Wyman-Gordon Company, Grafton Plant, Loewy 50, 000-Ton Forging Press, 244 Worcester Street, Grafton

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER MASS,14-GRAF,1C-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Wyman-Gordan Forging Press, along with a similar press owned by the Alcoa Company of Cleveland, Ohio, represents the culmination of many years' attempts to build heavy presses. Motivated by Cold War fears and the demand for new aircraft in the Korean War, the United States Air Force instituted a "Heavy Press Program" during the post-World War II years. The program aimed to create presses large enough to make magnesium parts for new aircraft designs. This press was designed and built by the Loewy Construction Company. The new manufacturing capabilities of this type of press considerably broadened the range of materials and structures available for use in aircraft.

Heavy presses made it possible to forge extremely large, complex pieces essential to the structural systems of modern jet-powered aircraft. Despite its bulk, the press is a flexible production tool, allowing the manufacture of many different types of precision parts. Source: "Dedication Program, National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, the Wyman-Gordon 50,00U-Ton Forging Press, Thursday, October 20, published in New York City by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, It is understood that access to this material rests on the condition that should any of it be used in any form or by any means, the author of such material and the Historic American Engineering Record of the National Park Service at all times be given proper credit. ADDENDUM TO HAER No.

MA-82-C WYMAN-GORDON COMPANY, GRAFTON PLANT, ^ LOEWY TON FORGING PRESS 244 Worcester Street Graf ton Worcester County ^ .,- * Massachusetts ~~ XEROGRAPHIC COPIES OF COLOR TRANSPARENCIES HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington,