Ford flexible engine production boosted by investment in Britain

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 launcheda 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.