Flywheel Housing Molding at the Ford Rouge Plant Foundry, 1930

THF132247 / Flywheel Housing Molding at the Ford Rouge Plant Foundry, 1930
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Artifact Overview

Workers at the Ford Rouge plant's foundry poured a molten mixture of metal, coke, and limestone into molds to create cast-metal engine blocks and parts. Once "shaken out" of their molds, castings were roughly machined before heading elsewhere for finishing and assembly. The Rouge foundry set an industry benchmark in 1932 by successfully casting Ford's intricate, single-piece V-8 engine block.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

30 September 1930

Subject Date

30 September 1930

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.833.55431

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8 in
Width: 10 in

Inscriptions

On right lower front corner: 55431 Handwritten in pencil on back: Foundry
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    Engineers at Ford's Highland Park plant had fine-tuned the moving assembly line. With this experience in hand, Ford created the "B" Building at its new River Rouge complex with extensive conveyer systems to accommodate the flow of parts and assembly processes. Here, line workers prepare chassis on the assembly line before they are coupled with their respective bodies.