Buffalo, NY: Ford Assembly and Stamping Plants

1st Assembly, 1913: (Satellite, is this a remnant from 1915?)

2nd Assembly, 1915: (Satellite)

3rd Assembly, 1931-58: (Satellite)

Stamping, 1950-present: (Satellite)

Michael Maitland posted three images with the comment: "While looking at information on the history of the Buffalo, NY waterfront, came across this Ford Factory.  The installation of a critical breakwater allowed lake front development.  The Ford Furhmann [Fuhrmann] Assembly operated from 1931-58, then closed as assembly went to Lorain, OH.  Total output 1.2 million cars.  The building still stands, not sure of the use.  Ford's Woodlawn Stamp plant is several miles to the south and currently stamps out 425,000 tons of parts per year.   In between the two was the massive Bethlehem Lackawanna Steel works and the Shenango Steel company.  Presumed they supplied sheet steel and bar/wire.  Both gone now.  Have explored the Buffalo waterfront, well worth the visit to see the massive grain silo complexes."

1

2

3

Joe Paracio posted
Ford Motor Company Fuhrmann Boulevard no year.
Jim Myers shared

 

Doug O. Dean commeted on Jim's share
Now known as terminal A. It was ford's buffalo assembly plant from 1930-1958.

Ford started assembly with the Model T with a plant at Kensington Ave. and Erie Railroad in 1913. In Dec 1915, Ford moved to Main St. and Rodney.

I included the area north of the park to capture the railroad names. The first plant would have been served by Erie and the second plant was served by NYC.

1950 Buffalo Quad @ 24,000

It is not obvious which railroad(s) served the third plant.

1948 Buffalo Quad @ 62,500

Stamping Plant

This 1950 plant occupies 88 acres. [Ford, clicked Buffalo Stamping Plant]

Tall presses need a tall building.

Street View, Jun 2023

Julio cabezas, Dec 2017, cropped

Ford invested $60m in 2022

WKBW

WKBW

gardnerweb
Ford invested $150m in the 2.5m sq. ft. plant in 2013.

I always wonder how much of the content of a modern manufacturing plant is Made in America.

4:39 video @ 0:11

The first application of robots in manufacturing was for "pick and place." They not only relieve humans of a very tedious job, but they can also easily handle larger pieces.

It looks like the press is a press inside a press. Note that after the big part comes down, there is a smaller part in the middle that comes down.

4:39 video @ 2:14

6 construction photos of the building (source)