manufacturing history

Ford's Rouge Assembly Plant Turns 100

Vertical integration once thrived at Ford’s legendary manufacturing complex.

March 14, 2019

It has witnessed the production of some of the most iconic vehicles in history. It's also a veteran of two world wars and the Great Depression. And, it played a pivotal role in American labor history. Ford Motor Co.'s iconic manufacturing complex on the banks of the Rouge River in Dearborn, MI, has seen it all.

How Ford's Willow Run Assembly Plant Helped Win World War II

The Willow Run bomber plant made aviation, industrial and social history—along with new B-24s by the hour.

Tim Trainor

January 3, 2019

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President Roosevelt stunned millions of listeners when he announced during a May 26, 1940, fireside chat that government must "harness the efficient machinery of America's manufacturers" to produce 50,000 combat aircraft over the next 12 months to confront the "approaching storm" of global war.

Finally, Some Good News for Flint!

Austin Weber

May 30, 2017

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General Motors recently restored Durant-Dort Factory One, considered to be the company’s birthplace and epicenter of the global auto industry.

A Century of GE Appliance Manufacturing

GE Appliances have a long history of innovation in product development and on the assembly line.

John Sprovieri

March 29, 2017

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In June 2016,, General Electric sold its century-old appliances business to Chinese manufacturer Quingdao Haier Co. Ltd. for $5.4 billion. GE Appliance’s headquarters will remain in Louisville, KY, and the agreement calls for the business to continue to market the current portfolio of GE brands for at least 40 years.

General Electric Leads the Way in Locomotive Manufacturing

General Electric has a long history of assembling locomotives

Austin Weber

March 29, 2017

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General Electric Co. is the world’s largest builder of diesel-electric locomotives. Its products are used by numerous railroads to haul freight and passengers. Thousands of GE machines are in operation every day throughout the world.

General Electric Pioneers Jet Engine Manufacturing

General Electric has been building aircraft engines since the dawn of the Jet Age.

Austin Weber

March 28, 2017

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General Electric Co. is a leading supplier of jet and turboprop engines, avionics, and electrical power and mechanical systems. Its products are used in a wide variety of commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft.

Group Seeks to Save Wright Brothers’ Assembly Plant

November 28, 2016

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DAYTON, OH—The nonprofit National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA)—in cooperation with the state of Ohio, the city of Dayton and the National Park Service, among others—is hoping to raise approximately $4 million by the end of this year to save the Wright brothers’ original assembly plant here.

Victor Scheinman, Inventor of Assembly Line Robot, Dies at 73

September 23, 2016

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PETROLIA, CA—Victor Scheinman, the Stanford engineering professor whose electrically powered, computer-controlled robot would become the Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly (PUMA) robot, has died at age 73.

Robot History Mystery

Austin Weber

July 7, 2016

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Should another company other than GM be credited with the first successful robotic application? Why did Pullman invest in Unimation? When was the first Unimate robot first installed at GM?

Happy Birthday, GM Lordstown!

Austin Weber

May 20, 2016

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Today, GM's Lordstown assembly plant is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Although the facility appears to have a bright future, it also has a checkered past.