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Ford Plans 13 Weeks to Retool for Aluminum F-150
Ford Motor Co. is scheduling a combined 13 weeks of downtime at two U.S. truck plants as they prepare to build the company's aluminum-intensive 2015 model F-150 pickup.
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Ford Motor Co. is scheduling a combined 13 weeks of downtime at two U.S. truck plants as they prepare to build the company's aluminum-intensive 2015 model F-150 pickup.
CEO Alan Mulally tells analysts and reporters that Ford's factories in Dearborn, Mich., and Kansas City, Mo., will be idled for 11 weeks and two weeks, respectively, this summer. The retooling time will overlap the normal two-week summer shutdowns at the two facilities.
Ford says the next-generation F-150's aluminum body will slash the truck's weight by 700 lbs. But assembling it will involve different techniques, including rivets and adhesives instead of welding.
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