6)  The Main Works

Vickers Main Works C 1968

The various departments within the main works are listed below:- 

 1   Electrical Laboratories      2   Movement Control     3   Machine Shop "K" Section

 4   ToolRoom

THE TOOLROOM represents the transition from design to production the first stage in the cutting or forming of metal. Before aircraft parts can take shape the necessary tools must be made; this is the responsibility of the Toolroom, whose work covers 150 classes of tool, ranging from a small routing template to a multi-ton, 60 ft. long VC-10 wing assembly jig embodying some 4,000 detail parts. Within this wide range the Toolroom produces some 300 - 400 tools, monthly, together with interchangeability gauges to ensure that major Components produced from separate jigs are identical. The Toolroom uses a variety of some 70 different types of machine, the largest being a Hypro fourhead milling machine of 12 ft. capacity. Recent work of this department completed the massive jigs on the VC-10, it is now busy with those of the Super VClO and the One-Eleven. 

The rectangular box section steel frameworks for these jigs are of relatively simple construction, but the detail fittings within them involve intricate machining operations and are located to tolerances of 0.001 in. with the aid of optical setting equipment. 

The Toolroom is also responsible for maintenance of jigs and fixtures, erection of test structures and manufacture of lifting gear and trollies. Apart from the work of the Toolroom, specialised tool manufacture is also carried out within such departments as the Fitters, Machine Shop, Press Shop, Tinsmiths and Carpenters.

     5   NO. 3 Spray Shop    7   Welding Shop   8   Jet Pipes   9   Wing Panel Store   10   Quality Assurance 

11   Process

THE PROCESS DEPARTMENT is concerned principally with heat treatments and anti-corrosive measures, from the time the first metal is cut until a complete, painted aircraft is rolled out for first flight.

During manufacture of the detail parts the Process Department undertakes the normalising of light alloys , all necessary heat treatments on steels, plating and nitrogen hardening where required. Chromic anodising is used extensively on bar stocks for crack detection purposes. Supplanting chromic anodising as a protective treatment is the Alocrom 1200 process which is simpler and has a greatly reduced processing time.

The normalising and Alocrom plants are the largest in Britain designed to handle the biggest VC-10 and Vanguard components. The department also handles dye pentrant crack detection on forgings, stampings and finished machined components, all the operations described so far are pre-treatments or inspection, the visible part of the departments work on a completed aircraft being the paint finishes.

The VCl-10 is painted throughout internally and externally. The external paint alone weighs about 250 lb, per aircraft, but this protects the aircraft from corrosion, reduces the cost of cleaning and virtually eliminates scratch damage. Application using epoxy resin based paints is carried out by stoving or air drying in strictly controlled conditions. Modern spray booths, strategically sited around the works, accommodate components up to complete Vanguard fuselage size.

12   Stretch Form 

THE DRAWBENCH AND ROLLING DEPARTMENT is responsible for converting raw material (light alloys, mild and high tensile steels, etc.) into usable drawn or rolled sections for the manufacture of structural items used throughout the aircraft. Frame, rib and stringer sections are typical examples. The department also undertakes tube forming, conversion from the basic circular section to square or oval for specialised applications. The majority of the rolling and forming machines, needed to shape often complex sections, were designed and built by Vickers. 

The most recent examples are the versatile stretch wrap forming and rotary stretch forming machines, designed by the Toolroom at Weybrídge.

13   Wing Shop