Aluminum-intensive 2015 Ford pickups will arrive at dealerships in December
The first production version of the aluminum-body 2015 Ford F-150 pickup rolled off the line today at Ford Motor Co.’s Dearborn, Mich., truck plant after years of preparation.
Ford aims to stake out its engineering leadership with the 2015 F-150, the industry’s first mass market, aluminum-body truck.
The industry has been watching as Ford has transformed its assembly and stamping plants in Dearborn in preparation to build the new truck, which requires different metal joining techniques from traditional steel bodies.
Skeptics have predicted the ramp-up could be slow as Ford breaks in its manufacturing process, building about 60 trucks an hour at full line speed. Ford has repeatedly said that the launch is on schedule and that F-150s will arrive in dealerships in December.
The 2015 Ford F-150 represents a huge leap for the conventional pickup truck and leaps don’t occur without risk. When you’re dealing with the best-selling and probably the most profitable ...
In a release, Ford said the new F-150 “stands for the future of trucks, and brings the latest in smart technologies and state-of-the-art build processes.”
Ford shut down its Dearborn manufacturing operation for nearly two months to install 500 robots in the body shop to “conduct state-of-the-art joining technology that leads to a tougher truck,” Ford said in the release.
Ford’s Dearborn stamping plant added new press lines to stamp four types of high-strength aluminum alloys that reduce the weight of the cab and cargo box and improve durability, Ford claims.
Ford added 850 workers at its Dearborn operations to support the launch.
Ford updated the paint shop in Dearborn with new dirt detection technology and increased robotic automation, the company said.
After the Dearborn plant gets ramped up, Ford will shut its Kansas City assembly plant in Claycomo, Mo., in the first quarter of 2015 to prepare it for 2015 F-150 production.
Ford shut down its Dearborn manufacturing operation for nearly two months to install 500 robots in the body shop to “conduct state-of-the-art joining technology that leads to a tougher truck,” Ford said in the release.
Ford’s Dearborn stamping plant added new press lines to stamp four types of high-strength aluminum alloys that reduce the weight of the cab and cargo box and improve durability, Ford claims.
Ford added 850 workers at its Dearborn operations to support the launch.
Ford updated the paint shop in Dearborn with new dirt detection technology and increased robotic automation, the company said.
After the Dearborn plant gets ramped up, Ford will shut its Kansas City assembly plant in Claycomo, Mo., in the first quarter of 2015 to prepare it for 2015 F-150 production.
Aluminum versions of the F-150 will be as many as 750 pounds lighter than comparable steel-body versions of the current 2014 truck, depending on trim levels, the company has said. Ford is counting on the F-150 to help it meet more stringent fuel economy regulations.
Ford CEO Mark Fields has said Ford is committed to more aluminum vehicles. On Sept. 29, he said the next-generation Super Duty pickup also will be aluminum.
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