Two-valve radio receiver made on the ECME machine, 1947-1948

2 - valve radio receiver made on the ECME machine, made by Sargrove Electronics Ltd, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, 1947-1948

John Sargrove was a pioneer of Electronic Circuit Making Equipment (ECME), in order to automate the process of making radios. ECME could automatically produce complete radio circuit panels ready for assembly, at a rate of three per minute. A pre-moulded Bakelite panel was grit blasted, sprayed with metal and graphite, milled, lacquered and tested, emerging 20 seconds later for final assembly. The panels then only required a few components such as valves to be inserted by hand, and the completed assembly was fitted into a cabinet. This is an example of one the radio receivers made using this process. Sargrove's idea was never taken up generally, partly because it was seen as a threat to jobs, but represents the first modern approach to automatic operation in electronic manufacture.