Ford Sollers mastered independent 3D - design of a welding equipment

2017

Ford Sollers mastered independent 3D - design of a welding equipment

Employees of Ford Sollers in Vsevolozhsk implemented the unique project in 2017: for the first time the new equipment for welding was developed by forces of own team of specialists. The production equipment designed at the plant allowed to increase stability of parameters of welding in comparison with products of foreign suppliers. Thanks to the new equipment transactions of welding for 60 Ford Focus components which were earlier imported by podvarenny were already localized. The weld stations created taking into account wishes of staff of welding workshop differ in higher reliability and ergonomics, than ready-made solutions from third-party suppliers.

Welding – one of the major technology transactions in production of cars imposing increased requirements as to qualification of staff of workshop of welding, and reliability, convenience and high accuracy of production of weld stations. Involvement of experienced local gurus on welding to discussion of design and construction on initial stages of development of the new equipment allowed to consider features of a workplace of the welder at the plant in Vsevolozhsk, to make use of the accumulated operating experience and service of the similar equipment and also to implement wishes of specialists to ergonomics of weld stations. Within the project factory workers mastered 3D - modeling of the equipment that gave the chance most quickly to enter the improvements offered by the internal customer to construction.

The general quality of the components made on the new equipment conforms to the global quality standards of Ford. At the same time with implementation of the new equipment stability of geometrical parameters of the made products which exceeds the set global standards improved.

Thanks to the equipment developed in Vsevolozhsk processes of welding for 60 parts of the Ford Focus model, including elements of sidewalls, amplifiers of a floor and the bottom, the shelf of a luggage carrier were localized. It allowed to reduce dependence of the enterprise on foreign suppliers. Besides, the project of the organization of delivery of the ready (podvarenny) Ford Focus components for export is already studied. In more long term experience of independent development of the equipment for production will allow Ford Sollers flexibly and to react quickly to requests of the market and to arrange production of new models in the minimum time with respect for all global quality standards of Ford.

"Localization of process of three-dimensional design by a factory command is a major step on the way of reduction of terms of reaction to requests of the market and development of such equipment which will solve problems of the plant with the minimum investments at high quality of the made products, – the manager on technology upgrade of assembly production Ford Sollers Alexander Rybochkin noted. – The project is a good example of application of the philosophy of lean production (Lean Manufacturing) providing the maximum customer focus and optimization of losses".

The Ford plants in Russia began to use the equipment printed on the 3D-printer

In March, 2017 Ford Sollers reported that it for the first time began to print on own 3D-printer the special equipment for the pipeline on production of cars. The technology is started at the Ford Sollers plants in Vsevolozhsk and Naberezhnye Chelny and allows to print about 30 different names of parts.

The 3D technology - printings is an economic method of production of parts. Certain parts of the equipment fail earlier, than the equipment in this connection there is a need of purchase of the new equipment entirely. Now, thanks to 3D printing, service life of the equipment lasts twice, - say in Ford Sollers.

The company tells that the first safe pads on the pneumatic equipment in workshops of assembly and welding of the Ford EcoSport and Ford Fiesta cars were printed. Protective pads are used for the purpose of security of workers on a production line. At capture of a nozzle of the tool a hand they exclude a possibility of tightening in the automated glove equipment.

The part printed on the 3D-printer (photos are Ford Sollers)

For part printing on the computer using the special program its virtual template is created. Further the model is processed for the purpose of its separation into layers. After that the printer gets to work: the printing head strongly heats up and plastic melts, the melted material moves from the lower part of the printing head, layer-by-layer creating ready 3D - a product.

The company notes that Ford Sollers constantly investigates 3D technology - printings and possibilities of its application on production and will expand the nomenclature of parts which are printed on own 3D printer.

Meanwhile, global Ford tests technology of serial production of automobile parts using the 3D-printer. The company reported about it at the beginning of March, 2017.

In Ford calculate that in addition to an economic benefit the 3D-printer will help to put new cars in production quicker. For example, designers needed to develop volume model of a part then on preparation of its production left till several months for production of a new inlet header. Using three-dimensional printing the new collector can be made for only several days. The technology will also allow to offer clients ample opportunities of personalisation of the car.