear”. Without this accomplishment we today would have less than one-half of dust coll | of our present cargo and transport ship production. facturing p d producti: Foundry, gia othod of du! ) greater Millions are “Injured” by a Single Accident Not so many months have passed since an accident meant little more than some personal loss and a tem- porary, but easily adjusted, work schedule. Today, that situation is completely changed. Every accident of the 9,000,000 that occur annually is a national liability, affecting, not only the output of the injured worker’s shop, but also the production of other shops. Yes, a single accident “injures” millions —millions of other workers who are trying desperately to reach maximum war output—=millions of American citizens who are striving to retain their freedom—millions of Ameri- can fighting men who never can have all the equipment and supplies they need for Victory so long as America is careless on the home front. Anything you can do to prevent accidents will be a real contribution to America’s fight for freedom. Remove hazards at home, drive carefully, be consid- erate of others in traffic, observe safety rules when at work, promote safety and safety programs no matter what your position may be. Start today! Think safety, promote safety! Keep more workers on the job for Victory! Enlist today in America’s great crusade against accidents. For complete informa- tion write to the National Safety Council’s War Productior, Fund to Conserve Man- power, Chrysler Building, New York City. INLAND STEEL COMPANY 38 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, Ill. « Sales Offices: Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Paul, St. Louis, Kansas City front. bea -dom. onsid- 1en at natter more ; City 1G. |1—Front end of electrode extrusion showing part view of the extrusion press (on left) and also motor-driven rotary stripper for cleaning holder end of electrode. Conveyor runs into drying oven in background. line .. . In the first part of this article the author describes briefly the process of making mild steel electrodes and in more detail the purpose and the effect of various types of coatings on the electric arc and the resulting deposited weld metal. In the concluding part, Mr. Westendarp will discuss how to use electrodes for mild steel welding. HE are welding electrode, un- impressive in appearance, is actually one of the most vital production tools in the war program today. It is the bond with which ships, tanks, guns, and practically all our weapons of defense and offense are being fabricated. Through im- provement in design and use, it is one of the most important factors in ex- pediting our war production. How Electrodes Are Made In making mild steel electrodes, a steel rod is drawn down to size at the steel mill, straightened and cut into proper lengths. Wire diameter is held to plus or minus 0.002 in. and length to plus or minus 1/16 in. All electrode wire must be straight and without how. The cut lengths are dumped into a V-shaped hopper from which they are dropped one after another into a propelling mechanism which drives them at high speed through the ex- trusion die block of a_ hydraulic In this die block, the coating is extruded at high pressure onto the bare wire. press.* Are welding electrodes are ejected from the die block at a high rate of speed and land on a moving conveyor, Fig. 1. This takes them to a rotating stripper brush which removes a por- tion of the flux coating from one end of the electrode. Modern design re- “For a more detailed description of this operation as carried on in another type of hydraulic press, the reader is re- ferred to the article “Extruded Coatings on Welding Electrodes,” THe IRON Ace, Feb. 11, p. 67. ing Electrodes— How They Are Made By H. O. WESTENDARP, JR. Welding. Engineer, General Electric Co., Schenectady quires that this bare portion be kept to an absolute minimum to conserve electrode material. The average bare portion of 5/32 in. diameter electrode and smaller is % in.; above 5/32 in. diameter, %4 in. From the stripping device, the elec- trodes are conveyed through ovens where the coating is properly dried. From the oven, electrode is conveyed to weighing and packaging equipment which insures uniform weight in the cartons in which the electrodes are shipped to the user. In transit through the production line, all electrodes are under the con- stant and close surveillance of inspec- tors, Fig. 2, who examine them care- fully for visible surface defects. Concentricity of Coatings Special mechanical and electrical instruments are used to keep close check on the concentricity of the coat- ing which is held to very narrow lim- its. A concentric coating, of course, means that the thickness is uniform around the complete circumference of the electrode. When the coating is off-center (thicker on one side than THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943—39 the other), it is defined as eccentric. Since a slightly eccentric coating can be used, but a coating that is off-cen- ter beyond certain limits can cause serious trouble, the Navy Department and other regulatory bodies have set eccentricity limits beyond which mate- rial is rejected. In this regard, American Welding Society Specifications read: “The cov- ering on covered electrodes of all sizes shall be concentric to the extent that the maximum core plus one covering dimension shall not exceed the mini- mum core plus one covering dimension by more than 3 per cent.” This 3 per cent limitation corresponds to an ap- proximate difference in a certain type of electrode of 0.004 in. in % in. diameter; 0.005, 5/32 in. diameter; 0.006, 3/16 in. diameter; 0.009, % in. diameter; 0.011 in., in 5/16 in. diame- ter. The extrusion of are welding electrodes at the high rates of speed being attained today and within these narrow limits of eccentricity, repre- sents a real manufacturing problem that requires precise highly refined apparatus. control and If extrusion pressures are too low, proper adherence of flux is not ob- tained and surface appearance is poor. Cross checks in coating at right angles to electrode may be observed. If extrusion pressure is too high, lon- gitudinal pressure cracks are devel- oped in the coating. If oven temper- ature is too low or conveyor speed too high, the coating is left too wet, causing blisters. On the other hand, if the oven temperature is too high or the conveyor speed too low, the electrode is overbaked. It looks burned in appearance and proper shielding is not obtained. One of the purposes of the coating is to generate a shield around the are. This gaseous shield protects the electrode metal from the oxidizing and nitriding effect of the atmosphere during its transfer across the are. The ingredients of the coat- ing also form a slag blanket over the deposited weld metal, retarding its cooling rate and further protecting it from atmospheric contamination. gaseous . cellulose. The ductility of mild steel plate of good welding quality is approximately 22 to 25 per cent elongation in 2 in. Bare or lightly coated electrode will deposit weld metal ranging from 6 to 10 per cent elongation. It is obvious that the application of such electrode is limited to products that will not be required to stand high or repetitive stresses. Heavily coated electrodes de- posit weld metal which ranges from 17 to 30 per cent elongation, thus greatly extending the field of appli- cation to innumerable products. Coating Compositions Since the coating is the key to the successful functioning of the electrode, it is important to distinguish the prin- cipal types of coatings. There are three general classes of mild electrode coatings as follows: Cellulosic (Organic)—This is some- times referred to as the high ignition- loss type due to the fact that a con- siderable portion of the cellulose coat- ing burns out in the form of a gas in the are. This type coating contains such ingredients as sodium silicate, alpha-cellulose, asbestos, ferromanga- nese and titanium dioxide. This is a high quality coating for use on all- position type rods, but is suitable for operation on reverse polarity only. Are action is forceful, having spray transfer and deep pene- tration. Mineral—This is sometimes re- ferred to as a high slag-forming type coating due to the abundance of slag for ample and complete shielding. This type coating contains such ingredients as sodium silicate, ferromanganese, iron oxide, silica or quartz, and a small quantity of alpha- Electrodes with such coat- ings are normally confined to welding in the horizontal and flat positions and can be operated from a.e. or d.c., either straight or reverse polarity. Deposit from such electrode is of high quality. Rutile (Titanium dioxide)—This is also a mineral coating. Rutile coated rods have a moderate thickness of coating of such nature that globular steel direct-current, coverage TABLE | A.W.S. Specifications for Mild Steel. Heavy Coated Electrodes (A-233-42T) As Welded Power Tensil Str. Yield Pt. El. in 2 In. Class Position Supply Lb./Sq. In. Lb./Sq. In. per cent E6010 All d.c. only 62,000 52,000 22 E6011 All a.c. only 62,000 52,000 22 E6012 All d.c. & a.c. 62,000 52,000 i7 E6013 All a.c. & dc. 62,000 52,000 17 E6020 H&F a.c. & d.c. 62,000 52,000 25 E6030 F only a.c. & dic. 40—THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943 62,000 52,000 25 transfer and a rapid rate of solidifica- tion is obtained which adapts this type to joints having relatively poor fit-up. This type coating has an abundance of rutile (TiO.), some fer- romanganese, feldspar and _ sodium silicate. This is an all-position, gen- eral-purpose type suitable for opera- tion on straight polarity d.c. or on a.e, All coatings, of course, contain numerous other ingredients in small quantities. Sodium silicate is the principal binder used in all electrode coatings. Titanium dioxide, feldspar, and calcium carbonate are the prin- cipal stabilizers and ferromanganese is a deoxidizer used for porosity con- trol and also to balance deposits by replenishing manganese burned out in are transfer. Generally speaking, al- loying ingredients, such as _ molyb- denum, can be added to coatings and have good transfer characteristics. The objective of the development laboratory is the thinnest coating that will produce the required physical properties and “usability characteris- tics.” The one exception to this aim is the cover bead electrode. The lat- ter electrode is designed to produce smooth surface appearance and flat welds and therefore has a high flux-to- steel ratio in order to produce a com- plete and heavy slag blanket which can be removed easily and will reveal a smooth, flat surface of deposited weld metal beneath. Coating thick- nesses of all other types are reduced as much as possible consistent with required physical properties and usa- bility characteristics. { How A.W.S. Specifications Are Met The American Welding Society has developed comprehensive specifications which take all conditions into full ae- count and establish limits on physical values of deposited weld metal, cover- ing high-quality, all-position type elec- trode; moderate-quality, all-position type electrode; and high-quality, hori- zontal and flat-position types. These specifications also set forth the re- quirements of the various electrodes from the standpoint of power supply and polarity. See Table I. All-Position Type—aAll position-type electrodes must necessarily be con- fined in flux-to-steel ratios to values that permit good usability character- istics when welding in vertical and overhead positions. This requirement reduces the gas shielding slightly as compared to the flat-position type and when combined with the relatively lower amperages used in the vertical and overhead positions, represents 4 somewhat more difficult problem as far as “physicals” are concerned, particularly ductility of deposit. How- evel fro elec and pro tec] tyP hig ste hig me tio en pr E sle in fla cu gi th in St in difieg- S this y poor aS an 1e fer. odium , Zen- opera. on a.c, ontain smal] s the ctrode dspar, prin- ranese y con- its by out in ig, al- nolyb- ‘Ss and ics. pment g that 'ysical -teris- wn Ss aim ie lat- ‘oduce d fiat ux-to- . Com- which reveal osited thick- duced with 1 usa- { . Met vy has ations ll ae- ysical -over- » elec- sition hori- T hese e re- crodes upply i-type con- ralues acter- | and ment ly as e and tively rtical nts a m as rned, How- ever, ample ductility is being obtained from high-quality, all-position type electrodes when welding in vertical and overhead positions due to the im- provement in coatings and welding technique. Flat-Position Type — Flat-position type electrodes are used at relatively higher heat and have higher flux-to- steel ratios than the all-position type. These two factors combine to produce high physical qualities of deposited Generally speaking, flat-posi- tion coatings are made just thick enough to give ample shielding to produce required physical properties. Excessive coating results in surplus slag which interferes with the weld- ing operation. Coatings designed for flat-position welding generally form a cup at the end of the electrode which gives a directional control to the are, thus facilitating welding. This also increases the are voltage with a re- sulting increase in kilowatts as heat in the are to develop high melting and deposition rates. such easy. These coatings meet the requirements of A.W.S. Classes E-6020 and E-6030. V and O Positions—Vertical work metal. Slag removal from deposits of electrode is and require a somewhat thinner coating to permit a shorter are and avoid a surplus of slag which would interfere with welding in these Electrode coatings for V and O work are generally such that rapid solidification is obtained to fa- cilitate welding. It is generally ac- cepted that metal transfer across the are is produced by a combination of gas pressure developed under the tip of the electrode as it and of surface tension of the pool of metal in the welded joint. It is overhead positions. is melted obvious, IG. 2—View in electrode manu- facturing plant showing inspector's stand at exit end of drying oven. therefore, that metal transfer against the force of gravity in the vertical, and particularly in the overhead posi- tion, must be accomplished within fairly narrow limits of are gap as compared to the length of are which can be successfully maintained when welding in the flat position where gravity aids the transfer operation. Vertical and overhead coatings cover A.W.S. Classes E-6010, 6011, 6012, and 6013. Question of Polarity Electrode coatings are not designed for a given polarity. They are pri- marily designed for other conditions a —e_,_ such as quality of deposit required and position in which welding must be done. They are then tested under both polarities with d.c. and with a.c. to determine the particular hook-up as to polarity that produces the best results. Through long experience, the electrode laboratory is familiar with the ingredients of coatings that re- spond favorably to one polarity or the other and to a.c. Since both types of equipment are available, the objectives of the electrode designer are primarily physical properties or usability char- acteristics of the electrode rather than polarity. . (To be concluded) Steel Clad "Sandwiches"”—Corrections . the article that appeared in the Feb. 18 issue of THE IRON AGE under the title, “Clad Steel ‘Sand- wiches’ Welded by the Carbon Arc,” an editorial “aside” gave the impres- sion that the assembly method of pro- ducing clad steel was known as the Pluramelt process. The actual intent was to call the reader’s attention to & previous description of an entirely different method of making armored (Pluramelt, THE IRON AGE, March 6, 1941, p. 35). The sandwich method has been in use for years and is correctly identified as the Arm- strong process. The automatic carbon steel are process of sealing the sandwich before rolling is a recent innovation. On page 57 the article appearing in the Feb, 18 issue, Table III, had some errors in it. accompanies this notice. The lower The revised table cost per linear foot ap- plies to the carbon are process and not to the previous method as origi- nally published. TABLE Ill Comparison of Welding Methods on a Linear Basis Total Number Welds Number Welds Thickness Per Side Per Side Present Cost Previous Cost In. Former Method Carbon Arc Per Ft. Per Ft.* 3 1 1 $.6063 $0.7500 5 2 2 1.2126 1.5000 714-10 3 2 1.2126 2.2500 over 10 4 2 1.2126 3.0000 *The cost figures on the previous method were not available, but from very close contact with that machine and costs from similar machines, estimates are held to be conservative. THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943—41 ..- What Causes Industrial . . - Output depends on the mental and physical health of the worker. The effects of excessively long hours, inexperience and fear are some of the factors resulting in fatigue, which together with the cure are here presented. production from a _ practically fixed number of workers, inevit- ably suggests longer hours. The tes- timony of the chairman of the War Production Board before the Senate Military Affairs Committee in Novem- ber, was, “A longer work week is one way to attain greater efficiency in the use of workers.” The longer work week may become the story of the farmer determined to economize on horse feed. A steady re- duction of rations failed in only one particular. The horse died. Discussing at a press conference the effect of longer work hours, Presi- dent Roosevelt called attention to the reported increase of the work week from 48 to 70 and 80 hr. in Germany. A two-months’ production spurt con- sequent upon these abnormally long hours, relapsed after that time to less production than from a 48-hr. week. An interesting study was made by the British Health of Munitions Workers Committee on the factor of work hours in daily output. In a large industrial plant the work week was reduced from 74% hr. to 63%, with a consequent increase of 21 per cent in production. A further reduc- GS predic pressure for maximum tion in hours from 63% to 55% pro- | duced a further increase of 29 per cent in output. Hence the total out- put from a 55%-hr. week was 13 per cent greater than from a 74%-hr. week. A recent’ survey made by the De- partment of the Interior gives the following conclusions in relation to work hours that are considered justi- fied by the evidence examined and considered: “(1) Every reduction in hours leads to a decrease in accidents, spoiled work, sickness and absence; (2) the reduction of working hours from 18 to 10 leads to an increase in hourly and daily output; (3) the re- duction of working hours from 10 to 8 leads to a further increase in hourly and daily output, except in operations where speed depends mainly on the speed of machines; (4) the reduction of working hours below 8, though in- creasing hourly output, does not usu- 42—THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943 ally lead to an increase in daily out- put.” Fatigue Causes Accidents Not only are long work days and resultant fatigue a major factor in output decline but a factor fully as great in accidents, injuries and a con- sequent loss of hours. In Health in Relation to Occupation, H. M. Vernon relates an incident that serves vividly to illustrate this danger. Ten thousand workers were em- ployed in a fuse factory, on a 12 hr. per day schedule. Subsequently hours were reduced from 12 to 10. Acci- dents experienced by women workers during the 12-hr. period were 2.73 times greater than with a 10-hr. work day. Men, better able to endure this fatigue of the long hours, experienced 1.14 times the accidents of the 10-hr. day when working on this longer schedule. In a survey made some time ago of the causes of 1300 acci- dents, referred to in Safety Engi- neering magazine for May, 1941, 25 per cent were caused, directly or in- directly, by fatigue. The unprecedented demands now made on the productive capacity of industry conjures up this destructive factor of fatigue, not only in a temp- tation to adopt over-long working days but in the necessity for greatly increased numbers of workers. Here, too, fatigue plays its disastrous part in the proneness of “green” employees to accidents. Any workman, unfamil- iar with a job and the methods and technique of his work, uses more energy in the same period of time than a skilled worker or one familiar with the work. A classification made by the National Safety Council, Inc., of 35,000 non-fatal injuries, showed approximately 15 per cent experi- enced by skilled workers, 45 per cent by semi-skilled and 40 per cent by un- skilled workers. The definition of fatigue, given by the Health of Munition Workers Com- mittee of the British Association, is, “The sum of the results of activity which shows itself in a diminishing capacity for work.” A much more satisfactory and comprehensive de- scription is given in Outlines of In- dustrial Medicine Practice by Howard E. Collier: “A general term applied to a va- riety of reactions of workers to their industrial environment. These reac- tions manifest ce-tain common char- acteristics which are objective and physical, and subjective or psycho- logical in nature. The essentially phy- sical characteristics of fatigue is di- minished capacity for continuing the fatiguing task and a diminished capac- ity following the long sustained per- formance of that task. The essential psychological manifestation of fatigue is an increased disinclination to con- tinue working. . . . The fatigued work- er begins to lose interest in his work and then experiences active disinter- est or boredom. If the same occupa- tion is continued, increasing annoy- ance and irritation may result—the stage at which industrial fatigue tends to produce industrial unrest.” Psychological Factors Important “The causes of fatigue,” says a study of the United States Bureau of Mines, “may be physical or psycho- logical. It is apparent from the liter- ature that psychological and environ- mental factors are more important causes of fatigue than physical faec- tors.” Collier mentions two types of fatigue. One arises from the central nervous system and to some extent from the active muscles. The other has its source entirely within the nervous system. The latter type is the ordinary industrial fatigue. “When functions of the outlying organs are neglected,” writes Dr. Mitchell, “and even in many cases where these have not suffered at all, we are put to witness, as a result of a too prolonged anxiety combined with business cares, or even of mere overwork alone, with want of proper physical habits as to exercise, amuse- ments and diet, that form of disorder of which I have already spoken as cerebral exhaustion. Why it should be so difficult of relief is hard to comprehend until we remember that the brain is about to go on doing its weary work automatically and de- spite the will of the unlucky owner, so that it gets no thorough rest and is in the hapless condition of a broken ¥ r d a al 2 de- tf In. ward A Va- their reac- char- and ycho- ’ phy- is di- g the apac- | per- ential itigue » con- work- work inter- cupa- nnoy- —the atigue ast.” ant LYS a au of sycho- liter- viron- ortant 1 fae- pes of entral extent other n the ype is tlying s Dr. cases at all, sult of nbined ' mere proper ymuse- sorder ‘en as hy it s hard em ber doing nd de- owner, st and broken Fatigue? By ALBERT GRAY New York limb which is expected to knit while still in use.” It is obvious from this analysis of Dr. Mitchell, and this is confirmed by contemporary authorities, that fatigue results from an improper balanced “intake” and “output.” The two types of activity must be balanced. In fatigue, the factors are time, en- vironment, social contacts, domestic relations, all the items that serve to destroy or preserve the emotional bal- ance of the worker. Lactic Acid-Sugar Balance According to Reynold A. Spaeth, in the Journal of Industrial Hygiene, this “intake” and “output” are, roughly, represented by sugar, oxy- gen and lactic acid. “The work re- action of muscle is limited and regu- lated by the accumulation of lactic acid, one of its products. During and following human muscle activity lac- tic acid and certain other products of muscular work are removed, in part, mechanically, by irrigation of the circulation. The blood, likewise, deposits sugar in the muscles and thus constantly replenishes the stores of high potential energy. It is possible for a muscle to work at such a rate that the removal of acid is exactly as rapid as the deposit of sugar. The muscle is then in the condition of equilibrium and may con- tinue almost indefinitely.” dynamic Excessive and violent muscular activity serves to increase the deposit of lactic acid. When the acid deposit has reached the maximum content of 0.28 per cent, the worker is unable to exert further muscular effort and exhaustion ensues. Lactic acid, how- ever, decreases with the introduction of oxygen into the muscle fibers. The decreased “intake” of sugar and oxygen and its effect on the ac- cumulation of lactic acid and conse- quent fatigue, however, appear to be a more or less intermediary cause and a result of a loss of emotional balance and equilibrium on the part of the worker. Dr. G. Robinson, of the Canby National Research Council, remarks: “It is difficult to say how large a part adverse social conditions and malad- justed personalities in industry play in the development of psychoneuroses with its great variety of physical manifestations, but it can be said that the desire is the base of more chronic illness than any other human dis- turbance and intelligent efforts to learn the part industrial conditions play in its production are an im- portant part in preventive medicine and the improvement of industrial health. These efforts can only be made by a greater knowledge of the worker as an individual.” The speeding up of production, working under crowded conditions in temporary structures, the tension arising from a work rhythm deter- mined, not by the worker himself, but by the machines, minimize or destroy the pleasure in the work itself, de- stroy the emotional balance of the worker and kill whatever pleasure might otherwise be gained in hours away from work. “A factor that is becoming appar- ent,” writes Ernest Bevin, the En- glish labor leader, “is that you get better discipline and loyalty with the fear of dismissal removed than you do by the threat of it.” By so much as emotional loss of balance and the strain from inharmonious conditions is removed, by that much is fatigue and its disastrous train of conse- quences overcome. “Every man has his barrier,” said Brigadier General Grant of the Army Medical Corps in reference to com- bat fatigue. “The army tries to pre- vent a flier’s passing that barrier by providing plenty of rest.” “Eat regularly and exercise freely and there is scarce a limit to the work you may get out of the thinking or- ” gans,” wrote Dr. Mitchell. “But if into the life of a man whose powers are fully taxed, we bring the elements of great anxiety and worry, the whole machinery begins at once to work, as it were, with a dangerous amount of friction. Add to this the constant fatigue of body and we have all the means needed to ruin a man’s power of labor.” References Ernest Bevin, “Balance Sheet of the Future.” Silas Weir Mitchell, “Wear and Tear.” National Research Council, “Fatigue of Workers,” 1941. New York Times, Nov. 7, 1942, “President Against Longer Work Week.” New York Times, Nov. 18, 1942, “Longer Hours Fail.” New York Times, Jan. 29, 1943, “Doc- tors Discuss ‘Combat Fatigue.’ ” Safety Engineering, May, 1941, p. 40, “Fatigue.” United States Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Mines, Information Cir- cular 7209, June, 1942. Journal of Industrial Hygiene, vol. 14, 1932, “Modern Problems in In- dustrial Medicine.” Florence P. Sargent, “Economics of Fatigue.” Journal of Industrial Hygiene, vol. 1, pp. 22-53, 1919, “Problem of Fatigue.” Howard E. Collier, “Outlines of In- dustrial Medical Practice,” 1941. Edward C. Schneider, “Physiology of Muscular Activity.” THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943—43 Pn en Turnings Charged HE huge volume of war equip- ment requiring extensive ma- chining that is being turned today is resulting in a tremendous ac- cumulation of alloy steel turnings which have relatively high contents of strategic alloys. From a steel pro- ducer‘s viewpoint, these turnings in the “as produced” or bushy state are about the least desirable form of scrap available because of the extra time required to charge them into the fur- nace for remelting and the difficulty in handling them. The extra time spent charging the furnace is time lost in production and directly reduces steel output. The least loss of steel production could easily cancel out any technical ad- vantage derived from melting such material. Another reason that steel turnings are classified among the less desirable forms of scrap is that ex- perience has proved that the majority of turnings consumed in the past have been very poorly segregated as to their alloy content. Starting immediately, the alloy steel producers in the United States must consume approximately 250,000 tons of alloy turnings per month, or about 8 per cent of their scrap re- quirements. If these turnings are not kept segegated, as has been the case in the past, it means that chemical analyses will be more difficult to maintain and that steels specifying only one or two alloys will be ex- 44—THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943 tremely difficult to melt because of the presence in the turnings charged into the heat of all three of the alloying elements: chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. Steel producers have been aware for some time that this accumulating stock of metallics would eventually RIGHT 1G. 2—This rear view of the charging car shows the load being pushed forward into the furnace by a standard charging machine. The open hearth door had to be enlarged to ac- commodate the bigger scrap box and the scrap charging car. BELOW 1G. 1—This is the 224 cu. ft. scrap charg- ing car. The pusher plate, "C", moves for- ward, accuated by the peal on the charging machine. The gate op- erating mechanism can be seen on the forward end of the car. have to be remelted and the alloy con- tained in the turnings returned to circulation. Several methods of re- ducing bushy turnings to a reason- ably desirable form of scrap have been investigated, some of which are: (1) Baling, (2) briquetting, (3) burn- ing and quenching, (4) chopping or shredding, and (5) remelting in special cupolas and crushing. Each of these methods, when viewed from an economical quality or utility stand- point, seems to have specific short- comings. After and because the method seemed more adaptable where the turnings eventu- ally must be used in blast furnaces as well as in open hearth furnaces, it was decided that the bulk of the turn- ings to be consumed at the Republic Steel Corp. plants in Canton and Mas- sillon districts would be crushed. From experience with crushed turnings pro- cured from plants having crushing equipment, it was known that when a reasonable job of crushing was done, the turnings could be handled satis- considerable investigation, 1) With Pusher Boxes con- d to r re ison- have are: urn- 2 or g in Each from ‘tand- short- ation, more yentu- ‘naces ces, it turn- public _Mas- From s pro- ishing Then a done, satis- factorily by ordinary blast furnace charging equipment. When charged into the blast furnace, there is little or no loss in time and it is quite pos- sible that the production of iron may be actually increased. However, it will in most cases be contaminated to some degree by chromium, nickel, and molybdenum, and such pig iron will be difficult to use for making other than chromium-nickel-molybdenum steel. When crushed turnings are charged into the open hearth in large quanti- ties by regular equipment, charging time is increased and_ production slowed down proportionately. It was because of this fact that attention was directed to a new charging box design and enlarged furnace doors on the open hearth furnaces. Large ex- . . » To utilize an ever-increasing stockpile of metallics, WPB has ordered that alloy steel producers take 8 per cent of their scrap requirements in alloy turnings. To overcome problems in handling turnings, Republic Steel Corp. has designed new open hearth charg- ing boxes. perimental welded scrap charging boxes have been designed especially for charging crushed turnings, hav- ing a capacity of 106 cu. ft. One scrap car can accommodate two of these boxes. The ordinary cast steel charging box has a capacity of 31.5 cu. ft. and is handled four to a car. Another type of experimental scrap turning charging unit is shown in Fig. 1. This is a single charging box welded to the car, forming an integral part of the car. Its capacity Conventional vs. Special Scrap Charging Units for Handling Turnings Charge Medium No. Boxes Per Car Regular charging box four 224 cu. ft. charging car one Total Scrap Charging Charge Per Charge, Lb. Time, Min. Min., Lb. 7200 2 3600 12,000 1.5 8000 FIs. 3—The 106 cu. ft. welded charging box is handled much in the same manner as the smaller boxes of conventional design. Two of these boxes can be handled by a scrap car, and the charging machine handles them in the same manner as it does with the ordinary scrap box. is 224 cu. ft., and as may be seen in the illustration, there is only one box on a car. When this car is stationed before the large open hearth door, the charg- ing machine peal is used to lower the charging car gate. This is accom- plished by depressing the latch oper- ating a trigger which disengages a latch and permits the gate operating bar to move forward and lower the discharge gate into the furnace door. After the gate is lowered, the charging machine engages its peal with the pusher plate shown in C in Fig. 1, and the ram moving forward discharges the chips from the box into the furnace. Fig. 2 shows the charging machine pushing the turn- ings into the furnace. After the gate is lowered into the furnace door and the turnings are pushed in, the pusher plate is withdrawn to ‘its original position, the peal is disen- gaged and hooked over the gate oper- ating bar, which returns to its origi- nal position. This raises the gate and engages the latch which holds the gate in a vertical position, ready for reloading. A wide door was installed in one of the open hearth furnaces to accommo- date these large scrap charging boxes. The enlarged door has the second ad- vantage in that it permits the charg- ing of large pieces of skull or pit scrap. The standard open hearth door at Canton works is 3 ft. 6 in. wide x 4 ft. 5% in. high at the center. The special door is 10 ft. 4 in. wide x 4 ft. 5% in. high at the center. The large welded, but otherwise conven- tional, charging box of 106 cu. ft. capacity is shown in Fig. 3, having entered the large furnace door and being dumped inside the furnace. This large welded box has the same disad- vantage as the special charging car in that it can be used only in the early part of the charge. In the later part of the charging operation, there (CONCLUDED ON PAGE 117) THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943—45 Beryllium Wanted ... The demand for beryllium- copper alloys is 40 per cent above the supply. The U. S. needs a 10,000-ton stockpile and a mountain of beryllium ore, the War Metallurgy Com- mittee reports. HE discovery of one or more “mountains” of beryllium ore is badly needed, the War Metal- lurgy Committee of the National Academy of Sciences has reported to WPB. The report prepared by the committee says that present sched- uled requirements of beryl ore of 6000 tons in 1943 represent an opinion as to available supplies rather than maximum quantities that would be used if more could be obtained. The chief use of beryllium is for beryllium-copper alloy to obtain a strong, heat treated metal for elec- trical contacts, clips, smrail springs, diaphrams, etc. For the production of these alloys, a master alloy con- taining 4 to 4.5 per cent beryllium is first produced. The final alloy has a beryllium content varying from 0.3 to 2.5 per cent. Virtually 100 per cent of beryllium-copper distribution is now going to vital components of direct and indirect military end prod- ucts. Accordingly, says the report, if the supply is insufficient, substitute materials will have to be found, with phosphor bronze, aluminum bronze and alloy steel the most likely pos- sibilities. Alloys containing less beryllium than the conventional 2 per cent will probably suffice for many uses. Re- cent work on low temperature heat treatment of cold worked brass and bronze has resulted in the replace- 46-—THE IRON AGE, April 29, 1943 ment of beryllium-copper springs, in some instances, with non-beryllium In many cases, how- ever, where small parts are involved, design factors explain the use of the alloy. In many aircraft instruments it is used because its properties make possible the use of a smaller part than would be necessary with other materials. Beryllium-copper is heat treatable to produce the strongest copper-base alloy: Extensive studies have been carried out in various laboratories to broaden the use of beryllium-copper alloys and to take advantage of their properties of high fatigue strength; elastic limit and hardness; relatively high tensile strength and electrical conductivity; excellent corrosion re- sistance; good wear resistance; good resistance to galling against steel and good resistance to room tempera- copper alloys. ture creep (elastic drift); and var- ious fabrication advantages associ- ated with heat treatment or precipi- tation hardening. Such studies, in ‘the presence of the war effort, have fruit to such an extent that the demand exceeds the supply. Both copper and tin are conserved by the use of beryllium-copper alloys, where they replace other copper-base alloys. now borne There can be no doubt as to the relative superiority of this alloy for many important applications in both the peacetime and the wartime econ- omy. At the present time beryllium- copper is being used in parts of air- craft, ships, tanks, guns, shells, in- struments, engines, motors, radio, telephones, telegraph, tools, and elec- trical control equipment for machin- ery and fire protection. Currently the production of beryl- lium-copper master alloy is at the rate of about 3,000,000 lb. a year. The demand appears to be about 40 per cent above the supply. However, ex- pansion of facilities for the produc- tion of master alloy are under way, sufficient to produce around 10,000,- 000 lb. annually. No corresponding (CONTINUED ON PAGE 118) TABLE | World Production of Beryllium (Net Tons) | | 1942 Country 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 |(6 months) Argentina 208 | 331 287 830 | 329 | 573 | 2200 1030 Australia oar 7 | } ieee Ke Brazil 4 223 304 | 1622, 1814 | 403* Canada.... 20 20 10 177 | 25 India (British) 139 98 27 | 17 9 | 224 Madagascar... 11 11 2 2 Portugal. ... 2 2 24 South Africa 88 5 ~ 23 Ss 75 25 94 121 | 75 Known Total 448 471 435 | 1107/| 920 | 2318 | 4014 1780 Beryl may also be produced in France, Italy, Rumania, Scandinavia and U.S.S.R. *U. S. imports only. <tent pply. rved loys, -base » the y for both econ- lium- ' air- ;, in- radio, elec- chin- yeryl- t the . The ) per ex- 942 jonths) 030 403* 25 224 23 75 780 S.S.R. Aeronautical Material Specifications HESE seven pages of tables show in condensed form the current AMS (Aeronautical Material Specifications) which pertain to steel, as compiled by Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc. These briefs are not complete but they do contain the essential qualifications. They can be used as a handy guide for identification. Complete specifications may be obtained from the Society of Automotive Engineers, 2? West 39th Street, New York. These should be con- sulted when complete details are re- quired because they include important limitations on hardenability, structure, cold bending, size tolerance, marking, test reports, etc. Cold Drawn Screw Stock | Upiform, within speci- | Barsf 1” section and under, 170 to 255 B.H.N., over 1” section CONDITION B.H.N.; 1” t