LTV Steel Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio donated the caster model to the museum in March of 1991. It was constructed in the 1970s and represents state-of-the-art technology of the time. It is a large model, over 103” wide, 96” deep and 82.5” tall. It sits upon a dozen or so small wooden tables and is secured to the tables by adhesive. The model itself is composed of plastic and glued together, making moving it and restoring it a challenge. You cannot simply snap it apart and put it back together; its age and condition would not tolerate such harsh treatment. Additional consideration for ways to clean it, test its functions, and repair or replace missing/broken parts using additive and other manufacturing techniques will make this work challenging.
LTV began in Texas as Ling Electric Company in 1958. It purchased Jones and Laughlin Corporation in 1968 thus entering the steel industry. Four years later it purchased Temco Aircraft and Chance Vought Aircraft Corporations and changed its name to LTV. Republic Steel was added to the company in 1984 making it the second largest steel manufacturer in the country. The company, like many others, suffered from foreign competition and financial difficulties in the 1980s and it would declare chapter 11 bankruptcy twice. Mittal Steel purchased LTV in 2002 and later merged into Arcelo-Mittal. Cleveland-Cliffs purchased Arcelo-Mittal in 2020.
This project highlights the museum’s desire to create partnerships with community members, provide hands-on learning, and increase the knowledge about the steel industry. As we progress with the work, we will post additional information on our social media pages. To get a “sneak-peak” of this work-in-progress, visit us for Ohio Open Doors on Saturday, September 17 when we will allow the public to see our progress.
