Technology

More than a century after Henry Ford began the first moving assembly line, Ford Motor Company is bringing his pioneering innovation into the mobile phone age.

Ford has established a wearable device, which linked to a smartphone app, allows production line workers making faster and more precise quality look at brand-new vehicles.

Formerly, employees at Ford's manufacturing center in Valencia, Spain, utilized a paper-based system that included strolling back and forth more than one kilometer daily to access details on desktop PCs. Now, a new Android app implies specification and quality checks can be made on the spot using a wrist-worn Portable Quality Assurance Device-- believed to be an industry-first-- and the moving assembly line can be stopped immediately as required.

"We have actually varied options and features across our car variety and digital innovation in our plants assists to produce lean methods within the manufacturing process," said Linda Cash, vice president, Manufacturing, Ford of Europe. "The capability to simply seek advice from a mobile phone screen to check any aspect of a vehicle's quality and spec helps to guarantee highest levels of item quality, and enhances work processes and making performance.".

The Bluetooth-enabled device acknowledges the specific quality examination demands for each vehicle that passes along the assembly line. These are displayed on the touchscreen of the wrist-worn gadget, and team members are then able to instantly follow up and approve. The brand-new system has assisted to reduce human mistake by 7 percent while at the same time making each automobile check seven seconds quicker. In Valencia alone, where the variety of cars produced this year is anticipated to exceed 400,000 systems, this represents a substantial time conserving that permits added quality evaluations.

Ford builds six nameplates as well as more body designs in Valencia that consist of numerous different vehicle requirements. These consist of the Mondeo sedan, the Mondeo Vignale, Kuga SUV, Transit Connect light industrial vehicle, Tourneo Connect people-mover, brand new S-MAX multi-activity vehicle, and Galaxy seven-seat people-mover. The business recently revealed it is completing the last part of a EUR2.3 billion investment in producing operations in Valencia, transforming the facility into one of the world's most sophisticated, flexible and efficient auto plants.

Ford production supervisor Ramn Garca recommended the wearable device linked to a smartphone app to the plant's management team after observing his associates and family significantly utilizing smartphone and tablet apps on lunch breaks and in your home. Ford, in partnership with regional software application business Visia Solutions S.L, established the Android-powered app.

"Smart mobile innovation progressively assists my coworkers and my family arrange our personal lives. It struck me that we could apply similar innovation to the workplace-- and enhance the automotive production procedure," Garca stated. "This technology assists us to better manage the increased complexity of more automobiles and more automobile specs being produced on a single assembly line.

"The initial feedback from production line workers has been very positive and we are actively taking a look at other locations at the same time where we might deploy digital development and further boost quality and effectiveness," Garca said.

Following a successful pilot project, Ford is now checking out rolling out the Portable Quality Assurance Devices to other plants.

As more consumers accept wearable devices such as clever watches, glasses and fitness trackers, Ford this year opened the Automotive Wearables Experience lab at its Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn. Here, researchers and engineers are working to integrate wearable gadgets and cars to make it possible for driver-assist technologies to be more knowledgeable about the driver behind the wheel-- especially when that driver is stressed or drowsy.

Valencia likewise is amongst Ford facilities in Europe that has actually presented a sophisticated wi-fi network for the versatile installation to automobiles on assembly line of the software application required for voice activated connectivity system SYNC 2. This makes it possible for assembly workers to download vehicle-specific language and navigation packs as needed for each automobile.

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