Ford Cites Benefits of Global Production System

Ford Motor Co. says its One Manufacturing effort to adopt a single production system worldwide will boost its ability to build multiple variants of a platform 25% by 2015.

Two-thirds of its assembly plants worldwide will be equipped with flexible body shops by year-end compared with 55% in 2011, according to the company. Ford says some of its newest plant in the Asia-Pacific Africa region will be able to assemble seven separate models simultaneously.

The company claims that using virtual tools to simulate a new assembly line has slashed manufacturing build problems at the launch of production by more than 90% since 2006. The same techniques have cut investment costs to produce a vehicle or a derivative by 20% and 60%, respectively, since 2009. Ford aims to continue to reduce total vehicle investment 8% annually.

Ford's unified manufacturing strategy includes adopting common material tracking, delivery, maintenance and environmental activities. The company predicts the effort will improve its two-shift capacity utilization worldwide 27% by 2016 compared with last year.