The Detroit times., 1912-10-03

tire acreage will be built over before
many more years elapse.
Size and Capacity. kaa
multiplicity of ngures could be
put down TO illustrate the present
Size OF the plant. The size OF a plant
does not necessarily denote the
amount and value OF It's business.
however striking those figures may
be. The Dodge plant has a total
area OF 10000 square feet under roof
devoted TO manufacturing purposes,
and, when the new buildings are com
pleted, the plant will cover an area
OF 10 acres. But this gives only a
partial idea OF the size of the business
as II has to do with the manufacture
OF small parts, turned out by the
thousands. AT the present time the
factory Is engaged In turning out 160.-
900 sets OF parts for the Model T,
which include rear axles, transmits
sions, steering devices and drop forg-
ings. All the sets must be completed
before July I. 1913. This season
alone thero will be consumed In the
manufacture OF parts $4,000 900
pounds OF Vanadium steel in the forg-
Ing plant and about 5000 tons of gray
iron.
The plant Is built on modern and
scientific lines. handsome without as
II is efficient within. System, method.
precision, the elimination OF all un-
necessary effort and everything that
makes for speed and accuracy in pro-
auction are the dominant characteris-
tics. There is an experimental labor
atory on the second floor OF the main
building. wherein new processes are
tried and where the testing OF ma
terial Is done. II at any time II Is
found that time or money can be
saved by introducing new machinery
II Is done. the old machinery Ii
thrown out, junked or sold to smaller
concerns. Constant changes such as
these result In keeping the plant up
to the top-notch of efficiency. The
main plant Is u shaped and stands
back OF the Office building and the
engine house which fronts on Jos
lCampau-ave. II the main building
was stretched out II would be 9i5
feet long and 20 feet wide. II Is built
of steel and concrete, four stories
high and equipped with every ap-
pliance known to science for the pro-
duction OF the parts manufactured.
Skilled Men Employed.
Connecting the main plant with the
Office building Is bridge and OF easy
access in the main plant Is an
Engineering and drafting room, the
superintendent Office, the experiment.
al laboratory and the department
where tools used exclusively In varl-
GUS parts OF the plant are manufac-
tured. On each OF the four floors
there Is maze OF machines and
belts, and a roar OF machinery that
! Is deafening 10 those unused TO IT,
Each man Is skilled in that part OF
the work which he has to do. He
does the worn SO often that, as one
said, he could do 1t In his sleep AMI
do II perfectly-only they don't SLEEP
at the Dodge plant. Before one part
is made II may pass through dozen
or more hands, clamped In machines
and given that particular finish for
which each man Is skilled. The
machine work must be done quickly
and accurately, for IL Is tested all
along the line and one imperfection
/ is sufficient TO warrant Its rejection
In the rear OF the main building is
the forge, and. this perhaps Is one OF
the most interesting departments Of
the entire plant. The building Is 40
I by 400 feet and Is one OF the most up
to-date drop forge plants In the world
equipped with the latest type oi
steam drop hammers. At one OF these
| forges, Vanadium steel bars. about
three feet in length and about two
inches in diameter are heated TO q
white heat. One OF these sons OF Vul.
can grasps the bar with a pair OF
tongs and thrusts 1t under the ham
mer. A smash or two bends the bar
! In a shape resembling the letter 5,
Then the operator thrusts II under
another portion OF the hammer. A
! few more smashes and 1t takes the
shape OF an engine crank shaft. An
other operator deftly places 1t under
another hammer, which trims on the
surplus metal stream OF COM
Ipressed air is kept constantly playing
I on the hot metal TO blow away the
scale which. II embedded In the metal