This is a
blog based around a second edition of the Hepolite brochure.
This 135 page brochure was published by Hepworth & Grandage Limited in the early 1960s and gives an insight and description of the products made. Hepwoth & Grandage were manufacturers of internal combustion engine components and were situated in and around Bradford, West Yorkshire. They formed part of an elite group of companies known as AE or Associated Engineering Limited.
A selection of Hepolite products |
The four
plants employed in the manufacture of these internal combustion engine
components, together formed the largest manufacturing unit of its kind in the
world. A total workforce approaching 5,500 produced the most comprehensive
range of pistons, rings and liners available throughout the world.
Hepolite plants in Yorkshire |
When reading
the brochure it is wonderful to note that everything was done in-house.
From design
to drawing office, from pattern shop to foundry and from heat-treatment to
inspection, every stage required to complete a component was done within those
factory walls. This required a highly skilled workforce, especially in the
areas of Design & Drawing Offices, Pattern-making, Jig & Tool Rooms and
Inspection Department.
I quote: “By
the deft use of tools, by sheer craftsmanship and experience, Hepolite
pattern-makers create in wood, plastics and metal an extraordinary variety of
patterns, many with the most complex of contours. This craftsmanship lies at
the root of all Hepolite production and on it depend the success of all the
highly mechanised processes which follow.”
Pattern making |
The foundry
is an early and key stage of component manufacture.
This facility
has continually expanded over the years and at the present time has a weekly
output of some three hundred tons of finished castings. Several years ago the
company took out a licence with the International Nickel Company to produce
spheroidal graphite cast-iron, which is now being used in the production of
many engineering castings for the motor and other industries. A centrifugal
casting foundry was opened in 1938 and has been developed continuously ever
since. This section employs considerable mechanisation, the metal being melted
in high frequency induction furnaces and the plant operates both day and night.
Piston ring foundry |
The large
scale manufacture of pistons to suit all different types of internal combustion
engines, compressors, pumps and hydraulic units in use today is a vast problem.
Quantities may vary from a single unit, to thousands of a single design and in
a minimum of five oversize options. In the production of these pistons,
conventional machine tools are used for the straightforward operations, but the
more complex and specialised machining is undertaken on equipment specifically
designed and built by Hepolite engineers. Each process is almost entirely
automatic and carried out on modern or special machine tools under very close
control, meaning an unusually high degree of precision and uniformity are
achieved.
Piston machining department |
Now here is
a most telling chapter; the Apprentice Training School.
Again I
quote: “The cry in the engineering industry has always been for young men, properly
trained, to keep British industry in the forefront of world development. In
building the Apprentice School and equipping it with the finest machines of
their type, Hepworth & Grandage have made a valuable investment. For the
apprentices trained there will provide the future craftsmen, technologists and
managers to operate our factories in Bradford, Yeadon, Saltaire, Leeds and
Sunderland.”
Well said.
Apprentice school |
So after a
day packed with enterprise and hard work, what happens in the evening you ask? The
Sports and Social Club of course. If a member of the Company wishes to take
part in some strenuous pastime, he has football, cricket, table-tennis,
swimming and Judo from which to choose. If however his pastime is of a more
relaxed nature, then it’s off to the club for a game of billiards, darts or
chess. All of which can be enjoyed in the pleasant surroundings of the
fully-licensed club-house.
"A half of bitter please" |
At this
period in time Hepolite were undoubtedly world leaders in the design and
manufacture of pistons, liners and associated components. They accepted this
responsibility very seriously indeed and promoted good practice and custom at
every available opportunity. Below is the fourth edition of their Service
Manual, published in January 1961.
This is a
very concise and well described 128 page manual relating to both general good
practice and the use of their components in internal combustion engines. As
they were selling a quality product, it was clearly in their interests to
ensure these were correctly selected and fitted at all times. Reputation was
paramount to Hepworth & Grandage and they went to great lengths to ensure
that things were done correctly, both during manufacture and in subsequent
fitting by an outside contractor.
This is
where King Hep had his say…..in all cases however trivial, be thorough and DO
THE JOB RIGHT.
King Hep |
Hepolite
clearly realised the value of publicity and were actively involved in many
forms of motorsport. From providing ‘one-off’ pistons for development and
experimental engines, to proving sponsorship to those riders and drivers that
used their products on race tracks around the world.
Alistair King's badges |
As
motorsport is a fiercely competitive discipline and with those involved
constantly seeking an advantage or gain over their rivals, engine builders and
‘tuners’ would not wish to make the results of their efforts known. In
supplying unfinished pistons to these teams and individuals, Hepolite were able
to claim credit for their product and yet the ‘tuners’ were able to keep their
modifications a secret. It clearly worked favourably for both parties and most
of the top runners would work with them in this way.
Partly finished and used Manx Norton pistons |
Unmachined and as used piston crowns |
Sadly the
great firm of Hepworth & Grandage Limited no longer exist. In 1983 they
became Extrudex Products Limited, then in 1989 AE Piston Products Limited
before finally closing the factory gates in 2002.
So what of
Helpolite now?
Wassell
Limited bought the ‘Hepolite’ tradename from the Federal-Mogul Corporation in
2011 and started selling‘Hepolite’ pistons manufactured by Jieh Chueng
Industrial Co Ltd in Taiwan. This is a company specialising in aluminium
casting and precision machining, the pistons they produce commonly go by the
name of JCC.
Don’t know where Extrudex came from. H&G became part of Associated Engineering in 1948. AE was acquired by Turner & Newell, then by Federal Mogul, then by Tenneco.
ReplyDeleteWow have you got a clearer view of the aerial photo of St John's works please
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