Ford Introduces New Seven-Passenger People Mover with a Difference

Ford Introduces New Seven-Passenger People Mover with a Difference:
Transit Connect Wagon First to Exceed 30 MPG

Ford brings the compact Transit Connect Wagon to market, a vehicle so unique it is a revolution in seven-passenger transportation

Transit Connect Wagon expected to deliver at least 5 mpg better fuel economy on the highway and 2 mpg better in the city than a seven-seat Toyota Sienna minivan, and more cargo space and passenger seating than Mazda5, yet hauls a heavier payload than a Toyota Tacoma Double Cab pickup or Dodge Grand Caravan

Anticipating up to 30 mpg-plus on the highway with EcoBoost® power, Transit Connect Wagon offers a choice of two fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines, two wheelbase lengths and three series models – XL, XLT and range-topping Titanium

Transit Connect Wagon takes adaptability to a new level with the convenience of sliding side doors, fold-flat second- and third-row seating, a 1,200-pound-plus payload, and choice of a rear liftgate or symmetrical, side-hinged cargo doors

Buhler Ford at the Jersey Shore in Eatontown, NJ 732-544-5515 will be bringing this new 2014 Ford Technology to our customers very soon. You should tap into our RSS Feed or Newsletter to keep up with what's going with Ford cars, suvs, and trucks

Ford Launches Global Manufacturing System

Ford Launches Global Manufacturing System

“One Manufacturing” will improve efficiency and lower total cost of production

Ford Motor Company, already one of the world’s leading automakers, is launching its largest global expansion in 50 years as it introduces a single manufacturing operating system meant to drive improved efficiencies, increase capacity utilization and put the company in the lead for lowest total cost production.

“The global One Ford plan is making it possible for us to deploy One Manufacturing, a single Ford production system that will pay tremendous dividends through standard processes, greater flexibility and improved investment efficiency,” stated Ford Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing John Fleming, at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars in August.

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Ford is boosting capacities around the world, including a significant expansion in Asia Pacific Africa (APA), where nine new plants will be built. These new facilities will increase the region’s capacity to produce 2.9 million vehicles a year, part of Ford’s global plan to meet its goal of selling eight million vehicles a year by 2015.

With the addition of these new facilities, Ford is also expanding the use and application of common manufacturing processes and standard systems for tracking material, delivery maintenance and environmental costs so that both existing and new plants operate the same. Ford is also expanding the use of virtual tools to lower the cost of new plants and improve the efficiencies of new-model changeovers.

Ford’s One Manufacturing system will include:

Better flexibility: The percent of flexible body shops in Ford’s operations will increase from 55 to 65 percent in 2012. Each new plant launched will have a flexible body shop. Additionally, the number of vehicle derivatives that can be assembled in one single factory is also increasing; by 2015, Ford will be capable of producing 25 percent more derivatives per plant than in 2011. Some of the new plants in APA will have the ability to produce six and seven vehicles from one factory.

Process/quality Improvement: Buhler Ford is increasing the use of virtual tools that simulate vehicle assembly. By studying the best way for operators to build each part of the vehicle, Ford can create assembly lines that improve quality while reducing accidents and injuries.

Investment efficiency: The investment it takes to assemble a vehicle has been reduced by more than 20 percent since 2009 thanks to virtual tools. Additionally, Ford has reduced the investment to produce a vehicle derivative by 60 percent. By expanding the use of virtual tools and standard processes, total vehicle investment is expected to drop by eight percent per year.

Capacity utilization: With the launch of new plants, Ford is reducing the number of platforms from which vehicles are developed. When paired with more efficiencies and improved flexibility, Ford will be able to take advantage of global economies of scale and drastically improve capacity utilization; the brand’s global capacity utilization on a two-shift basis will increase 27 percent by 2016, compared to 2011.

Buhler Ford’s One Manufacturing process will allow assembly operations to work using the same language, regardless of where they are in the world, and will produce high-quality vehicles in a way that is both safe and efficient.

Ford Debuts New Method of Attaching Windshields

Ford Debuts New Method of Attaching Windshields

The patented process exemplifies clean technology at its best.

Ford Motor Company is commercializing a new process that makes attaching vehicle windshields simpler, eco-friendly and less costly. Two separate patents cover this cutting-edge technology. The first patent is for the process with the edge of the windshield glass that can be cleaned and activated in less than 10 seconds. The second patent involves the application of a plasma-reacted nano-coating that helps prepare the surface for the bonding of the adhesive that holds the windshield in place.

Ford Research & Innovation Technical Expert Larry Haack says this technology provides multiple benefits. “The new patented process has the potential to reduce costs because it requires far less material to create the ultra-thin bond coating, and the fully automated process is much less labor-intensive,” explains Haack. “This new process also lessens the use of chemicals including VOCs [volatile organic compounds], which is good for the environment.”

The windshield attachment method used by automakers now releases small amounts of highly undesirable solvent emissions. The glass is first wiped with a solvent cleaner, and then primer and adhesive are applied to secure the windshield to the vehicle. The new technology eliminates the use of solvents that contain VOCs and reduces steps such as wiping the glass clean.

The automaker has signed a nonexclusive, worldwide license agreement with Plasmatreat U.S. L.P. that grants the right to use Ford’s new patents and incorporate the technology into Plasmatreat equipment and patents. Ford will also provide technical assistance to Plasmatreat and its customers. The partnership is designed to help introduce the technology to a variety of markets. According to Ford Global Technologies L.L.C. Technology Commercialization Director Chris Danowski, the heavy truck, motor home and bus industries will be among the first markets to obtain the new process.

The partnership with Plasmatreat, based in Elgin, Illinois offers exciting opportunities for Ford. Danowski feels that companies like Plasmatreat can help commercialize new technologies and make them available to the market faster. He also notes, “Such relationships are very beneficial, as we are simplifying the manufacturing process and making it more environmentally friendly, too.”

Ford’s latest technological achievement is part of a long-standing, company-wide effort to reduce waste and develop more eco-conscious practices. Advanced methods like those used in the windshield-attachment patents set the bar high for both industry competitors and even Ford itself, as it continues to develop smarter ways to build quality vehicles.