Marking Methods and War Production

Abstract

The paper begins with a citation of the regrettable lack of appreciation, amongst engineers generally, of marking as a production operation necessitating careful planning and tooling. It continues with an appeal to conserve the sadly overstrained capacity of the marking device industry by observing the following points. First, different classes of marking should be separated according to their respective purposes, and unnecessary classes should be eliminated. Second, the design of marking devices should be left to those who have made it their especial study; and thus, by avoiding the many pitfalls of a technical nature which few draughtsmen have had an opportunity of considering, the inefficient utilization of highly skilled labour, the unduly heavy consumption of marking tools due to premature failures, and the production of poor quality work will be prevented. Third, the attention of designers of aircraft, ammunition, and the other components should be directed to a consideration of marking processes before specifying the positions and surfaces on which marking is to appear and the form it is to take. Finally, the paper illustrates the possibilities of marking awkwardly shaped components, the production of accurate scales, the endurance of marking dies, and the rates of output that can be achieved. Numerous photographs and diagrams of representative methods and equipment are included.