Bench-mounted grinding machine fitted to bench, Plant No. 181, part of the production for 0.2" x 0.2" Monotype matrices, with jig for the side-griding of punches and matrices, spare griding wheel, integral dust extraction head and ducting to central dust extraction system. Fitted with integral dust extraction head and ducting to central dust extraction and bench mounted. Manufactured by Lanston Monotype Corporation, Salfords, Redhill, Surrey, England, 1904.

This machine is one of many used in the process to make a 0.2-inch (0.51cm) or 0.4-inch (1.02cm) matrix. Some of the machines were designed at the Monotype factory in Salfords, Surrey, and other machines were purchased and adapted by Monotype.

There were 82 separate processes needed to transform a designer’s drawing of a letter, figure, punctuation or symbol into a piece of Monotype metal type for printing. A pantograph was used to trace and cut the letter from a copper pattern into a piece of steel called a punch. After being hardened, the punch was driven into a piece of bronze using a crank press to produce a matrix. The finished matrix was ready to go to the Monotype Composition Caster where molten metal was pumped through a mould against the matrix to produce a piece of type.