All-new 44 000m2
Body Shop constructed at
Ford Silverton Assembly Plant for next-gen
Ranger
High level of automation using 493 robots and latest spatter-free welding technologies
Extensive range of advanced error-proofing, measurement and quality control systems to deliver highest-ever quality for
Ford’s local operations
PRETORIA, South Africa, 28 July 2022 – As part of
Ford’s R15.8-billion investment in its
Silverton Assembly Plant operations, a completely new high-tech
Body Shop has been constructed featuring the highest-ever levels of automation and quality control for the facility, which will be producing the next-generation
Ford Ranger for domestic sales and export to more than 100 markets globally.
The new 44 000m2
Body Shop and its supporting warehouse are located adjacent to the recently completed
Stamping Plant, providing a seamless flow of stamped panels to the line where the body and load compartment of the
Ranger pick-up are assembled and welded.
“Building a new
Body Shop was essential for the
Silverton Assembly Plant to achieve our highest installed capacity to date of 200 000 vehicles per year,” says Ockert Berry, VP Operations for
Ford South Africa. “This necessitated a much higher level of automation to reach our production targets, while also introducing the latest quality control systems and technologies that are essential for delivering consistent, world-class quality vehicles for our local and export customers.”
The new highly automated production line is designed around 493 robots that transform the numerous stamped body panels – including the underbody, floor, roof, body sides, cab framing and load box – into a complete
Ranger body, ready for transfer to the
Paint Shop. The robotic welding guarantees the highest level of consistency, employing the latest 100-percent adaptive controllers with servo guns to deliver spatter-free body welds. The plant manufactures a wide variety of configurations including
Single Cab,
SuperCab and
Double Cab, as well as left-hand drive and right-hand drive derivatives.
“Designing and building our new
Body Shop from the ground up has allowed us to integrate
IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things) into the manufacturing areas. This gives our production teams access to in-depth and always up-to-date analysed data trends, which allows them to make concise decisions to consistently improve productivity and quality,” says Adheer Thakurpersad, Area Manager for the
Body Shop.
Significant investment has been made in quality control technologies, including two inline
Perceptron measuring systems that measure and record every vehicle manufactured in
Body Shop along with their respective Geometric pallets that they are assembled on. Vision systems attached to sealer application robots provides further error-proofing, supporting
Ford’s commitment to setting an even higher standard for quality, reliability and durability with the next-gen
Ranger. Even the handling of the vehicle body during construction has been automated on the line, totally eliminating the need to move parts manually which could result in damage.
As with the new
Stamping Plant,
Body Shop is equipped with the sophisticated
GOM ATOS ScanBox blue light scanner system that provides a full 3D body scan for comparison with a stored design specification to highlight any potential issues. Furthermore, a twin-column fixed bed
CMM (coordinate measurement machine) performs a range of probe measurements that are accurate down to microns, or thousandths of a millimetre, to ensure that production remains within specification. The team also has access to a portable
FaroArm CMM, and a portable
GOM unit.
“To assess our weld quality, we conduct non-destructive testing and ultrasonic verifications, and we have a fully equipped destructive teardown facility to test the integrity of the weld spots,” Thakurpersad explains.
It’s not just the high-tech equipment and systems that contribute to quality and efficiency, as the production team continues to play a critical role, with the
Body Shop team comprising 38 salaried and 500 hourly employees. “Being in a highly automated environment, ongoing skills development is a priority,” Thakurpersad adds. “Therefore we have plans to install an advanced skills development facility in the body construction area, which will enable employees to continue developing their skills in automation and problem-solving.”
