The Future of 300B Manufacturing

 
The following letter was prepared for customers who took advantage of our 300B pre-order campaign in 2019. Written by Western Electric president Charles Whitener, it addresses delays in production startup at the Rossville Works and briefly outlines …

The following letter was prepared for customers who took advantage of our 300B pre-order campaign in 2019. Written by Western Electric president Charles Whitener, it addresses delays in production startup at the Rossville Works and briefly outlines measures we've taken to ensure the future of 300B manufacturing.

 

October 20, 2020

To our pre-order customers,

The long wait is over. The delivery of your pre-order marks the official return of 300B manufacturing. From myself—and on behalf of the Rossville Works staff—thank you for your patience.

We have made this return announcement twice since re-establishing Western Electric products in 1996. First in Kansas City, then Huntsville. Our new manufacturing operation in Rossville is easily our finest. I would like to take a moment here to highlight a few of the many quality improvements and modernizations represented at the Rossville Works. But first, I will briefly address the delay in getting back in operation.

Our goal of product delivery before 2020 was too optimistic, a reality that we acknowledge and apologize for. Though we have been producing good parts in substantial batches since early 2018, harmonizing the entire operation has been arduous.

First, with our reliance on outmoded technology comes a certain level of unpredictability. Some machines, like our seventy-seven-year-old grid lathe, required little attention and immediately produced parts for use after its installation. Others, like our automatic glass seal-in machine, required months of long-overdue repairs and critical maintenance. Multiplied across each station, machine, and sub-assembly process, we have invested three years on de-mothballing and setup alone. Second, we must mention the time-intensive process of sourcing and retaining talented people to safely operate our factory. We rely on a combination of highly-skilled former employees, new trainees, and trusted outside specialists to produce a quality product. Put simply, making tubes in the 21st century is a joint labor of love.

We might also describe the loss of critical suppliers in a disruptive economy, the high cost of Western Electric quality regulations, and days lost to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but will instead focus on the future.

Western Electric is committed to making tubes for discriminating listeners around the world for many, many years to come. What have we done to ensure this? Since establishing the Rossville Works in 2018, we have:

  • Updated cleanroom standards

  • Installed new turbomolecular pumps for updated tube exhaust process

  • Invested in more flexible and ergonomic workspaces for line operators

  • Upgraded our water deionization process

  • Improved the anode carbonization process for longer tube life

  • Completed restoration of tube aging racks

  • Designed and built a new chemistry lab

  • Computerized all heavy machinery, like our anode punch press, for safer operation

  • Installed efficient new heat treatment ovens designed for larger quantities and higher quality

  • Made critical updates to our original test set software

  • Archived all historic 300B manufacturing documents in digital formats

  • Confirmed certificates of analysis on all new materials

  • Introduced video microscopy equipment for improved filament inspection

  • Recorded hours of high-definition manufacturing footage for future employee training


The time spent modernizing our assembly line has already started to pay off, with tubes performing at a magnitude consistently higher than previous runs. We think you’ll be pleased with what may be the most refined 300B’s in history! All while honoring the original 1938 manufacturing specs.

Our spacious facility was also designed to sustain new products. In the future, we will expand operations on our 35,000 square foot space to reinstate additional tubes favored in the high-fidelity community and to house ongoing development of our 91E Integrated Amplifier and a new radial AMT driver we’re calling the WE 777.

Lastly, because authentication is important with your purchase, we’ve introduced a QR code tracing system on all 300B serial numbers. Scanning the code on your serial number labels takes you to a green light verification page hosted by our brand protection partner.

Thank you for your encouragement in our effort to continue quality, American manufacturing into the future. We sincerely hope you are pleased with our product.

Enjoy the music,

Charles G. Whitener, Jr.
President

 
Cobi Boykin