Wyman-Gordon Company, Grafton Plant, 50000 Ton Press, 244 Worcester Street, Grafton, Worcester County, MA

Significance: 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 make 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.
Survey number: HAER MA-82-C
Building/structure dates: 1955 Initial Construction