Iron MetallurgyThe iron metallurgy collection features the production of raw iron, its refinement and the production of metallurgic raw products through rolling, drawing and extrusion. The collection provides a balanced representation of the development of this field from ancient times to present. Due to the sizes of the actual metallurgic production units, most are represented in the collection through models. The earliest period of iron production is documented by, among other things, an original forge furnace from the 12th century found on the premises of the St. Agnes Monastery in Prague. The era of feudal ironmongery is documented by models of a charcoal blast reduction furnace and of purifying forges and hammers, and of entire ironmongery operations, of which the ironworks in Nový Jáchymov warrants special attention: in the early 19th century they drew high praise for their construction and technical designs. An original exhibit object is the forging hydraulic hammer from the mid 19th century. The following period to the present day is well documented by models of the production equipment of various metalwork plants such as blast furnaces, converters, Siemens-Martin open-hearth furnace, electric furnaces, rolling mills, etc.
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