Ford’s Global One Manufacturing
System Drives Efficiencies, Increases Capabilities and Lowers Total Cost of
Production
- Ford is deploying a single manufacturing operating
system that will drive improved efficiencies, better capacity utilization
- As part of increasing plant flexibility, Ford will be
able to produce 25 percent more vehicle derivatives per plant by 2015
- Ford will increase investment efficiency 8 percent a
year by using standard processes and virtual tools
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 6, 2012 – Ford Motor Company is supporting its biggest global
expansion in 50 years by rolling out a single manufacturing operating system
that will drive improved efficiencies, increase capacity utilization and make
the company an industry leader in 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,” said John Fleming, Ford
executive vice president, Global Manufacturing, at the Center for Automotive
Research Management Briefing Seminars today.
Ford is adding capacity around the
world, including a broad expansion in Asia Pacific Africa (APA), where the
company is adding nine new plants. The facilities will increase APA’s capacity
to produce 2.9 million vehicles a year, part of a global plan to meet Ford’s
goal of selling 8 million vehicles a year by mid-decade.
As Ford brings on new facilities, it
is expanding the use of common manufacturing processes and standard systems for
tracking material, delivery, maintenance and environmental costs so that new
and existing plants are aligned in how they operate. Ford is also making broader
use of virtual tools that reduce the cost of new plants and improve the
efficiencies of new model changeovers.
“It is critical that all of our
assembly operations, wherever they are located, speak the same language when it
comes to producing high-quality vehicles in a safe and efficient way,” said
Fleming.
Ford’s One Manufacturing system
includes:
- Improved flexibility:
Last year, 55 percent of Ford’s operations had flexible body shops, a
figure that will increase to 65 percent in 2012. As the company launches
new plants, each one will have a flexible body shop. Also, the number of
vehicle derivatives that can be assembled at a single factory is
increasing. By 2015, Ford will be able to produce 25 percent more
derivatives per plant from 2011. Some new plants in APA will be capable of
producing six and seven vehicles from a single facility
- Process/quality improvement: Ford is expanding the use of virtual tools that
simulate how cars are assembled. By studying the best way for operators to
install a seat, for example, Ford can design assembly lines that reduce
injuries and accidents while improving quality. Since 2006, Ford has
reduced the number of manufacturing build issues when a vehicle is first
produced by more than 90 percent
- Investment efficiency: Virtual tools have already reduced the investment it
takes to assemble a vehicle by more than 20 percent since 2009. In
addition, the company has reduced the investment to produce a vehicle
derivative by 60 percent. Going forward, expanding the use of virtual
tools and standard processes will reduce total vehicle investment by 8
percent a year
- Capacity utilization:
As Ford launches new plants, it is also reducing the number of platforms
that vehicles are developed from. When combined with improved flexibility
and more efficiencies, Ford will be able to take advantage of global
economies of scale and significantly improve capacity utilization. By
2016, Ford’s global capacity utilization on a two-shift basis will
increase 27 percent compared to 2011
