Jan.17, 2004
On a cold,rainy Saturday morning I found the once imposing behemoth known as the "Heavy Press", in pieces, on a train, leaving town. This incredible extrusion press,
which operated from the late 1930s to 2003, is still one of the world's largest. This press was built in Germany and was used for Nazi war
production during WWII. When Germany's defeat seemed imminent, the press was disassembled and thrown into the Rhine River.
It stayed there for more than a decade. In the early 1960s, Dow Chemical retrieved the monster and installed it in their aluminum / magnesium factory
located in Madison, Illinois. It remained in operation until 2003, when the factory, then operated by Spectrulite Consortium Inc., ceased operations permanently.
As someone who worked on the Heavy Press from 1990 to 1994, I hope it is headed for its next home. This industrial wonder deserves better than the scrap heap.
Dan Kostecki
Nov.25, 2006
I discovered that the Heavy Press did indeed find a new home. Go to the Update Page to get the details as well as some new photos.
Dan Kostecki
