Rank Xerox Mitcheldean

July/August 75 No. 112 THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN If Collates as it Copies Latest in a line of RX machines designed to launch the 4500 to the London justify one of our larger machines. It to automate business documentation, branches of Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd. is particularly suitable for users whose the 4500 made its first public The operation has been backed up by requirements are for 5,000 to 25,000 appearance at the 1974 Hanover Fair. a vigorous advertising campaign. copies a month. Known to us for many months Offering fully automatic on-line The 4500 features largely in this issue, previously as Aries, the 4500 system sorting of both one and two-sided it also features largely in the working was launched initially in Holland and copies, the 4500, used properly, 'will lives of the two people pictured its population has been increasing copy and collate at a rate that four above — (left) Richard Davies, since then throughout Europe — in secretaries would have a job matching,' Assistant Manager, 4000/4500 Belgium, France, Austria, Switzerland, goes the ad copy. Assembly, and George Hayward, the UK, Germany and Spain. The machine is designed to bring supervisor responsible for mechanical it was demonstrated to the press in sorting capability to the decentralised run and packing. In the background, London on April 22 at the Carlton copying area, and to give a complete temporarily separated from their Tower Hotel, Knightsbridge, on the reprographic system to the user sorter units, some 4500 processors first morning of a one-week exhibition whose copying volume does not await despatch. Message from W. F. Glavin Manufacturing Group Managing Director & Ctiief Operations Executive Organisation Richard (Dick) A. Holmes joined Rank Xerox as Divisional Director, Chief Staff Officer — Rank Xerox Manufacturing Group, responsible for Finance and Information Systems on Fred Wickstead, Group Director and Paul Allaire will be known to many July 1, 1975, reporting directly to Chief Staff Officer, completes his two people in Rank Xerox. He joined us Derek Portman, Group Director, years' assignment this coming on assignment from Xerox in 1970 Manufacturing Group. October and he has told me that he and served as Director, Financial Mr Holmes comes to us from Gould still intends to retire at that date; Planning and Control, until his return (Europe) where he was until recently these two years were preceded by a to Xerox in 1973. Since then he has chairman of that organisation ; prior two-year assignment to Xerox been Director, International to that he was with Ford in Corporation where Fred served as Operations Financial Planning and Europe — holding a number of senior Vice-President, Manufacturing and Analysis, and for the past year appointments including Vice- Logistics. Director, International Staff President Business Development, Activities. So that there will be continuity and a Ford of Europe, General smooth transfer of what Fred has Paul, who is 37, holds a degree in Manufacturing Operations Manager been doing for us, I have decided to electrical engineering and a master's Ford of Britain, and Controller, Ford name his successor at once in degree in Industrial Administration. of Europe and Controller, Ford of anticipation of Fred's leaving in He joined Xerox Corporation in 1966. Britain. October. The assignment previously carried In his new appointment he will be For the remainder of his time with us out in Xerox by Paul Allaire will now applying his great knowledge and Fred will be working directly for me, be undertaken by Jack Thomas who experience to an area of activity and will be concentrating on the is currently on assignment from which is key to the continuing whole of our supply/demand Rank Xerox. success of Manufacturing Group and systems and material management in Rank Xerox. operating companies. Technical Jack moved to the United States in Mr Holmes has reporting to him Service and Supply Group, and August 1973, and has served as John Field (on Finance), and IHQ. The specific terms of reference Deputy Director, International Ron Swenson (on Information of these assignments will be issued Marketing. He now becomes Systems). separately. Director, International Staff Activities. Jack joined Rank Xerox ten years ago Paul Allaire is today (June 24) where he served in both IHQ and, THOSE PWB's appointed as Group Director and prior to his move to Stamford, as We've become used to birds, and Chief Staff Officer, and to the Board Director of Marketing in the UK particularly robins, making themselves of Rank Xerox Limited. He will region. at home in the works, where their report to me and will assume all chirping provides some sweet duties previously carried out by These new appointments are of 'muzak'. Fred Wickstead; with the exception particular importance, and in my Robins are noted for their cheekiness, of the Systems and Performance view demonstrate the reality of the and one female cheekier than the Assurance Division which will 'cross-fertilization' policy which rest recently built a nest in a continue to report to Fred. exists throughout our operations. compartment of a wiring rack in Electrical Sub-assembly. The kind-hearted women working nearby guarded the growing family which was conveniently screened from view Electronic Production Section by an overhanging curtain of gaily coloured wire. When we saw the racks with their Plant who are currently concentrating When we last enquired about the bright yellow trays set up in on the Xerox 9200. robins, we learned that the first Electrical Sub-assembly, and were Ted Sage has experience in PWB fledglings had flown the nest and a told 'They're for the PWB's', we technology, having come to us from 'second sitting' was in progress I thought the bird lovers (see our inset Welwyn, but for the rest of Electrical story) had taken over and were Subs it is a completely new Some overflow of electrical providing nesting boxes for Pretty departure, and the valuable assistance sub-assemblies has resulted and Wild Birds. received from Welwyn in connection these are being accommodated on Not so, however. The racks are for with the training programme has 7000 Sub-assembly floor in Building the kit marshalling area in the new been much appreciated. 24. Their training officers have come to Electronic Production Section Further changes are taking place on recently set up to produce printed Mitcheldean to help train our the lower floor of that building. wiring boards (printed circuit electrical adjusters, who have been RX 1000 Assembly is being moved boards complete with components) recruited to work on the testing and to Building 11 (replacing 4500 for the 4000 and 4500. fault-finding of the PWB assemblies. Sorter Assembly), the space thus vacated enabling Spares Packing The section has already started Our PWB test section will involve from Building 40 to be integrated re-working boards for upgraded the use of automatic (Membrain) into Spares Packing functions already 4000 machines and is expected to and bench test equipment and also in Building 24. commence production of completely a 'shake and bake' operation using new boards in the autumn on a curing ovens which are being The space cleared in Building 40 small scale. accommodated on the floor below. will allow sub-contract sub• Some re-organisation of the floor assemblies returning from Plessey Said Ted Sage, 9100 Department layout was needed to provide the to be integrated within the Xerox Manager: 'We shall be building all 3,800 sq. ft. required. Said Geoff 9200 layout. the 4000 PWB spares programme and Harrison of Plant Facilities 'We had September should see the about 50 per cent of the 4500 marvellous co-operation from the dismantling of the Terrapin Building— requirement.' workforce there; all they asked was the remaining personnel having been Hitherto all our PWB's have been that we didn't disturb the robin relocated: the area will then be bought out or supplied by Welwyn family in residence!' reinstated as a car park. 2 Above: Technical specialist Terry Jones of RED (left) and Ray Dance, section leader Above: Support team in Sorter Assembly— in Design, test a 4500's performance in the (from the left) Keith Wilkinson (Work Study) RED workshop. Right: Secretary Ruth with Ken Ellway who has taken over the Williams reloads the main paper tray; with RED responsibility for sorter from Colin her is Ron Boakes, Design Manager Seddon, following the latter's acceptance responsible for 4000/4500 products. of a post at Milton Keynes. The Story Behind the System Aries, as it was then known, first duplicating-sorting system, offering capacity of 50 copies, and operates began to make an impact on us at fully automatic on-line sorting of on a vertical plane, instead of the Mitcheldean way back in June 1973, both one and two-sided copies; and horizontal plane of existing sorters. at the start of drawing issue. From the document-assist device (DAD). This keeps the system compact in then on throughout the following size and suitable for locating in the 13 months or so. Manufacturing The Sidekick ordinary office environment. Engineering spent many man hours Let's deal with DAD first. This is a The 4500 sorter comes to the paper — engineering and planning ready for built-in aid for the operator which the paper doesn't go to the sorter, production start-up in July 1974. helps to increase the productivity of another major difference. In use, the Fifty machines which underwent the 4500 when a few copies of many sorter bins move downwards, field trials in Holland and Belgium originals are being made. opening as they pass the delivery 'met our criteria — they came up to The device, aptly nicknamed 'the aperture of the processor to receive expectation,' Design Manager sidekick', consists of two major the copies.

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