Sept/Oct 80 No. 14! THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN THE QUEEN'S A 0 INDUSTRY 1 .•ID 'Congratulations to you all!' On Monday, September 8, the Lord congratulations for their outstanding it is here that machines and spares Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, iVIajor- work and achievement for this manufactured at Mitcheldean, Venray General Sir George Burns, presented country.' and Welwyn and destined for East Rank Xerox Limited with its fifth European markets are consolidated Queen's Award to Industry (earlier All five of our awards have been for with supplies before being shipped awards having been made in 1966, Export Achievement, so it was fitting eastwards. 1971, 1972 and 1975). that the presentation should take In handing it to our Chairman, Mr place in the International Supply A group of long-serving employees, Hamish Orr-Ewing, he said: 'Her Centre at Welwyn from which so many chosen to represent a cross-section Majesty wishes me to convey to you Rank Xerox products are despatched of Mitcheldean's work-force, attended and the people who work for Rank to our export markets round three- the presentation ceremony, and we Xerox her warmest and sincerest quarters of the world. tell you all about it on page 2. A Family Occasion The presentation to our Company of its fifth Queen's Award to Industry took place on September 8 amid a forest of packages and cartons of goods awaiting consignment to all corners of the Rank Xerox world. A space had been cleared for seating and on either side was ranged a display of our machines, — the oak leaf symbol used so effectively for Mitcheldean's 21st Anniversary celebrations adding to the 'forest' theme. At the far end was a platform flanked The Lord Lieutenant and our Chairman chat with the Mitcheldean group. Far left is Al by two loaded forklifts which stood Hagen, Director of UK Manufacturing Operations and Technical Staff, who gave Sir George a pen inscribed 'Mitcheldean Delivers!' rigidly to attention as our Chairman, Mr Hamish Orr-Ewing, and Major- its headquarters at Welwyn, he said : which rely on extensive international General Sir George Burns, the Lord 'By its very nature their work has to trade.' Lieutenant, arrived after touring remain secret, but I can tell you that the Welwyn Plant. He then introduced the Lord they are responsible for developing Lieutenant who has had a long and Welcoming everyone, Mr Orr-Ewing one new copier which will be made distinquished military career and said he wished that ail the 1 2,000 UK not only by Rank Xerox, but also has been Her Majesty's representative staff could have been gathered to by our American parent company in Hertfordshire for nearly 20 years. take part in the ceremony. Instead, Xerox for its markets. some 200 men and women from Before the presentation. Sir George 'The work of our development teams various sites — engineering, had been shown some of the here, and of their counterparts, is manufacturing, supply, sales, service electronic manufacturing operations vital to the future prosperity of our and administration — had been carried out at Welwyn which now business and of the people who brought together for this 'family has one of the most advanced work in it.' occasion'— among them a group assembly and test facilities of its representing Mitcheldean's workforce. kind in Europe, and he said he had found it 'profoundly interesting.' Joining them were representatives of Government and local government, Reminding everyone of the purpose together with some of our British of the Queen's Award, he said customers — a reminder that export history showed that this country begins at home, 'for without a owed its prosperity and influence healthy business in the UK, we in the world to its trading. could never have developed our 'We have depended on our brains factories here into major export to think out what was required, to earners for this country', said our manufacture it in good quality and Chairman. to deliver it to the right place at the right time.' He thanked all members of Rank Xerox for their contribution towards It was therefore decided some 1 5 winning the award and asked them years ago that firms with outstanding to pass on those thanks to their achievements in export or colleagues on their return to work. technological breakthrough should be honoured with an award. Acknowledging the contribution The scene inside the international Supply made by our Operating Companies Centre at Welwyn. 'All of you, no matter where you in some 30 countries overseas, he work or what you do, have played said : 'We are proud to be British, Mr Orr-Ewing underlined the a part in serving your firm and but we are proud to be international importance to our company of free thereby your country', said Sir as well.' trade between the industrialized George. countries, and he quoted our trade He then handed to Mr Orr-Ewing He spoke of the work of the Welwyn with Japan as an example. Plant 'which symbolises the two the charter which authorizes Rank main lines of development we see 'We have been successfully selling Xerox to fly the flag of the Queen's for Rank Xerox in the 1980's — to them the Xerox 9200 and soon Award and display the device during copying and the application of we shall be shipping the Xerox the next five years until April 1985. electronics to the office, both of 9400 (for which the Welwyn Plant The official part of the event over. which are already fiercely competitive makes the electronic circuits and the Sir George and our Chairman left fields', and he added : 'I hope photoreceptor belts). the platform to mingle with the everyone will look on this Queen's 'The Xerox 2300 is assembled in the audience, introductions were made, Award not only as a token of what UK from Fuji Xerox components; refreshments were handed round, we have achieved in the past but as most of these 2300's then go to and a friendly family atmosphere a challenge to live up to in the swell our exports to Europe and prevailed. future. more distant parts. Eventually Jack Woods gathered our people together and took them 'I am pleased to be able to tell you 'These are difficult times for industry, off to the Garden Hotel for a splendid that, in a very tough climate, our and we are not exempt from them, meal. exports from this plant are running but a retreat into protectionism 25 per cent above last year's figures.' would do nothing but harm to a It was after midnight when they Referring to the Rank Xerox company such as ours — and a arrived back at Mitcheldean, having Engineering Group which now has country such as ours — both of (continued opposite) 2 A disaster is impending. and modified to suit the requirements Xerox 8200 A fault has been discovered in a of Rank Xerox markets. pipeline carrying oil from an off-shore 'It has taken about a year to get the oil rig to a shore-based terminal. machine out — which makes it the It is vital that the damage is repaired fastest major product programme we as quickly as possible. have ever done,' said John Dennis, Technical Programme Manager. A support ship is sent to the pipeline. It lowers manned submersibles and Because of the very tight schedule, begins a search for the trouble. the programme had to be handled in a special way, both in the States and On land, information from reports, here at Mitcheldean when we underwater photographs, charts and initiated the RX programme in May diagrams must be gathered from 1979. various sources and passed to the ship without delay. Everything depended on people pulling together as a team and 'that is This where the Xerox 8200 with its the only reason we were able to get capabilities for document handling, it out in record time,' says John. reduction, two-sided copying and finishing comes to the rescue. A co-operative working environment was created by bringing together a The high quality of the copies it multi-functional team on the top floor makes is of particular advantage. of Bid 50. This ensured that all could The damage to the pipeline is speedily be,kept easily in the picture and located, the repair begins, the danger enabled a quick response to any mm is averted. issue. And the 8200, having proved its A new disclosure system was worth in a situation where quality, adopted ; this eliminated design speed and efficiency were vital, is change notices and speeded up the ready for the next job. mm delivery of engineering drawings to Manufacturing. Two other dedicated teams — one Not many people know that that from Engineering led by Alistair 'office' where the 8200 helped 'save Caldwell and one from Manufacturing the day' was located at Mitcheldean. led by Sam Phillips — were sent out Here for a time last spring the to the States. Ballroom became a studio, and Based at Henrietta where the Xerox Mitcheldean people participated in copier-duplicator was designed and the making of this dramatic 16mm developed, they worked in close publicity film to support the launch co-operation with their opposite and marketing of the 8200. numbers, keeping up to date with the It was in the spring, too, that the new large number of changes. model made its first European Our manufacturing engineers wrote appearance at the prestigious Hanover the processes for some 100 Fair, along with the 9500 and the completely new sub-assemblies, 960 machines, and it aroused ordered tooling, and assisted with the tremendous public interest.