Ford has kicked off production of the all-new F-150 pickup truck at the historic Ford Rouge Center in Michigan ahead of the first deliveries scheduled for next month.
Ford’s revamped Dearborn Diversified, Stamping and Tool & Die facilities include new press lines to help stamp four different types of high-strength aluminum alloys, new hydroforming lines that use pressurized oil to form metal tubes into strong support rails, a new chemical coating system, and a new heat treat area.
The facility has five hundred new robots in the all-new body shop, where smaller, more compact robots being used to install the roof and doors, transfer the vehicle to final assembly, and scan the body to ensure quality standards are met.
The Dearborn Truck Plant’s paint shop has been updated with dirt detection technology and increased robotic paint automation for more durable paint application, while other new processes support the addition of new truck features, such as installation of a 360-degree camera with split-view display.
Ford hired 850 new workers across its Dearborn Truck, Diversified and Stamping facilities to support the launch of the all-new F-150. These new workers join the more than 4,000 existing employees.
In addition to Dearborn Truck Plant, the all-new F-150 will be manufactured at Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri, starting in the first quarter of 2015. Combined, the two plants will produce more than 700,000 trucks per year for availability in 90 markets globally.
Ford says the all-new Ford F-150 is projected to be at least 5 percent and up to 20 percent more fuel efficient than the previous generation model. EPA- estimated fuel economy ratings will be announced later this month.
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