Some Ceramic Manufacturing Developments of the Western Electric Company

By A. G. JOHNSON and L. I. SHAW A general picture is given of the development work involved in the introduction of manufacturing processes for vitreous enameled resistances, vitreous enameled iron and copper base n u m b e r plates, pressed glass lenses, extruded and pressed porcelain parts, and close tolerance ceramic insulators for use in telephone apparatus. T h e reasons for undertaking the m a n u f a c t u r e of these products, some of the major problems encountered in developing suitable processes, and the work done in overcoming these difficulties including several major contributions to commercial methods of manufacturing similar parts are described. I G I N A L , the ceramic parts ORassociatedL Yequipment the technical used in the bytelephone and were not manufactured the Western Electric Company because requirements and volume of Some Ceramic Manufacturing Developments of the Western Electric Company consumption of such parts did not warrant the development or establishment of processes or the facilities for manufacture. The later development of such manufacturing processes for some of the ceramic parts has been necessitated largely by inability to secure an adequate supply of parts meeting the close limits required for satisfactory functioning of the apparatus, although there have usually been other influencing factors. Such developments have, in most instances, been advantageous from an economic standpoint. The experimental work has been confined to that required for the above ends and only a very limited amount of research work has been done.