Foundry (Dearborn, Michigan)

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Site of the Ford Foundry which commenced operations in 1920, producing up to 2,900 tons of automotive castings per day. Designed by Albert Kahn, the 595 ft. by 1,188 ft. building was the largest foundry in the world. The entire operation was highly mechanized incorporating a series of conveyors and tracks which greatly reduced the need for physical labor.

Molten metal was deliver by Cupola cars from the nearby blast furnaces to 28 cupola furnaces where it was immediately cast into engine blocks. After cooling, the castings were sent to the machining department where rough machining took place before the castings were sent to the Motor Building. By 1924, the foundry was making 10,055 motor blocks a day for Model Ts and Fordson tractors. It also produced cylinder heads, intake manifolds, fly wheels and housings.

The factory was expanded over the years to 720 feet X 1,600 feet. In 1972, Ford opened a new state of the art facility called the Michigan Casting Center in Flat Rock, Michigan. The Dearborn Foundry was closed in 1974.