Ford Motor Company is using cutting edge manufacturing technology to ensure high quality vehicles to ensure parts and panel accuracy of 99.99 percent.
Panels are scanned by Ford’s ScanBox 3D scanner, which is up to 80 percent faster than traditional methods of measurement and is able to provide all-in-one scanning, inspection and reporting at the press of a button.
“The ScanBox blue light scanner enables every Ford vehicle we produce at either Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) or Silverton in South Africa, to meet our rigorous quality standards,” said Andrew Fromholtz, Body and Stamping chief engineer, Ford International Markets Group (IMG).
In Silverton, South Africa, Jan Groenewald manages the stamping plant where body panels for the new Ranger are produced.
“We target a 99.99 percent accuracy of all of the parts that go into the new Ranger, and tools like the blue light scanner help us to meet that commitment,” Groenewald said.
How it works
“The ScanBox system scans an actual part and compares it to our 3D computer-aided design (CAD) models to ensure we have a perfect match,” Groenewald said. “The scanner measures not just the perimeter dimensions but also the surface dimensions of the part, quickly and precisely.”
Blue light scanning technology is more efficient and effective than the traditional CMM (coordinate measuring machines) method. Objects can be scanned in seconds and the results can be turned into more useful visual feedback for technicians.
“Using conventional CMM methods, a good metrologist would take an hour to an hour and a half to get a roof measured. With this system, we’re able to measure a part within two minutes 50 seconds,” Groenewald said.
That means parts can be passed through for production much faster with the knowledge that any issues will have been identified and rectified early.
Rangers produced in South Africa and Thailand are exported to more than 180 countries.
