The robots at our Maraimalai plant are quite versatile. In an earlier post, we told you how they paint a Ford car. In this post, we will tell you how the robots put your vehicle together at the plant’s body shop.

The new state of the art facility has an array of high-tech robotics – a total of 92 new robots have been installed in the body shop, paint shop and final assembly.

The all-new body shop

Sixty-six robots are used in the body shop for critical processes like spot welding, sealer application and door hemming. The robots have increased the automation level at the expanded facility gearing for volume production to 30 percent.

Automated underbody framing robots build the lower and upper body structure of the vehicle. This operation requires absolute precision, as large metal structures are assembled and spot-welded into vehicle floorpans.

The body shop has also become “flexible”, with a framing line designed for handling up to six different models simultaneously in a single line.

Other features of the body shop

Green is a favourite colour at Ford’s Maraimalai plant near Chennai, where the Figo is being produced. The plant has almost 50 acres of green cover that includes well-tended lawns and a green belt. This is just one aspect of Ford’s commitment to the environment and the community.

Across the plant, Ford has also put in place initiatives to reduce energy consumption and emissions. “The biggest user of energy and fuel in a manufacturing plant is the paint shop,” says Tom Chackalackal, vice president, Manufacturing, Ford India.

Ford’s revamped paint shop incorporates the three-wet high solids process, which has reduced carbon dioxide emission by 15 percent and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emission by 20 percent. We call this the next-generation environment-friendly technology.

In addition, the paint shop uses energy-efficient ovens and equipment. “By introducing this new technology, we’re cutting energy use and fuel consumption significantly, and that’s good for the environment and the community,” adds Chackalackal.

Ford has also installed a zero-discharge wastewater treatment facility for the

Liked what the new Ford Endeavour looks like? We did too. The car’s good looks are thanks to the distinctive embossed chrome grille, wraparound headlamps and new tail lamps, the wide header bar, and, of course, its glossy colour and paint quality.

The new Endeavour is the first car to be painted using our pioneering painting technology– the three-wet high solids system. At Ford, we take pride in our high-tech colour selection and painting process. Here’s a peek at what goes into painting a Ford car.

Painting cars – Then and Now
Earlier, our designers had to rely on paint chips or a car door to see how a colour would look. Now, with computer-generated models, the designers map a colour on any vehicle, and view it from a variety of angles and lighting conditions to make sure it’s right. Thus designers can experiment, and we get better colours for our cars. BTW, the colours also need a nod from our dealer network and customers.

The three-wet high solids system was used to paint the new Endeavour. This paint system was pioneered at the Avon Lake plant for trucks in the US a couple years ago. Ford is the only automaker to use the three-wet high solids system in India. “We’re excited to launch this breakthrough technology in India,” says Kalyan Murugan, project manager for Ford India’s paint shop.

Why we Love it (and you will too)
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