Foundry Workers at the Ford Rouge Plant, 1934

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.