The American concern Ford understands vehicles. Today, there are a significant number of American cars that have won many world awards and which are so loved by the automotive community. The Ford Focus is no exception. Since 1999, more than half a million cars of this model have been sold in Russia. And in 2010, the sedan received an award as the best-selling car of a foreign assembly. Two years later, this model was recognized as the car of the year in the Russian Federation. But, nevertheless, for many, the question remains open: where is Ford Focus assembled for Russian consumers? Starting from July 18, 2011, Ford Sollers began to assemble the Ford Focus for the Russian market at the Vsevolozhsk enterprise. Until that moment, in Russia it was possible to purchase cars only of foreign assembly.
At our plant, they began to assemble a model with engine sizes of 1.6 and 2.0 liters. The car was produced with five- and six-speed mechanics and a six-speed robotic gearbox to choose from. Ford car Focus third generation got fresh, original appearance, a little more comfort and a few extra layers of security. Sedan Russian assembly equipped new system MyFord, which is able to manage all the systems and electronic "bells and whistles" in the car, including a WI-FI hotspot and a huge touch screen. Russian official dealers can offer you a Ford Focus 3 car with two petrol units for 1.6 liters (105 and 125 horses), one 2.0-liter engine (150 hp) and a diesel engine that produces 140 Horse power relics.
In which countries is the model still being assembled?
After the presentation of the "American" of the third generation in 2010, they began to assemble it in the city of Saarlius (Germany). A year later, the car began to be produced at an enterprise in the city of Wayne (United States of America). For their own markets, sedan production was later established in Africa and Latin America. In addition to these countries, the Ford Focus III model is produced in China and Thailand. In the past year, the "American" has experienced some changes. An updated version of the sedan began to be assembled last year in the United States. In Europe, the launch of the Ford Focus vehicle started on December 1, 2014. The Russian market is supplied with cars exclusively of domestic assembly, directly from the Ford Sollers car plant in Vsevolozhsk.
The enterprise has everything necessary for the high-quality production of the "American". Welding shops, assembly lines, spray booths and sites for storing assembled units work without failures. Finished cars are tested in a territory specially equipped for this process. Here, where the Ford Focus is made, they also assemble another model - Ford Mondeo. Domestic-assembled cars are a little cheaper at the price of overseas products. The manufacturer tries his best to assemble cars, the quality is no worse than foreign ones.
The quality of the Russian assembly
The true "American", produced in Europe, is famous for its impeccable technical characteristics and high level of comfort. What can not be said about the Ford Focus of domestic production. Most Russian car owners complain about poor sound insulation, bad ground clearance and hard suspension. It turns out that the enterprise in Vsevolozhsk did not focus on re-equipping the sedan for operation in Russian conditions, and in vain. Also, there are complaints that the paint that is used to cover the car body is not of very high quality and is very soft. From the reviews of the owners, it became known that the car is scratched from ordinary branches.
Speaking about the Ford Focus sedan of our assembly as a whole, Russian car owners make claims about the overall design of the vehicle. Some time after operating on our bumps and pits, the car starts to creak and annoy the driver with this. Therefore, the fact where the Ford Focus is produced plays an important role when buying a car. After all, the buyer wants to get a comfortable car with good driving performance and long service life.
In 1872, the son of an Irish immigrant fell off his horse while working on his father's farm near Dearborn, Michigan, USA. It was on this day that he decided to create such vehicle, which would not cause suffering and would be more reliable than vehicles using animal power. That bad rider was Henry Ford.
Subsequently, Henry and his eleven enthusiastic friends raised a hefty sum of $28,000 and on June 16, 1903, filed an application to organize an industrial enterprise in the state of Michigan.
Ford Motor Company began its production activities, and as a result, a "gasoline sidecar" driven by an 8 hp engine was created, called "Model A".
Ten years after this, Ford was known around the world as a genius who gave the world the Ford T - a car accessible to everyone. Ford Motor Company was the first to introduce the conveyor. Thanks to this technical novelty Henry Ford reduced the cost of the Tin Lizzy from $850 to $290.
What is the secret of Ford Motor Company's hundred years of success? When creating the company, Henry Ford dreamed of a car whose cost would not exceed the annual salary of those ordinary workers who assembled cars at a factory in Detroit.
Ford has gone through many changes in its 100 years of history. However, the belief that people should have accessible, reliable and modern cars, remained unchanged.
Henry Ford was born in Springfield, Michigan on July 30, 1863. He was the eldest of six children of William and Mary Ford (William; Mary Ford), who owned a prosperous farm. Henry spent his childhood on his parents' farm, where he helped his family and attended a regular rural school.
At the age of 12, Henry equipped a small workshop, where he enthusiastically spent all his free time. It was there that a few years later he designed his first steam engine.
In 1879, Henry Ford moved to Detroit, where he got a job as an assistant machinist. Three years later, Ford moved to Dearborn and spent five years designing and repairing steam engines, moonlighting from time to time at a plant in Detroit. In 1888 he married Clara Jane Bryant and soon took over as manager of a sawmill.
In 1891, Ford became an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company, and two years later was appointed the company's chief engineer. A decent salary and a sufficient amount of free time allowed Ford to devote more time to the development of internal combustion engines.
Ford assembled the first internal combustion engine in the kitchen of his home. Soon he decided to put the engine on a frame with four bicycle wheels. So in 1896, a quad bike appeared - a vehicle that became the first Ford car.
After retiring in 1899 from the Edison Illuminating company, Henry Ford founded his own company, Detroit Automobile. Despite the fact that a year later the company went bankrupt, Ford managed to collect several racing cars. Ford himself took part in motor racing and in October 1901 managed to defeat the American champion Alexander Winton (Alexander Winton).
The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903. Its founders were twelve businessmen from Michigan, led by Henry Ford, who held a 25.5% stake in the company and served as vice president and chief engineer of the company.
Under car factory converted a former van factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. Brigades, consisting of two or three workers, under the direct supervision of Ford, assembled cars from spare parts that were made to order by other enterprises.
The company's first car was sold on July 23, 1903. First creation of Ford became a "petrol sidecar" powered by an 8 hp engine, dubbed Model A. The car was described as "the most advanced car on the market, which even a 15-year-old boy can drive." In 1906, Henry Ford became the company's president and principal owner.
The first oval Ford logo appeared in 1907 thanks to the first British representatives of the company Perry (Perry), Thornton (Thornton) and Schreiber (Schreiber). As part of an advertising campaign, it was presented as a "stamp of the highest standard", designed to symbolize reliability and economy.
For the next five years, Henry Ford directed the overall development and production program. During this time, 19 letters of the alphabet were used - from Model A to Model S. Some of these models remained at the experimental level, not reaching the end user.
In 1908, Henry Ford realized his dream with the release of the Model T. "Tin Lizzy", as the Americans affectionately called her, became the most famous car throughout the history of the automotive industry.
Its base price was $ 260, and within just one year, about 11 thousand of these machines were sold. It was the appearance of the Model T that marked the beginning of a new era in the development of personal transport.
Ford's car was easy to drive, it did not require complex Maintenance and could even drive on rural roads.
From that moment on, the car became the subject of mass production, the demand for which is constantly growing.
At the same time, on the basis of the Model T, cars are being created for various services: pickups, cars for delivering small loads, ambulances, vans and small buses.
To meet the growing needs of customers, as well as increase productivity, Ford is introducing for the first time in its factories conveyor production, in which each worker performs one operation, remaining in one place. As a result of the innovation, another Model T rolled off the assembly line every 10 seconds, and the moving conveyor became a new, significant stage in the industrial revolution.
In 1919, Henry Ford and his son Edsel (Adsel Ford) bought the company's shares from other shareholders for $105,568,858 and became the sole owners of the company. In the same year, Edsel inherited from his father the presidency of the company, which he held until his death in 1943. After the sudden death of his son Henry Ford again had to stand at the helm of the company.
The Model A, released in 1927, was the first Ford car to feature an oval emblem on the grille. Until the very end of the 50s, most Ford cars were produced with the well-known dark blue badge these days. Although the oval badge was approved as the official emblem of Ford, it was not put on cars until the mid-70s.
The rapid pace of life constantly required increasing capacities and introducing unique technologies. Developing with the rhythm of the times, Ford Motor Company was ready to show off its latest achievements.
On April 1, 1932, the company introduced the V-shaped 8-cylinder engine to the public. Ford was the first company to produce a monolithic 8-cylinder block. Cars with such an engine became the favorites of practical Americans for a long time.
Already in 1934, trucks appeared on rural farms and on the streets of large cities. Ford cars equipped with a completely redesigned engine.
At this time, the problem of car safety is becoming more and more urgent. Henry Ford does not ignore this topic. For the first time, safety glasses are being used at its factories, Full time job to reduce the risk to human life - taking care of a person has always been and remains the most important aspect of the company's overall policy. Car enthusiasts and ordinary citizens pay generously for such care with their commitment and love for Ford.
The famous brand is gaining popularity not only in America, but throughout the world. During this period, Ford has a huge network of factories and stores throughout America, opens branches in Europe and Russia. Thousands of cars find their owners all over the world. The brand becomes truly popular.
In September 1945, Henry Ford transferred powers to his eldest grandson, Henry Ford II. In May 1946, Henry Ford Sr. was awarded an honorary award for services to the auto industry, and at the end of that year, the American Petroleum Institute (American Petroleum Institute) presented him gold medal for services to society.
Henry Ford died at the age of 83 at his home in Dearborn on April 7, 1947. Thus, an entire era in the history of the Ford Motor Company ended, which, despite the death of its founder, continued to develop actively.
But the grandson continues the work of his grandfather with dignity. June 8, 1948 new model Ford 1949 was solemnly presented at an exhibition in New York. Its main features are smooth side panels, independent front suspension and opening rear side windows.
The integration of the body and fenders was a novelty that set the standard for automotive design. In 1949 Ford sold about a million of these cars, reaching the highest sales volume since 1929.
The company's profits are also growing at a tremendous rate. This led to an increase in production facilities: new production and assembly plants, testing grounds, engineering and research laboratories.
New activities are being mastered: financial business - Ford Motor Company, insurance - American Road Insurance Company, automatic replacement spare parts - Ford Parts and Service Division, electronics, computers, space technology and more.
And finally, in January 1956, Ford Motor Company became a public company. The company currently has about 700,000 shareholders.
The focus of attention in the 60s is the youth. In accordance with the mood in society, Ford is rapidly reorienting its production to the creation of inexpensive sports cars intended for the young buyer.
It was then, in 1964, that the Mustang was presented to the public for the first time. The most important feature of the novelty was the use of a new engine, which combined two units - a transmission and a drive axle. It was favorably distinguished by its appearance - an original combination of all modern design trends of the 50-60s.
Such a keen interest, which this car caused, was not observed since the Model A. In the first hundred days, one hundred thousand four-seater Mustangs were sold. The company's profits exceeded all expected results.
Encouraged by the success, Ford continues to develop original designs, while using the most innovative trends and developments in the automotive industry. Their work was embodied in models like the Corina and the Transit van.
But not only profit worried employees and ford manual motor company. The fight for safety continues.
So, in 1970, Ford becomes the first serial manufacturer to introduce front disc brakes.
Since 1976, the legendary oval Ford emblem with a blue background and silver letters has been placed on absolutely all cars of the company, so that Ford products can be easily recognized anywhere in the world.
The conditions of fierce competition, especially aggravated during this period, encourage Ford specialists to introduce new technologies in other areas - special attention is paid to fuel economy. The goal of the designers is to create a world-class leader in the middle and executive segments of the market. The result was the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sebale.
It should be noted that Taurus was created as a car, every detail of which is brought to perfection. Efforts paid off - Taurus was recognized as the car of 1986, and a year later became a bestseller in America.
Ford's next innovations were the Mondeo, as well as a modified Mustang. 1994 premieres also included the Ford Espire and the Windstar minibus.
Then North America saw the revised Ford Taurus and Mercury Tracer show the first big changes in car design that hit the market in the late 80s. In Europe, a modified F-series pickup was also introduced, new Fiesta and Galaxy minivans.
The main goal of the company is the constant improvement of its products while reducing production costs. The results were world cars.
There are currently over 70 sold worldwide. various models cars manufactured under the brands Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Aston Martin. Ford also has a stake in Mazda companies Motor Corporation and Kia Motors Corporation.
July 9, 2002 in the city of Vsevolzhsk Leningrad region officially opened a new plant of the Ford Motor Company full production cycle.
The car has long been an integral part of our lives - so integral that a modern person cannot imagine a world without cars at all. Today they surround us everywhere, and after all, just a little over a hundred years ago, a car was such a rarity that only a select few could afford it. After all, they were then assembled purely by hand. But thanks to one man who revolutionized the automotive industry, everything changed. The man's name was Henry Ford. The company he founded was the first in the world to use the assembly line, starting mass production cars. For modern Russia, Ford became the first foreign company to open an assembly plant in our country. So how is Ford assembled in Russia today?
2. The Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk was founded in 2002 and became the first full-cycle automobile enterprise opened by a foreign company in Russia. The plant "Russian Diesel" was chosen to organize production. This fact made it possible to avoid the cost of building buildings, but imposed significant restrictions on production areas. Ford technologists had to think hard before writing technological process within such tight limits. But they did it. For this reason, the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk became a unique project, because, despite its relatively small size, it immediately became a full-cycle enterprise, and not just an assembly shop. On an area of 26 hectares, there are welding, painting and assembly shops, warehouses, a platform for finished products and even a test track. Until 2011, the Vsevolozhsk plant was the only Ford plant in Europe that produced Ford Focus cars in all four body modifications: station wagon, sedan, five-door and three-door hatchback of the first and second generations.
3. The life of every new car at this Ford plant starts from scratch - from a set of parts, fasteners, seals and plastics. This process takes about 14 hours and the first thing that the future Ford has to go through is the welding shop. Here, in the confident hands of welders and sheaves of sparks from stamped parts, the first body elements are born.
4. Primary welding is done manually using high-tech semi-automatic welding machines, more like some kind of fantastic weapon than a familiar welding machine.
5. Technology is well defined. Someone welds only the right back door, someone sidebar, someone hood. The movements of the welders are so precise that their work is more like a dance, so easily do they handle a huge welding machine suspended on a special articulated frame, balancing its weight and allowing to achieve special welding accuracy. Not unimportant is the fact that welding machines are robotic. A person just brings it to the place of welding. Power and duration of welding are programmed.
6. The result of the work of each section of the welding shop are ready-made elements of the future body. For example, side panels that are sent to another site for further welding.
7. At this stage, robots come into play. Six four-armed welding robots are working at the plant at the same time.
8. These smart and high-precision machines assemble the body of the new Ford from individual elements. It takes them several minutes to do everything about everything, during which the body is boiled from all sides, turning over several times like a feather in the robot’s hydraulic hands. It looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but it's reality - machines make machines.
9. All body parts come already galvanized. Therefore, the assembled, but not yet painted Ford already looks attractive, gleaming with silvery edges. After the welding robots, the conveyor delivers the bodies back to the person.
10. Here, thresholds are welded on two parallel lines and then the baton is passed back to the robots. So, as a result of the joint work of people of machines, the body of a brand new Ford Focus is created and Ford Mondeo.
11. Before continuing on their way, the assembled bodies are sent to check the geometry at a special Carl Zeiss stand. Permissible deviation from the norm - tenths of a millimeter. Every third assembled body is checked. Bodies that have not passed the test are mercilessly rejected, but such cases are extremely rare.
12. Successfully passed body checks are sent to the primary assembly conveyor. Here they are overgrown with a hood, trunk lid, fenders and, of course, doors. This does not happen immediately, but gradually as you move along the conveyor. For example, in this area, the rear left door will be installed, and a little later the front right, and then the left wing, and so on.
13. Thanks to this approach, the assembler does not spread himself over several types of work, but performs only one operation, bringing the accuracy and efficiency of his actions to perfection. Periodically there is a rotation of personnel in order to avoid "cycling" of employees on only one type of work.
14. The body assembled on the primary conveyor is sent to the painting shop, access to which is strictly closed to any unauthorized persons, in order to avoid even the slightest dust ingress. Painting takes several hours, after which the Ford assembly continues on the next conveyor, where in 2 hours and 42 minutes it will look like a finished car from a painted piece of iron.
15. At the initial stage, the doors are removed from the painted body. They will join it again after installing the mechanisms of power windows, the windows themselves and door locks, sound insulation, upholstery and other elements, depending on the configuration.
16. While this is happening, the body itself is overgrown with sound insulation, seals, electrical wiring lines, airbags, a pedal block, brake pipes, air-conditioned. In order for the assembly worker to know what parts he needs to install on a particular car, a manifest is fixed on the body - a special document on the vehicle configuration.
17.
18. The further the car moves along the conveyor, the more it takes on the appearance of a finished product. It is important to note that if during the assembly process, suddenly, something went wrong, for example, the worker dropped the mounting bolt into the internal cavity of the car, then he must immediately inform the shift supervisor about this and make a note in the corresponding document. The car, depending on the situation, is either immediately removed from the line, or the defect is eliminated later. In particular, attempts will be made to shake out the fallen bolt and somehow remove it. In any case, a car with a jingling foreign object in the body cavity will not fall into the hands of the end consumer.
19. Each new section adds new details to the car. So on the future Ford appears grille, upholstery, dashboard, controls and more. Here, on a par with people, another robot works - a glass installer. It is used for greater accuracy in applying the adhesive and the complete elimination of leaks during operation. The list of installed parts is huge and reaches several hundred, if not thousands, of positions. When using a car, its owner does not even suspect how much work has been done to create it.
20. Next, the car goes to the so-called "chassis" line, where the engine and transmission are installed on it. There is a "marriage" or "wedding" - this is how the assemblers call the moment of connection between the transmission and the body.
22. Here, fully assembled doors are returned to it, seats and other final elements are installed.
23. A fully finished car arrives at the control post. Here the assembly quality is checked, the joints are inspected, the quality of the paint and varnish coating, the work is checked electronic systems, lighting devices.
24. Surprisingly, a lot of women work at the factory. Due to the reduction in the labor intensity of production processes, all types of work have become available to the fair sex. They work on a par with men in all areas, with the exception of perhaps the welding shop.
25. The final chord is refueling process fluids. This happens at the same control post after the completion of all verification actions. However, car checks do not end there, but rather, on the contrary, they are just beginning.
26. Having reached this stage, the assembled Ford can already move on its own and is placed at the disposal of an employee who will check it on the move. Here every few minutes you can hear a horn signal - a safety requirement. Before starting the movement, the test driver is obliged to honk and only after that start moving.
27. First test bench for assembled car called Niagara. Here, the tightness of all seals and the quality of glass gluing are checked. Looks like an automatic car wash high pressure, only the pressure here is much more powerful and the spray system is an order of magnitude more complicated. Water is supplied from different sides and at different angles.
28. Before leaving the factory premises, cars are dynamically tested on a roll test, where the car is accelerated on rollers up to 110 km / h to check the operation of the engine and gearbox. The next step is the test track. Its purpose is to discover extraneous noise associated with assembly flaws. The track is a segment of the road, 200 meters long with different types of coverage, simulating different options that a car may encounter during operation, for example, paving stones, wooden posts, multi-level concrete slabs, and so on. And according to different types coatings must move at a strictly defined speed.
29. It is noteworthy that many women work here too.
30. Another control point is a vibration-temperature stand. This is a special chamber in which you can freeze a car to extreme low temperatures, simulating the weather conditions of the northern region. At the same time, the hydraulic installation, which consists of four independent vibrating columns, allows you to thoroughly shake the car. Cars are selected for such a test either selectively or at the signal of a tester who did not like something as a result of testing on the track.
31. Upon completion of all tests and checks, the end user receives a car with the famous Ford quality. In 2015, the Vsevolozhsk plant of Ford Sollers launched the production of two models at once: the new generation Ford Mondeo and the Ford Focus 4. latest Ford The focus is worth telling in more detail. Since its first appearance, Ford Focus has been a bestseller in its class on the Russian market for seven years in a row. He was called many times best car year, having won 18 awards in Russia. For 13 years of the history of the model in Russia, he has collected over 700,000 grateful clients.
The fourth generation Ford Focus has absorbed the best of previous generations, including the traditional reliability inherent in cars of this brand. It is a dynamic and comfortable car, which is equipped with new and improved technologies, a new engine, and is also specially adapted for Russian market. How else? After all, he is going to Russia and for Russia. It is for this reason that the Russian Ford Focus has the following features:
- engines are certified for AI-92;
- additional sound insulation;
- increased ground clearance;
- winter package;
- multimedia system with management in Russian;
- testing for Russian roads including winter test.
The fourth Ford Focus is equipped with a number of technical innovations:
- multimedia system SYNC 2 with voice control in Russian, navigation and traffic indicator in more than 50 cities of the Russian Federation
- advanced parking assistance system Active Park Assist with the function of parallel and perpendicular parking, assistance when leaving the parking lot and monitoring the space around the car at 360º;
- system automatic switching low / high beam;
- adaptive bi-xenon headlights;
- Rear View Camera;
- Ford MyKey® - the owner can program individual keys with the necessary settings;
- Ford EcoMode ® - helps the driver to change the driving style to reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions;
- Ford Powershift® - preselective automatic transmission gear;
- assistance system when starting on the rise (Hill Launch Assist);
- tire pressure monitoring system.
And all this is inside a modest, but very stylish and attractive car, which is assembled for Russians on Russian plant citizens of Russia.
32. The novelty is equipped with a completely new modern engine EcoBoost, providing excellent dynamics, low consumption fuel and CO2 emissions.
33. But, of course, the Vsevolozhsk plant of Ford Sollers is, first of all, people. In order for the brand new Ford Focus and Mondeo to continuously roll off the assembly line, 1,500 employees work daily in the workshops of the plant, whose professionalism and responsibility directly affect the quality of the cars produced, the positive emotions of their future owners, including road safety.
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The history of this legendary automaker began back in 1903, when Henry Ford founded a small company with eleven partners. Ford Motor Company. The starting capital was $28,000, which was raised thanks to various investors. Ford already had a wealth of experience in engineering, racing and business. True, his first company Detroit Automobile(1899-1900) went bankrupt, having managed, however, before that to release several racing monsters, which simply had no equal on the tracks of those years.
Negative sales experience is fabulous expensive cars was not in vain - Ford has now decided to start producing cars that would be available to the average consumer. The first product was ford model A is a small "gasoline sidecar". And in 1908, the legendary Ford T was born, which was destined to "put all of America behind the wheel." The car was initially quite affordable, and after the introduction in 1913 at factories Ford Motor Company conveyor assembly, has become even cheaper. In Europe, the First rumbled with might and main World War, and in the USA every ten seconds another Ford T model left the factory gates. The concept of "Ford conveyor" will become a household word, a symbol of monotonous and almost slave labor (especially in the USSR).
Ford T quickly becomes a real legend. The people dubbed him "Tin Lizzy" ("Tin Lizzy"). The car was produced in the most various modifications bodies (their number was not just large, but huge - the car was adapted literally for everything, from a pleasure roadster and a two-door sedan to a tow truck and a cattle carrier). Ford T was as simple as possible and, as a result, very reliable. A joke went around the country, about how a certain owner of this car repaired his junk miracle by buying a variety of junk from a junk dealer. By the way, Ford understood perfectly well how important it was to provide consumers with spare parts and paid a lot of attention to this issue, which once again had a positive effect on the popularity of the “T” model. "Tin Lizzie" was produced until 1927.
In addition to the legendary “T”, other models rolled off the assembly lines, many of which served as role models for other companies. So it was Ford cars that formed the basis of the products that he began to produce. GAS.
The Second World War brought with it military orders. The production of civilian cars was stopped, all production facilities were put into production military equipment, including tanks and aircraft. Henry Ford was not considered a trustworthy citizen, having managed to earn a lot of unflattering characteristics. He openly expressed his pro-Nazi views, was a staunch anti-Semite and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. However, he was also the owner of the largest factories in the country, so the military turned a blind eye to his past. However, in 1946, Ford will still be awarded prestigious awards for services to industry and the country. It happened just before the death of the founder Ford Motor Company, which overtook him in 1947, after which the management of the company passed into the hands of Henry Ford II - the grandson of Henry Ford.
Ford's death did not affect the development of the company in any way. She continued to develop at an accelerated pace, turning into a truly respected and even legendary. One after another, models appear that in the very first years of production become very popular, real bestsellers, experiencing reincarnations, one after another (a classic example is Mustang). For many Americans (and not only for them) Ford has become synonymous with the concept of "great car".
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| Ford Thunderbird 1964 (image from here) |
Headquarters Ford Motor Company is located near Detroit, in Dearborn, Michigan, USA (Dearborn, Michigan, USA). The company is one of the three largest car manufacturers in the world. The widest range of products is produced - cars of different sizes, purposes and costs. Much attention is paid to various types racing. Representative offices and factories of the company are scattered around the world.
Brands
In 1958 Ford Motor Company produced cars under the brand Edsel. It was an attempt to offer the buyer a prestigious, but enough affordable car. The attempt is extremely unsuccessful - in 1960 production Edsel that enjoyed extremely little demand was curtailed. Ford lost millions of dollars on it, and Edsel became synonymous with failure.
In 1986, an English brand was acquired Aston Martin Lagonda. The purchase was not very successful and in 2007 they got rid of it by selling it to a consortium of investors, led by the company Prodrive.
Also unsuccessful was the purchase in 1990 Jaguar and in 2000 Land Rover. They went to the Indian Tata Motors in 2008.
Things did not go too well in the case of Volvo Cars, acquired in 1999 and sold in 2010 by the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
From the brand founded in 1939 Mercury, under which cars of the middle price category were produced, it was also decided to refuse. The brand ceased to exist in 2010.
The brand has existed for several years. Merkur- from 1985 to 1989. It was sold mainly in the US and Canada, although a few models still reached Europe.
Subscribe toFord Focus on the streets of Russia is perhaps the most frequent guest. Indeed, this golf-class model is extremely popular in our Fatherland. Good design, modern motors, different types body, brand prestige - what else do you need? Need a good build! It is this question that excites the minds of those who almost decided to purchase products from the American auto industry.
Ford Focus Assembly Location
At the moment, Focus is being assembled in 5 states:
- China;
- Thailand;
- Russia;
- Germany.
The American concern does not lag behind other companies that have already launched their products in Russian Federation. So Ford equipped the assembly line, organizing the release of the model in Vsevolozhsk, which is listed in the Leningrad Region. Strictly speaking, the plant is not located in the city itself, but at a distance of 5 km from it - in the industrial zone. In total, about $ 230,000,000 was invested in this enterprise, and its staff consists of 2,000 people. For example, Ford modification Focus III began production on July 18, 2011. This is where the SKD assembly takes place.
Assembly features
The plant has several workshops in which all work takes place:
- Welding shop;
- Painting shop;
- Final assembly shop;
- Quality control.
welding shop
The panels themselves are not stamped at the enterprise - everything starts from the welding shop. It is supplied with body parts that are brought from Spain, and all of them come to Vsevolozhsk already galvanized. Welding takes place manually, by means of tongs, and the parts are fixed with manual clamps. But not everything is so simple. Despite the fact that welding is not fully automated - the worker only brings the device to the metal, while the duration of the electric pulse and the current power are electronically regulated. Each stage is followed by a welding check for accuracy.
The workshop itself is equipped with a separate quality control point. Upon receipt of the panel for work, the employee also receives its technological map with already marked welding points, and he is obliged to make notes on the actions performed in it.
From time to time, welded parts are taken to special chambers, where a computer program checks the quality of the work and compliance with the parameters. In addition, the company has implemented a system according to which a group that accepts any part from the previous one has the right to refuse it if mistakes were made while working with it. In addition, from time to time the bodies are tested for strength, when special robots try to break them with pincers.
Upon completion of welding, the finished body is sent to the grinding chamber, in which it is prepared for painting.
Painting shop
For painting, paint is supplied by PPG. First, the body undergoes a phosphating procedure, after which it goes to painting. People work in this workshop, not robots. The reason is that for such a volume of produced cars, the installation of very expensive special equipment is unprofitable.
On the other hand, all painters were trained and practiced in Valencia, where they proved their professionalism. Also, the pile does not fly to the body, because all the workers are dressed in special suits, the thread thickness of which is 1.5 km. A total of 12 colors are available.
Final assembly shop
This conveyor is made in the shape of the letter U. Painted “Focuses” slowly move along it, gradually acquiring more and more new interior details. Also, an engine is installed on it (its numbering is also carried out), transmission, suspension components. After pouring into the car all necessary fluids, "Focus" starts to go independently.
As in other factories, the clothes of workers attract attention due to the absence of any metal elements. If there are any, they are all covered with soft covers.
Quality control
Initially, optics are installed on it and the wheels are adjusted. Next, the Ford Focus is sent to the running drums, on which the brake mechanisms are tested, from where it rolls into the sprinkling chamber to check the tightness (there water is poured on it under pressure).
Only after that does the final control pass, where the inspectors meticulously inspect each copy. At the same time, they have every right to reject it due to flaws in painting, uneven gaps, and similar flaws. If everything is normal, the car receives the documents and goes to the dealership.
II Ford generation Focus
The previous generation of the popular model was also assembled near St. Petersburg. Assembly technology has not changed much since then. Even then, the strictest selection of plant employees was carried out, expensive European equipment was installed at the same time, and foreign criteria and quality control standards were adopted.
As a result, according to official data, the defect rate at the Russian plant was even lower than at the Spanish one. In addition, representatives of authoritative publications compared this aspect on models of European and Russian assembly, but did not find any differences - slightly uneven gaps, or slight distortions of the side window seals occur on all versions.
Build quality
The car is assembled quite well, nothing falls off, does not rattle, does not rot, etc. So there are no global flaws. On the other hand, there are also problems. There are complaints about the door upholstery, which very soon begin to creak, as well as to the moments of fitting parts - on some machines, due to such flaws, the paint is rubbed over time, the doors do not close tightly, and the light bulbs in the room lighting dimensions constantly burn out, and the lamps dipped beam do not last long (the reason is insufficient tightness). In addition, there are complaints about uneven gaps of interior parts and their creaking, and some even had antennas fall off, but these are isolated cases.
As for the II generation, there are few complaints about these cars, but they are. The owners note the fragile fixation of the plastic corners, which is in front of the exterior mirrors. There were cases when they were even torn off at the sink. In addition, the molding on the windshield can come off, causing the wind to whistle when driving fast.
All in all, the Ford Focus is definitely worth the money.
