Livonia Transmission

Livonia Transmission is a Ford Motor Company transmission factory in Livonia, Michigan. It is located at 36200 Plymouth Road. The plant sits on 182 acres and totals 3.3 million square feet of enclosed floorspace, making it the largest transmission plant in North America.

Lima Engine

Lima Engine is a Ford Motor Company automobile engine plant located in Lima, Ohio. The factory was opened in 1957 as the site of production of Ford's MEL V8 for the Edsel car. It subsequently produced six-cylinder engines (the 170/200/250 family), the 385-series 370/429/460 big block V8 engines, the 2.3/2.5 L HSC/HSO (Pushrod) four-cylinder engines for the Ford Tempo, Mercury Topaz, and Ford Taurus and the 2.0/2.3/2.5 L OHC four-cylinder used in Ford Mustang, Ford Aerostar, Ford Ranger and Mazda B2300/B2500 compact trucks.

Today, Lima currently produces two engines: the 3.5 liter Duratec 35 and the 3.7 liter Duratec 37.

Products:
2.7 L 2.7 Ecoboost
3.0 L Vulcan V6
3.0 L Duratec 30 V6 crankshafts
3.5 L Duratec 35 V6
3.7 L Duratec 37 V6

Kentucky Truck Assembly

Kentucky Truck Plant is an automobile manufacturing plant owned by Ford Motor Company in Louisville, Kentucky. The 4,626,490-square-foot (429,815 m2) plant on 500 acres (2.0 km2) opened in 1969 and currently employs 5,154 people total. It is located at 3001 Chamberlain Lane in the Northeast corner of the city. Ford also operates another plant in Louisville, the Louisville Assembly Plant.

Contents
1 Production
2 Products made
2.1 Past
3 See also


Production

The plant houses approximately 24 miles (39 km) of conveyor belts. Vehicle output average is 85 vehicles per hour.

The F-250 to F-550 Ford Super Duty line of trucks is currently built here. At one time, medium and heavy trucks (semis) and over the road haulers were built here, including the Ford L-Series trucks, which were named for Louisville.

The Kentucky Truck Assembly Plant also manufactures the Ford Expedition (both regular and EL/Max larger models) and Lincoln Navigator (both regular and L versions) alongside the F250, 350, 450 and 550. This additional production began in January 2009.

Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant

The Ford Motor Company's Kansas City Assembly plant in Claycomo, Missouri is a large automotive manufacturing plant, which has been called the largest car manufacturing plant in the United States in terms of units produced.[1] Fortune Magazine noted that in 2004 it was producing 490,000 units a year generating a buzz that it produces "a truck a minute."

The plant is about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of the Kansas City, Missouri city center. Since its opening in 1951, the Ford Claycomo Plant, as many in the Kansas City area call it, has generated thousands of jobs, millions of tax dollars for the otherwise minor suburb, and is the largest tax generator in Clay County, Missouri, most of which fund North Kansas City and Liberty schools.

Contents
1 History
2 Current
3 Products Made
4 References
5 External links

History

The KCAP opened in 1951 for military production. Converted to auto assembly in 1956, it began production as a Ford assembly plant in 1957. Previously, the plant assembled the Country Squire Station Wagon, Falcon, Comet, Fairlane, Meteor, Maverick, Fairmont, Zephyr, Tempo, Topaz, Contour, Mystique, Ford Escape, Ford Transit Connect and the Ford F-150 series. In 2015 they started building the all aluminum Ford F-150's.
Current[edit]

The 4,700,000-square-foot (440,000 m2) on 1,270 acres (5.1 km2) facility employs approx. 6,000 people including the new stamping plant for the Ford Transit to begin production in the winter of 2013. Plant tours were discontinued on September 12, 2001 due to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. In 2006, the plant tours were brought back to the public since many visitors criticized the plant for not bringing back the tours.

The KCAP is responsible for building the popular F-150 (Ford F-Series). In December 2010 Ford announced it was moving the Ford Escape and Ford Escape Hybrid to the Louisville Assembly Plant, which is undergoing $600 million in renovations. The move stirred fears that it could result in the loss of half the jobs at the 3,700-person plant.[2]

Missouri had been anticipating changes at the plant. In 2010 it passed the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act providing tax incentives for companies that invest in plants in the state by allowing them to keep employee withholding taxes. While the bill would benefit all industrial businesses it was specifically targeting the plant and was introduced by Jerry Nolte, whose district includes the plant.[3] Ford could save $150 million over 10 years if it invests in the plant.[4] The bill had been the subject of a filibuster by United States Senate candidate Chuck Purgason who objected to the favoritism extended to Ford and read aloud sections of Allan W. Eckert's The Frontiersman into the record.[5]

A day after the announcement of the move of the Escape, Ford said a yet to be announced line would replace the Escape. In 2011, Ford said it would spend $1.1 billion on additions and upgrades, including a new stamping plant.[6] In 2012, it was announced that the plant would be the North American lead production site for the new Ford Transit, set to replace the Ford E-Series from 2014.

Ford River Rouge Complex

The Ford River Rouge Complex (commonly known as the Rouge Complex or just The Rouge) is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan, along the Rouge River, upstream from its confluence with the Detroit River at Zug Island. Construction began in 1917, and when it was completed in 1928 it had become the largest integrated factory in the world.

1 Structure
2 Production
3 Ford Rouge Center
4 Renovated architecture
5 Products Made
6 References
7 External links

Structure

The Rouge measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide by 1 mile (1.6 km) long, including 93 buildings with nearly 16 million square feet (1.5 km²) of factory floor space. With its own docks in the dredged Rouge River, 100 miles (160 km) of interior railroad track, its own electricity plant, and integrated steel mill, the titanic Rouge was able to turn raw materials into running vehicles within this single complex, a prime example of vertical-integration production. Over 100,000 workers were employed there in the 1930s.

Some of the Rouge buildings were designed by Albert Kahn. His Rouge glass plant was regarded at the time as an exemplary and humane factory building, with its ample natural light coming through windows in the ceiling. More recently, several buildings have been converted to "green" structures with a number of environmentally friendly features.

In the summer of 1932, through Edsel Ford's support, Diego Rivera studied the facilities at the Rouge; these studies became a major part of his set of murals Detroit Industry, on continuous display at the Detroit Institute of Arts since their completion in 1933.
Production

 Interior of the Rouge Tool & Die works, 1944

The Rouge's first products were Eagle Boats, World War I anti-submarine warfare boats produced in Building B. The original Building B, a three-story structure, is part of the legendary Dearborn Assembly Plant, which started producing Model A's in the late 1920s and continued production through 2004. After the war, production turned to Fordson tractors. Although the Rouge's coke ovens and foundry produced nearly all the parts of the Model T, assembly of that vehicle remained at Highland Park. It was not until 1927 that automobile production began there, with the introduction of the Ford Model A. Later Rouge products included the 1932 Model B, the original Mercury, the Ford Thunderbird, and four decades of Ford Mustangs. The old assembly plant was idled with the construction and launch of a new assembly facility on the Miller Road side of the complex, currently producing Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

On May 26, 1937, a group of workers attempting to organize a union at the Rouge were severely beaten, an event later called the Battle of the Overpass. Peter E. Martin's respect for labor led to Walter Reuther, a UAW leader, allowing Martin to be the only Ford manager to retrieve his papers or gain access to the plant.[3]

After the 1960s, Ford began to decentralize manufacturing, building many factories across the country. The Rouge, too, was downsized, with many units (including the famous furnaces and docks) sold off to independent companies.

By 1992, only Mustang production remained at the Dearborn Assembly Plant (DAP). In 1987 Ford planned to replace that car with the front wheel drive Ford Probe, but public outcry quickly turned to surging sales. With the fourth-generation Mustang a success, the Rouge was saved as well. Ford decided to modernize its operations. A gas explosion on February 1, 1999, killed six employees and injured two dozen more, resulting in the idiling of the power plant. Michigan Utility CMS Energy built a state-of-the-art Power Plant across Miller Road to replace the electricity and steam production, as well as the Blast-Furnace waste gas consumption of the original power plant. [4]As it ended production, Dearborn Assembly Plant (DAP) was one of six plants within the Ford Rouge Center. The plant was open from 1918 to May 10, 2004, with a red convertible 2004 Ford Mustang GT being the last vehicle built at the historic site. Demolition of the historic DAP facility was completed in 2008. All that remains is a 3000 place parking lot to hold light truck production from the new Dearborn Assembly Plant.
Ford Rouge Center[edit]

Lake freighters maneuver in the canal to unload ore at the plant, 1973

Today, the Rouge site is home to Ford's Rouge Center. This industrial park includes six Ford factories on 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land, as well as steelmaking operations run by AK Steel, a U.S. steelmaker. The new Dearborn Truck factory famously features a vegetation-covered roof and rainwater reclamation system designed by sustainability architect William McDonough. This facility is still Ford's largest factory and employs some 6,000 workers. Mustang production, however, has moved to the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Tours of the factory were a long tradition. Tours of the facility began in 1924 and ran until 1980. They resumed in 2004 in cooperation with The Henry Ford Museum with multimedia presentations as well as viewing of the assembly floor.

The management of Dearborn Truck has decreed that no vehicles from other manufacturers may park at the front of the main employee lot. Non Ford Family vehicles are required to park in the back 12 rows of parking spaces. Hourly workers from both Ford and Severstal facilities at the complex are represented by UAW Local 600.

Ford's SS William Clay Ford was based out of the River Rouge Plant.
Renovated architecture

In 1999 Architect William McDonough entered into an agreement with Ford Motor Company to redesign its 85-year-old, 1,212-acre (490 ha) Rouge River facility.[5] The roof of the 1.1 million square foot (100,000 m2) Dearborn truck assembly plant was covered with more than 10 acres (4.0 ha) of sedum, a low-growing groundcover. The sedum retains and cleanses rainwater and moderates the internal temperature of the building, saving energy.

The roof is part of an $18 million rainwater treatment system designed to clean 20 billion U.S. gallons (76,000,000 m3) of rainwater annually, sparing Ford from a $50 million mechanical treatment facility.[6]

Products Made
Ford F-150 (1948–Present)
Ford Mustang (1964–2004)
Mercury Cougar (1966–1973)

Cleveland Engine Plant number 2

Cleveland Engine Plant number 2 opened in 1955 to produce the Y-block 292 V8 for the Ford Thunderbird. More recently, it has been the site for Duratec 25 and 30 production. Today, it produces the VVT version of that engine used in the Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ.

Cleveland Engine

Cleveland Engine is a Ford Motor Company engine manufacturing facility in Brook Park, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland.

 Opened in 1951, Cleveland Engine Plant number 1 was the site of production for Ford's first overhead valve engine, the Lincoln V8. It was later the site of production for the Ford 335 engine, commonly called the "Cleveland". It also produced many of the "5.0" V8 engines used through the 1980s and 1990s, with the last produced in 2000. The demise of the 5.0 was to also be the end for CEP1, but Ford instead invested $350 million to refurbish it to handle production of the Duratec 30 for the Ford Freestyle, Ford Five Hundred, and Mercury Montego. Ford closed the plant in 2007.

On February 27th 2009, Ford Motor Company announced that it would be reopening Engine Plant 1 to produce their new EcoBoost 3.5L V6. The EcoBoost V6 produces 15% lower CO2 emissions, and is capable of 20% better fuel economy. Since the shutdown of Engine Plant One in 2007, $55 million in improvements have been made to accommodate the new production line.

Cleveland EcoBoost V6 engines will be available in the 2010 Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT, and Ford Flex, and will be standard on the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO.

Officials: Stamping plant fortunes to improve with Ford Explorer coming to Chicago

JOHN LUKE | THE TIMES U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, D-Ill., checks out doors for the Ford Taurus with UAW Local 588's Sean Coughlin, left, and Matt Kolanowski as she tours Ford's Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights.

Chicago Assembly

Chicago Assembly (frequently Torrence Avenue Assembly) is Ford Motor Company's oldest continually-operated automobile manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch community area of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Assembly currently builds the Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and Ford Explorer, all of which share the same platform.

Production started on March 3, 1924, as an alternative production site for the Model T to the River Rouge Plant. It switched to Model A production in 1928, and built M8 Greyhound and M20 Armored Utility Car armored cars during World War II. It was the site of pickup truck production for 40 years before that operation stopped in 1964. In 1985, it was selected as the site of production for the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable midsize sedans.

Ford spent $400,000,000 in 2004 to modernize the plant. It switched to production of the D3 platform vehicles for 2005. Nine automotive suppliers have built factories nearby at the Ford Chicago Manufacturing Campus developed by CenterPoint Properties. Ford's Chicago plant is a center for flexible just-in-time production. It employs over 4,099 workers.[1]

Buffalo Stamping Plant

Buffalo Stamping Plant manufactures sheetmetal stampings and welded sub-assemblies for Ford Motor Company's automotive car and truck assembly plants in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The facility was opened in 1950 with 1,235,895 square feet (114,818.4 m2) of working floor space. It has had six major expansions and the facility is now at 2,452,883 square feet (227,880.3 m2) or 53.3 acres (216,000 m2) of floor space.

The plant is located on an 88-acre (360,000 m2) site at the Eastern end of Lake Erie near the city of Buffalo, New York. The facility processes over 1,700 tons of steel each day and ships an average of 100 rail cars of parts manufactured daily. During the year, over 425,000 tons of steel are received for manufacturing at the facility. The facility has 20 major press stamping lines that include several transfer presses which include some of the world's largest. One of those large transfer presses is the Schuler. This press is 162 feet (49 m) long, 49 feet (15 m) high from the basement to the top of the crown and weights in excess of 7,000,000 pounds.

Buffalo Stamping is a surrogate[clarification needed] with two Ford Motor Company's Canadian assembly plants due to the volume of parts supplied to those facilities. St. Thomas Assembly plant located near London, Ontario, assembles the Ford Crown Victoria and the Mercury Grand Marquis. The other Canadian customer is Oakville Assembly Plant which assembles the Ford Edge & Flex, and Lincoln MKX & MKT (new for 2010MY).

The combined requirements of parts manufactured equates to almost 100 separate stampings and welded sub-assemblies for these customers. The facility supplies a total of 15 customers, Ford assembly plants and Ford part distribution depots. Buffalo Stamping Plant strives for continuous improvements in safety, working conditions, diversity and environmental issues.[citation needed] The facility recently received recommendation for endorsement to the International ISO 14001 Standard for Environmental Management Systems.

Buffalo Stamping Plant is the first major stamping facility in North America to receive this endorsement. Buffalo Stamping is also certified to ISO 9001 International Standard for Quality since 1996.

Flat Rock Assembly Plant

Flat Rock Assembly Plant, formerly known as Ford's Michigan Casting Center (MCC) (1972-81), Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA (1987–92) and AutoAlliance International (1992-2012), is a Ford Motor Company assembly plant located at 1 International Drive in Flat Rock, Michigan in Metro Detroit. The plant currently consists of 2,900,000 square feet (270,000 m2) of production space and employs 1,685 hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers Local 3000, as well as 140 salaried workers. The plant currently produces the Ford Mustang coupe and the Ford Fusion.

All-New 2015 Ford Mustang Begins Production at Flat Rock Assembly Plant; Marks Global Availability of Iconic Pony Car
2015 Mustang starts production at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant; car to be exported globally for the first time in its 50-year history
New Mustang goes on sale this fall in the United States, and in more than 120 countries next year
Mustang sets new performance and dynamics benchmarks for the brand with world-class handling, more precise steering control and enhanced ride comfort

The highly anticipated, all-new Ford Mustang rolls off the line today at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, marking production of the sixth-generation pony car. For the first time in its 50-year history, Mustang will be available globally to customers in more than 120 countries around the world.

The addition of a right-hand-drive Mustang to Ford’s global vehicle lineup will allow the iconic pony car to be exported to more than 25 right-hand-drive markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

“Mustang is and will continue to be an automotive icon,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. “Expanding its availability globally affords our customers around the world the opportunity to have a true firsthand Mustang experience – one unlike any other.”

In April, Ford celebrated the 50th anniversary of the original Mustang. In commemoration of this, each 2015 model will be adorned with a badge on the instrument panel that includes the galloping pony logo and the words “Mustang – Since 1964.”

Mustang’s impact goes well beyond the more than 9.2 million cars sold in its 50 years of continuous production. It has made thousands of appearances in film, television, music and video games, and is the most-liked vehicle on Facebook, with close to 8 million likes.

An enhanced experience, but still a true Mustang
 The way Mustang looks, drives and sounds is key to the visceral experience that makes drivers want to get in and hit the open road. The clean-sheet design of both Mustang fastback and convertible evokes the essential character of the brand, retaining key design elements – including the long sculpted hood and short rear deck – in a contemporary execution.

With more options to choose from, there is a Mustang to fit any lifestyle. The upgraded V8 is joined by a 3.7-liter V6 and an all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine that brings state-of-the-art technology to Mustang.

Mustang GT continues with the latest edition of the throaty 5.0-liter V8 – now featuring upgraded valvetrain, new intake manifold and improved cylinder heads – that yields 435 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque.

The Mustang 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine uses direct injection, variable cam timing and a twin-scroll turbocharger to deliver the performance Mustang drivers expect with an output of 310 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft. of torque.

With Mustang, it’s all in the ride
 When life throws drivers a curve, the all-new Mustang sets new handling benchmarks for the brand, delivering world-class dynamics and ride quality.

Mustang features all-new front and rear suspension systems. At the front, a new perimeter subframe helps to stiffen the structure while reducing mass, providing a better foundation for more predictable wheel control that benefits handling, steering and ride.

At the rear is an all-new integral-link independent suspension. Geometry, springs, dampers and bushings are all specially tuned for this high-performance application. New aluminum rear knuckles help reduce unsprung mass for improved ride and handling.

Transformed Flat Rock Assembly Plant
 In 2013, nine years after moving Mustang production there, Flat Rock Assembly Plant celebrated the 1 millionth Mustang built at the facility.

“What an honor it is for the hardworking and dedicated UAW Local 3000 workers of Flat Rock Assembly Plant to build the next-generation Mustang,” said UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles. “I don’t think there is any place in the world where this vehicle is not known. To build it right here in Michigan is something to be proud of.”

In the last year, the plant has been transformed. As part of a $555 million investment, it has added a state-of-the-art, fully flexible body shop to allow multiple models to be produced on the same line, supporting Ford’s flexible manufacturing efforts. Other technologies recently incorporated at Flat Rock include three-wet paint process, dirt detection and laser brazing.

In addition to Mustang, Flat Rock Assembly Plant also produces Ford Fusion. The facility has approximately 3,000 employees working two shifts at full line speed.

Flat Rock Assembly Plant has been producing vehicles since 1987, when it opened as Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA and built Mazda MX-6. Ford purchased a 50 percent share in the facility in 1992, and it was renamed AutoAlliance International. Over the years, the plant has produced Mazda 626, Mazda6, Mercury Cougar and Ford Probe.