Marteau-Pilon

A monster of power and the emblem of Le Creusot, the sledgehammer dominates the entrance to the town of Le Creusot. It was François Bourdon, an engineer at the Le Creusot works, who developed the first steam-powered drop hammer in 1840. In 1876, Etablissements Schneider created this forging tool, which, despite its size and 100-tonne hammer, enabled extremely precise work to be carried out. Dismantled in 1930, it has since adorned the Place du 8 Mai 1945. It has become the town's emblem, and is listed and recognised as a "historic mechanical engineering heritage" by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

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