Deliver Your News to the World

Ford Flexible Engine Production Boosted By Investment In Britain


WEBWIRE

BRIDGEND/DAGENHAM, UK, August 22, 2006 – Ford of Europe is now reaping the benefits of a 3-year, £890 million ($1.670m / €1.305m) investment in flexible manufacturing facilities at its two UK-based engine plants.

The move will significantly increase output while at the same time allow Ford to better serve the market for new vehicles. By 2009, Ford will be building approximately two million engines a year in Britain, with output split evenly between its Bridgend and Dagenham engine plants. The combined plants are on track to produce nearly 1.3 million engines this year.

“Flexible technology is the key to this growth, enabling us to produce more than one type of engine on the same assembly line,” said John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe. “It allows us to respond quickly and efficiently to changing customer demands.”

In the high-tech Dagenham and Bridgend plants, engine blocks are mounted on standard-sized platens prior to their journey down the assembly line. A bar code system ensures timely delivery of the components line-side operators need to assemble each individual engine. With this flexible system, the highly trained line operators are able to switch between different products smoothly and efficiently.

The Bridgend plant in South Wales produces a variety of petrol engines, from 1.25 litre Zetec SE for the Ford Fiesta, to the AJ V8 series engines for Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles. The Dagenham Diesel Centre makes engines ranging from the 1.8 litre TDCi for Ford Focus, Focus C-MAX, Transit Connect and Galaxy, to a new state-of-the-art 3.6 litre V8.

In a major output expansion earlier this year, both plants introduced new, premium engines. Dagenham Diesel Centre launched a V8 diesel engine, and Bridgend began manufacturing a new 3.2 litre 6-cylinder power unit.

More than £12.2 million was invested at Dagenham in the development and manufacture of the twin-turbo 3.6-litre V8 engine, bringing the total invested to £644.2 million since the facility became Ford’s diesel centre of excellence in 2003.

The new Bridgend-made 3.2-litre, 6-cylinder engine, designated SI6, marks the completion of a £245 million, two-year investment programme at the plant to produce the new engines for Ford Motor Company’s Premier Automotive Group brands.

With the exception of its V8 engines, which are supplied to Jaguar and Land Rover plants in Britain, the majority of Bridgend’s engine output is exported, either to Volvo’s plant in Sweden or to Ford vehicle manufacturing centres in Germany and Spain.

Dagenham also benefits the British economy by exporting a substantial percentage of its total output. While Dagenham supplies engines to Jaguar and Land Rover and to Ford’s Transit plant in Southampton in southern England, the bulk of its production is exported to Ford plants in Belgium, Germany and Turkey.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

* In addition to Bridgend and Dagenham, Ford of Europe has plants in Valencia (Spain) and Cologne (Germany), as well as a joint venture facility in Inonu (Turkey), producing engines for vehicles in Europe, North America and other markets. Last year, those plants produced more than 570,000 engines.
* With its firm commitment to the environment, Ford invests heavily to ensure that its powertrains are fuel efficient, comply with stringent emission standards and are manufactured in environmentally responsible plants. The Bridgend and Dagenham plants, for example, utilise innovative clean energy installations. Bridgend has one of the largest solar energy installations in Europe, while Dagenham receives power generated by two giant wind turbines.
* Ford Motor Company’s commitment to environmental innovation was recently further strengthened by an announcement in July that is to spend at least £1 billion developing a range of global environmental technologies in the UK for its Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo brands. The investment will focus on delivering an extensive list and variety of technologies including lightweight, hybrid electric and bio-fuel vehicles.
* Ford has already invested significantly and made great progress over the last decade. Ford’s fleet is significantly cleaner today than ever before. For example, t he current Ford Focus 1.8-litre TDCi diesel model has better performance, improved fuel economy and produces 26% less CO 2 than an equivalent Escort 1.8 TCi model from 1998. With these further technology plans, Ford’s fleet in the next decade will use literally millions of tonnes less CO 2 over its lifetime on the road than the fleet does today.
* Bridgend’s engine range:
1.25 L 4-cyl. Zetec SE – Fiesta, Mazda2
1.4 L 4-cyl. Zetec SE – Fiesta, Fusion, Focus, Mazda2
1.6 L 4-cyl. Zetec SE – Fusion, Focus, Focus C-MAX, Volvo S40
3.2 L I6 – Volvo/ Land Rover Freelander
3.5 L V8 – Jaguar XJ/XK/S-Type
4.2 L V8 – Jaguar XJ/XK/S-Type
4.4 L V8 – Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Sport
* Dagenham’s engine range:
1.8 L TDCi – Focus, C-MAX, Transit Connect, Galaxy
2.0 L TDCi – Mondeo, S-MAX, Galaxy, Transit, Jaguar X-Type
2.4 L TDCi – Transit
2.7 L V6 Diesel – Jaguar S-Type, LR Discovery, RR Sport, Peugeot 607 and 407,
Citroën C6
3.6 L V8 Diesel – Range Rover



WebWireID18936





This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.

News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.