Ford energises virtual factory to cut costs and improve quality
1 min read
Ford in Spain is developing a simulated 'virtual factory' to simulate its vehicle assembly line production processes, building on work started in 1997 with a goal of improving quality and cutting costs throughout manufacturing.
"We have already started work on our virtual factory project, so that we won't have to go to the real assembly line to conduct tests or research possible plant upgrades," satates José Terrades, simulations engineer, Ford of Spain.
"Virtual factories will enable Ford to preview and optimise the assembly of future models at any of our plants, anywhere in the world," he continues.
"With the advanced simulations and virtual environments we already have at our disposal, we believe this is something Ford can achieve in the very near future."
Terrades expects computer simulation of the assembly process, based on Dassault Systemes software, to enable the vehicle build process to be tested before investing in new production line resources.
"The final assembly process simulations we use today allow us to do much more than simply plan our build sequences," says Nick Newman, implementation manager, Ford of Germany.
"We can piece together complete cars in a virtual environment and assess the construction down to the finest detail, and we plan to implement this even more widely in the future."
Ford is using digital camera technology to scan and digitise its real-world manufacturing and create ultra-realistic 3D virtual assembly environments. The company's Valencia plant, in Spain, is taking the lead and Ford says it hopes to enable remote evaluations to be conducted from around the globe.
In the Valencia plant, the firm is now using simulations to conduct "virtual build events" for new vehicle programmes. Engineers collect digital data on every component and load it into the virtual build environment, before simulating the assembly process from start to finish.
Meanwhile, at Ford's Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) facility in Cologne, interactive 3D interior environments of Ford development vehicles allow for evaluation of aspects such as visibility, instrument reach, ergonomics and roominess before building a physical prototype.
"CAVE brings emotion into the development process," explains Joerg Querengaesser, driving environment and virtual reality supervisor, Ford of Germany.
"We no longer have to view vehicles only through their technical dimensions. Now we can take a seat inside and experience the virtual vehicle."
