TitleArchives relating to Ferranti Viscometer, Cedrec and LinDAR Systems
ReferenceYA2008.36
CreatorFerranti Instrumentation Ltd The Ferranti Instrument Department goes back to 1905 and the Scheme of Reconstruction that created the 'New Company' in that year. The department manufactured a wide variety of products ranging from viscometers through to clip-on anometers and until 1921 the Transformer Department was included within the department. Throughout its life the department often acted as a test bed for new products developed by the company, e.g. electronics, before those products were transferred to other departments.
From 1937-1970 the Fuze Department formed part of the Instrument Department and in 1955 the Aircraft Equipment Department was formed and added to the department. After the Radio Department closed down in 1958 the service section of that department was added to the Instrument Department.
In 1974 a new Instrumentation Division was created incorporating the old Instrument Department, together with the Meter and Foundry Departments. In 1978 the Instrumentation Division was restructured becoming Ferranti Instrumentation Limited, incorporating the Weapons Equipment Department, the Aircraft Equipment Department, the Naval Department and Mitchell Hydraulics Division. This same reorganisation also saw the creation of Ferranti Computer Systems Ltd and Ferranti Electronics Ltd.
Subsidiary Companies of Ferranti Instrumentation included Ferranti Measurements Limited (1978-1985), Ferranti GTE Limited (becoming in 1981 Ferranti Business Communications Limited) and Ferranti Resin Limited.
Ferranti Instrumentation Ltd was ultimately dissolved, with some assets sold to GEC-Marconi and Ravenfield Designs.
Scope and ContentThree boxes containing papers, scheme drawings and manuals relating to the operation of the Ferranti Cedrec Energy Management System, the Ferranti Shirley Viscometer and the Ferranti LinDAR system, c 1985, used by Ferranti employee Warren Leach.
Extent3 boxes
Archival historyThe documents were used by Warren Leach as part of his employment as a technical representative at Ferranti. Mr Leach would often travel around the world to set up Cedrec, LinDAR or viscometer equipment, or to correct faults with equipment. The manuals and scheme drawings were used by Mr Leach as part of this work and were kept by his family after his death.
Levelfonds
Repository nameScience and Industry Museum
Conditions governing accessOpen access.
Conditions governing ReproductionCopies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions.
