4th October 1914, Dublin.
Percy Ludgate was looking at another recently assembled analytical engine, the device was bent and distorted. An experienced Royal Navy Gunnery Artificer had already disassembled the last two failed devices and taken a series of exacting measurements of every component. His close examination showed where the shuttles had not been correctly machined. Therefore, the rods which rode in each shuttle failed to correctly mesh with the slides. Instead, they bound the mechanism up and when forced by the operator, the torque would transfer back into the shuttles, wrecking the mechanism.
This was the third of the newly built machines which had likely failed in the same way, the quality control undertaken by the manufacturer was simply unacceptable. Thwaites and Reed who had the production contract were failing to maintain quality as they ramped up production. Ludgate was working on improving the design to simplify both operation and manufacturing, but each component still needed to be made to the specified design. Currently each device was being essentially hand built with each part fettled to mesh properly. If the craftsman doing the work was hurried, the fit and finish was too poor to enable the device to work.
Thwaites and Reed were trying to expand their workforce to cover the demand for both chronometers as well as the new Ludgate Analytical Engine, but they were struggling. The traditions of the company militated against the teams building the Analytical Engine and Ludgate was beginning to think that they would never meet his requirements.
He had been very impressed by some of the academics he had met undergoing training on the engine and he was beginning to consider working with them to bring production back under his own direct control. He would also share his fears with the War Office and the Admiralty and see what they could suggest. He would also have a copy of his letter sent directly to Admiral Scott as he seemed to have the best grasp of the technical development, he also had a short way with admiralty obstructionism.
He continued to ponder his challenges, Ireland was not lacking in light industrial capacity, the linen and ship building industries of Ulster were a potential source of skilled workers who understood precision work. Not perhaps to the same requirements as clock making but perhaps a compromise on the scale of the equipment would enable the use of larger components. This increase in size might allow the design tolerances to be pragmatically managed. One of the academics had also suggested a look at alternative materials as well, new alloys such as the recently improved Aluminium Bronze might be well suited. This was especially true for any future field equipment which would need to be portable and was therefore at greater risk of corrosion.
As it currently stood a total of 7 working machines had been built, two each had gone to the Admiralty and the War office, two plus the original prototype had been retained in Dublin for training purposes and were being kept busy working on calculations for the Royal Navy and the 7th machine was going to the University of Oxford. The failed machines were to have gone to the University of Cambridge, Vickers and Armstrong Whitworth. He expected they would get theirs within the next fortnight with further devices then going to Imperial College and the War Office.
