8 October 2013

A centenary for Ford innovation



Ford is celebrating 100 years since founder Henry Ford introduced the first moving assembly line in car production, writes Trish Whelan.

By 2017, each of the company's assembly facilities around the world will be producing four models on the same line.

The company has around 130,000 workers around the world on lines which today use the latest automation technologies. Coming innovations which will make car manufacturing even more efficient include 3D printing, advanced prototyping and more.

Also in 2017, virtually all Ford vehicles will be built off nine core platforms, boosting manufacturing efficiency further. Currently the company's products come off 15 platforms.

New lines are being built in Brazil, China, India and Russia at the moment, in many cases adding to manufacturing facilities already in those places.

Pictured above is the 10 millionth Model T Ford coming off the assembly line in Detroit in 1924