CORRECTING and REPLACING Ford Trains Thousands of Kansas City Assembly Plant Workers to Support Upcoming F-150 Production
24 Febbraio 2015 - 9:45PM
Business Wire
- Ford rolls out an intensive training
program to prepare skilled trades and production workers at its
Kansas City Assembly Plant to produce the all-new F-150 pickup –
the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever – through
innovative manufacturing process
- The skilled trades program – tried and
tested at Dearborn Truck Plant – includes more than 400 hours of
in-class and hands-on courses training workers to effectively
operate the latest in advanced assembly equipment
- Dearborn Truck Plant started building
production F-150s in December 2014; Kansas City Assembly Plant is
on plan to start building production trucks by the end of
first-quarter 2015
Headline of release should read: Ford Trains Thousands of Kansas
City Assembly Plant Workers to Support Upcoming F-150 Production
(instead of Ford Trains Thousands of Additional Workers at Kansas
City Assembly Plant to Support Upcoming F-150 Production).
The corrected release reads:
FORD TRAINS THOUSANDS OF KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT WORKERS
TO SUPPORT UPCOMING F-150 PRODUCTION
- Ford rolls out an intensive training
program to prepare skilled trades and production workers at its
Kansas City Assembly Plant to produce the all-new F-150 pickup –
the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever – through
innovative manufacturing process
- The skilled trades program – tried and
tested at Dearborn Truck Plant – includes more than 400 hours of
in-class and hands-on courses training workers to effectively
operate the latest in advanced assembly equipment
- Dearborn Truck Plant started building
production F-150s in December 2014; Kansas City Assembly Plant is
on plan to start building production trucks by the end of
first-quarter 2015
Since May 2013, more than 8,000 skilled trades and production
workers at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant and Kansas City Assembly
Plant have undergone an intensive training program to support
production of the all-new Ford F-150 – the toughest, smartest, most
capable F-150 ever.
The production training program was designed to support F-150’s
innovative manufacturing process, which incorporates the latest in
advanced materials and forming and joining technologies, including
a cutting-edge riveting operation system versus conventional
welding.
Totaling more than 400 hours of in-class and hands-on courses,
the skilled trades program covers everything from installing and
configuring new equipment for the production line to constructing
the truck’s advanced electrical control system.
“Through this program, we have armed both our skilled trades and
production workers with the skills necessary to produce the next
generation of vehicle technology,” said Aris Janitens, Ford Launch
Planning and Work Force Readiness manager. “Our workers now are
able to deal with the latest in automotive manufacturing technology
and, as a result, keep production on schedule to deliver
best-in-class, quality trucks to our customers.”
A unique element of the overall program is the “train the
trainer” model, in which the workers become subject matter experts
on the new equipment, enabling them to train the crew they work
with on a daily basis.
The new manufacturing process called for the overhaul of both
Dearborn Truck and Kansas City Assembly facilities. Dearborn Truck
saw its largest manufacturing transformation in decades wherein
legacy manufacturing equipment was replaced with the latest in
production technology, including:
- New press lines to help stamp four
different types of aluminum alloys that assist with light-weighting
the vehicle cab and box
- New hydroforming lines to use fluid
pressure to form metal tubes into structurally strong support
rails
- New chemical and heat treat area for
corrosion resistance and material hardening results in stronger,
more durable materials
- Implementation of a closed-loop
aluminum recycling system process in which all aluminum assembly
scrap is collected and sorted so it can be used again in new F-150s
– a process that saves energy and lowers cost
- Investment in 500 new robots in the
all-new body shops to conduct state-of-the-art joining technology,
resulting in a tougher, more durable truck
- Updated paint shops with dirt detection
technology and increased automation for more durable paint
application
“An effective vehicle launch starts by understanding the current
processes and constraints of an assembly plant to align them with
the new parts and processes that are being rolled out,” said Brian
Miller, truck launch manager for Kansas City Assembly Plant. “But
the most important part of a successful launch is the
people. The people on the assembly line are key to producing
the best truck on the road today.”
The training program has resulted in the successful launch of
the all-new 2015 F-150 at Dearborn Truck Plant. Kansas City
Assembly Plant is on plan to start building production trucks by
the end of the first quarter of 2015. Combined, Dearborn Truck and
Kansas City Assembly will have capacity to produce more than
700,000 Ford F-150 pickups per year for availability in 90 markets
globally.
In January, Ford F-Series had its strongest sales month since
2004, the company’s best sales year ever for F-150. F-150 sat just
12 days on dealer lots last month – turning faster than any other
Ford vehicle. In addition, more than 1.5 million people have built
and priced F-150 configurations online.
Toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever
The all-new F-150 is the toughest, smartest and most capable
F-150 ever – boasting a military-grade, aluminum-alloy body and
high-strength steel frame, and shedding up to 700 pounds for a
lighter, more efficient truck than any previous F-150.
These weight savings lead to customer benefits regardless of
model configuration or engine choice. The innovative new truck can
tow up to 1,100 more pounds and haul up to 530 more pounds than the
2014 model, and it has the highest EPA-estimated fuel economy
ratings of any full-size gasoline pickup on the market. When
equipped with an available 2.7-liter EcoBoost® engine, the new
F-150 4x2 returns EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg
city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. Actual mileage will
vary.
Numerous groundbreaking features debuted in the all-new F-150,
including these class-exclusives:
- 360-degree camera view uses exterior
cameras to create a bird’s-eye view of the truck to help drivers
park, maneuver in tight spots, and navigate narrow roads and trails
when driving slowly
- Integrated loading ramps enable easy
loading of ATVs, motorcycles and mowers
- BoxLink™ cargo management system
combines metal brackets and custom cleats to secure a variety of
accessories in the cargo box – from ramps to storage bins to bed
dividers
- Trailer hitch assist adds a new
rearview camera feature that incorporates a dynamic line based on
steering wheel angle in the display to help customers line up their
truck and trailer with no spotter or need to exit the vehicle
- Remote tailgate allows for tailgate to
be locked, unlocked and released with the key fob
F-150 is part of Ford F-Series, celebrating its 38th straight
year as America’s best-selling truck and 33rd straight year as
America’s best-selling vehicle. Ford sold 753,851 trucks in
2014.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across
six continents. With about 187,000 employees and 62 plants
worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and
Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor
Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its
products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and
high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Ford Motor CompanyKristina
Adamski313.588.0849kadamsk1@ford.comorLloryn
Love313.303.9570llove22@ford.com
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