" STEEL ON THE ROUGE " 1968 FORD MOTOR CO. RIVER ROUGE STEEL PLANT FILM 98464

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 25. 04. 2020
  • Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit / periscopefilm
    Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com
    This color educational/promotional film is about the Ford company making steel at its River Rouge plant. This film was made in 1968.
    A ship that carries ore sits on the River Rouge. The River Rouge is a 127-mile river in the Metro Detroit area. It flows into the Detroit River at Zug Island, which is the boundary between the cities of River Rouge and Detroit. The ship passes under a draw bridge. Ford company rouge plant. Opening titles: Steel On The Rouge, presented by Ford (:08-1:39). Giant cranes near the Rouge. Demolition explosives blow up hillsides in Minnesota for high grade iron ore. Ore is ground up in a machine. Exterior of a Ford ship on the Rouge. A crane carries the ore and puts it into storage bins. Coke, formed from coal, almost pure carbon, is made, then placed into railcars. The coke is then cooled with water. It produces a cloud of steam. Elevator cars carry the ores up to dump into the furnace (1:40-4:39). Temperatures in the furnace rise. Sparks fly as molten iron is poured out. Molten iron flows through a lining in the floor as workers look on. Workers observe the molten iron. Some of the ore is poured and taken to be analyzed. Workers stand near the sparks. A river of iron goes into a torpedo shaped railroad car. The railroad cars go slowly down the track. Two giant oxygen containers (4:40-7:16). 95 tons of scrap metal pours into the mouth of the furnace. The vessel is righted. One of the torpedo cars is rotated to get it ready to pour the molten iron. Iron is poured into the furnace where the scrap metal is. Flames within the furnace. Molten mix roars and churns. As carbon and other impurities are removed, iron becomes steel. Workers move in. They take a sample to review. The exact chemical composition is critical (7:17-10:04). A measuring device is plunged into the steel to check it's temperature. The metal is ready. 250 tons of molten steel pour out of the furnace, it's enough for 400 automobiles. Men in the control room. The ladle moves and from a nozzle in the bottom comes the molten steel. The steel is placed into waiting molds (10:05-12:07). The steel cools in the molds on a railcar. The molds are then placed into a gas fired soaking pit. 2400 degrees when they are pulled out. The molded molten steel is moved and put into another machine to make its shape. Hands maneuver controls. A slab of the steel moves along (12:08-14:24). The outer layer of the slab is burned off to remove impurities. Steel is then cut and reheated. The slab moves along a conveyor belt (14:25-15:33). High pressure jets of water remove surface scale and prepare the steel for the finish. A worker looks on. The steel is cooled, sprayed with water. It now looks like the steel we know. Coils of steel are lowered. A worker removes sheets of the coiled steel. Workers use controls. A machine takes in steel sheets. A foreman walks through the plant. The final product is a five foot coil of steel. Steel coils are rolled and picked up by a truck. Cars are taken down a railway (15:34-18:32). A Ford car drives down a road in a city and on suburban streets and then along a dirt road (18:33-18:53). End credits (18:54-19:06).
    The Ford River Rouge Complex (commonly known as the Rouge Complex or just The Rouge) is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan, along the River Rouge, upstream from its confluence with the Detroit River at Zug Island. Construction began in 1917, and when it was completed in 1928, it was the largest integrated factory in the world.
    It inspired the GAZ factory built in the 1930s in the Soviet Union, and the later Hyundai factory complex in Ulsan, South Korea, which was developed beginning in the late 1960s. Designed by Albert Kahn, the Rouge was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1978 for its architecture and historical importance to the industry and economy of the United States.
    We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference."
    This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

Komentáře • 67

  • @bigcheeezzz7135
    @bigcheeezzz7135 Před rokem +6

    And just like that!,, we lost the jobs, the skilled craftsmen, the knowledge,, and here we are 😢

  • @QuintTheSharker
    @QuintTheSharker Před 4 lety +39

    I miss this America

    • @michaelvalentine7474
      @michaelvalentine7474 Před 3 lety +3

      The plant and all of this is still there:-)

    • @johnkoval1898
      @johnkoval1898 Před rokem +1

      Me too!

    • @Drewsky840
      @Drewsky840 Před rokem

      CEOs and politicians stole our country from us

    • @johnkoval1898
      @johnkoval1898 Před rokem +1

      @@Drewsky840 Replace ‘CEOs’, with ‘unions’ and you may be on to something.

    • @jimsperlakis5634
      @jimsperlakis5634 Před rokem

      I do too but for 1968 they were already obsolete for the steel making.

  • @kenc3288
    @kenc3288 Před 4 lety +19

    Excellent and accurate portrayal of steel making, without any sensationalism of more modern documentaries. Cheers from Australia.

  • @MarkAnthony-he3xy
    @MarkAnthony-he3xy Před 2 lety +10

    I was fortunate to see all this in real life at Rouge and most steel mills in the eastern USA from my first job out of college. Sadly, a lot of the BOFs are gone...Weirton, Wheeling-Pitt, etc.

  • @BeingFireRetardant
    @BeingFireRetardant Před 4 lety +12

    Stepdad did 30 years at the Rouge Plant. This was the first time I have ever understood any of that...

  • @TheGbeecher
    @TheGbeecher Před 4 měsíci +1

    I've seen this before, but it always amazes me...what an incredible complex...😮

  • @phuturephunk
    @phuturephunk Před rokem +4

    Ford made a huge amount of their own steel back in the day. I think at one time they were like the number 3 biggest steel producer in the US behind US Steel and Bethlehem.

  • @sdkerby
    @sdkerby Před rokem +2

    Mind boggling engineering and execution.

  • @scottrayhons2537
    @scottrayhons2537 Před 2 lety +8

    Thank you Ford Motor Company for such a great video. Great learning experience!

  • @gualtersilvanijr1
    @gualtersilvanijr1 Před 4 měsíci

    I was born in 1963 and since the cradle, loved cars, mechanics, industry process and so on. In 1978 started working as apprentice in a large metalurgical plant manufacturer of railroad cargo and pessengers wagons, buses and heavy duty eqpmnt, in the meantime studied Mechanics at the technical school. After, graduation in Mechanical Production Engin..Those enviroments were my daily reality for over than 41 years around the world. Those were very good times. Unfortunatelly, I got the perception of decreasing those on last 5 years of my worked years.

  • @bryannichols7843
    @bryannichols7843 Před rokem +2

    That sounded like Carl Sagan narrating! Very nice. Great to see those late 60's cars at the end of the film!

  • @ph11p3540
    @ph11p3540 Před rokem +3

    Steel is treated like pasta. It's mixed, it's cooked, it's extruded and is cut and allowed to cool. The pasta of heavy industry

  • @OnerousEthic
    @OnerousEthic Před 4 měsíci +1

    My grandfather, Robert E. Houston, ran the steelmill at River rouge. I think he retired in 1965…

  • @gregjackson6529
    @gregjackson6529 Před 4 lety +6

    From slag to sheet metal rolls in 2 minutes? Remarkable.

    • @PhaQ2
      @PhaQ2 Před 4 lety +5

      From "slab" to coil.

  • @brosefmcman8264
    @brosefmcman8264 Před rokem +2

    A great time to be an American

  • @merc-ni7hy
    @merc-ni7hy Před 4 lety +6

    that maroon 68 merc at the end was killer

  • @RoadRunnergarage8570
    @RoadRunnergarage8570 Před 4 lety +5

    Thanks for keeping the videos flowing through tough times..

  • @molotov9502
    @molotov9502 Před 4 lety +15

    Those taconite balls were some heavy stuff. I snapped off more than a few shovel handles trying to clean up spilled pellets when I worked in a steel mill.

  • @BKFan342
    @BKFan342 Před rokem +2

    insane amount of energy and water

  • @christersvensson4948
    @christersvensson4948 Před rokem

    God bless America!

  • @johnkoval1898
    @johnkoval1898 Před rokem +2

    I and most of my relatives worked in the steel mills in NW Indiana. Most still operating under different names. Most steel production these days is done by ’Mini Mills’ which are smaller and more efficient.

  • @lambrokedrc5998
    @lambrokedrc5998 Před 4 lety +5

    Ah, Hometown ^___^

  • @richardgray8593
    @richardgray8593 Před 4 lety +23

    When America was great.

    • @d9190
      @d9190 Před 4 lety +6

      Nationalism will rise again.

    • @jacquesblaque7728
      @jacquesblaque7728 Před 4 lety +2

      How is that different from subsequently, except with the current wannabe POTUS? You know, the one with the Nero complex.

    • @grumples1517
      @grumples1517 Před 4 lety +5

      Yup full of PTSD riddled WW2 and Korean war vets. Rife with racism, misogyny, sexism, and religion. Doesn't that just sound great?

    • @gregtaylor6146
      @gregtaylor6146 Před 4 lety +11

      @Sir Grumples - Thanks snowflake, I'll take the 1968 USA over today's shamble of a union.... in a heartbeat.

    • @johnsiders7819
      @johnsiders7819 Před 4 lety +5

      Sir Grumples same here but could you just see the current generation of tide pod eaters doing this type of work ? They are not masculine in any way compared to these workers !

  • @RADIUMGLASS
    @RADIUMGLASS Před rokem +1

    Thank You to the Ford family for keeping this company and moving it forward.

  • @gregnancyspear4367
    @gregnancyspear4367 Před 4 lety +4

    By the end of the month (April 2020) this plant will be no more. United States Steel is shutting down their operations on Zug island after nearly 100 years of continuous operation.

    • @robertbarry3881
      @robertbarry3881 Před 4 lety +2

      Greg & Nancy Spear Rouge steel is still operating, it is just no longer under the Ford/ Rouge name. It has been bought several times and is now AK Steel

    • @samiam5557
      @samiam5557 Před 4 lety +1

      @@robertbarry3881 Not to the extent show in film, most is a rusting eyesore now.

    • @johnsiders7819
      @johnsiders7819 Před 4 lety +1

      I saw that the bottle car railroad is shutting down

    • @scottrayhons2537
      @scottrayhons2537 Před 2 lety +1

      The one world gov't, ol crooked joe, and trilateral commission taking over. Shutting most mfg down in USA. Next they will put a chip under your skin and go cashless society. Look it up, its in the Book of Revelations, the last book of the Bible.

    • @kelvintorrence5994
      @kelvintorrence5994 Před 8 měsíci +1

      Well it 2023 and it's Cleveland cliffs if AK steel owned it now, it was sold about 2 years ago I believe

  • @MichaelC1245
    @MichaelC1245 Před rokem +2

    worked 7 years at the rouge steel plant and hated when people used to ask me what I did, Like how long do you have to listen? Thanks for the video that I can tell people to go watch if they really want to know.

    • @MichaelC1245
      @MichaelC1245 Před rokem +1

      Btw funny story about a reccuring dream i have. New company buys the steel plant and asks me to come back cause all the new guys are worthless. I always agree for some reason even though i would never do that cause i hated that job and live in florida now... but my first day i always drop a coil off the exit end of the cold roll mill.
      Everyone did that but in my dream was so much worse cause they hired me as an "expert"...
      Im sure I could go run that place in my sleep still though.
      Probably why that shit happens in my dreams

  • @gregjackson6529
    @gregjackson6529 Před 4 lety +5

    A great video even though the plot was weak. lol.

  • @papabits5721
    @papabits5721 Před rokem +1

    When steam was still king

  • @DMBall
    @DMBall Před 20 dny

    You get some idea of how thin the sheet metal is on automobile bodies. On his program "Secret Life of Machines," engineer Tim Hunkin cut it with a pair of tin snips.

  • @bloooning1
    @bloooning1 Před 2 lety +5

    back when AMERICAN cars we made in AMERICA. no parts from Mexico, Canada, and heaven forbid CHINA

    • @kelvintorrence5994
      @kelvintorrence5994 Před 8 měsíci +1

      Amen,no price list which says this part made here,and this 1 here,and do on

  • @jondoes7836
    @jondoes7836 Před měsícem

    Ford isn’t in the steelmaking business anymore.
    This steel mill is now owned by Cleveland Cliffs. It has been totally modernized compared to what’s seen here.

  • @samiam5557
    @samiam5557 Před 4 lety +5

    Now the River Rouge FORD property is a dilapidated factory wasteland of rusting steel and broken concrete structures, quite a shame to see.

  • @nealfry2230
    @nealfry2230 Před 9 měsíci +2

    I'll Always Love me Neal Patrick Fry

  • @reallyhappenings5597
    @reallyhappenings5597 Před 4 lety +3

    Massive environmental impact

    • @samiam5557
      @samiam5557 Před 4 lety +7

      Positive economic impact, them mills had many jobs and made American steel for FORD.

  • @nealfry2230
    @nealfry2230 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Hello Heavenly Hayden Panettiere,
    Can Eye Turn you with my Blood
    Clot on my Brain? Very Poor Vision and no feel>ngs on my face, fingers and thumbs.
    Maybe Stainless Steel Plates on my Head just like my Brother Brown Dog from Hill 937 Hamburger Hill from the 'Nam.
    All my Love, Always,
    Neal