Detroit-based automaker Ford has developed a new technology that will allow engineers to rapidly form sheet metal parts for low-volume production applications.
The company says that, once developed, the new technology “will allow for lower costs and ultrafast delivery times for prototypes”, which will take only three business days instead of the “anywhere from two to six months” span provided by present day conventional methods.
“The F3T sheet metal forming process is one of many advanced manufacturing technologies under development at Ford,” said Randy Visintainer, director of Ford Research and Innovation. “We developed this process during the past four years for small-scale applications in a laboratory setting, and the DOE award enables us to scale the process for larger applications and a full prove-out for manufacturing feasibility.”
For more info on this revolutionary technology, be sure to check out the video uploaded below, as well as the attached press release.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News