Update on Mach-E launch progress from engineering friends in Mexico

[abr]

There's the Club site (less active) and the Nation site (basically dead from what I can tell).

Actually, that brings up something I’ve wondered - I know there’s another forum with a similar name (not sure if it’s permitted to mention “competitors” names ?) I glance in there occasionally, but haven’t joined. I see a couple of familiar names but, to be honest, that place is DEAD. Are there any other forums with this level of activity, or is this where it’s at? Also, what about social media? For reasons too involved to go into, I do not have access to Facebook. I had a Twitter account years ago when I worked for an employer who insisted that all employees get a Twitter account, but I’ve never gotten a personal Twitter account. I don’t have access to Instagram (Facebook).

There is also a Facebook Group, but even less info than Mach E Club. And a lot of very clueless people asking more inane questions than here!

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[janitorjim]

There is also a Facebook Group, but even less info than Mach E Club. And a lot of very clueless people asking more inane questions than here!

we can't let that happen. Need to up our inaneious

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

There is also a Facebook Group, but even less info than Mach E Club. And a lot of very clueless people asking more inane questions than here!

Yeah but he said he's not on FB.

There's at least two subreddits also but they don't seem particularly active?

 

[janitorjim]

Yeah but he said he's not on FB.

There's at least two subreddits also but they don't seem particularly active?

Is there a myspace group?

 

[macchiaz-o]

Is there a myspace group?

Only for our musicians. @GoGoGadgetMachE is in there pirating all the best tunes from our hero, Al Y.

 

[SnBGC]

This has probably been asked but do we assume if a car has a build date that it makes it all the way down the line by the end of that week?

We assume build begins by end of said week.

The big question for me is what does "build" mean exactly? In body on frame manufacturing (which may not be not how the MME is made).....the body is made by welding together metal stampings and then painted prior to heading to the trim Dept where they install the glass, wiring, interior etc. Then staged at the "body bank" to await final assembly. I dont know how Ford does it but many factories build a small supply of trimmed out bodies just in case there is a delay in the body building/painting process. I presume the MME process is similar but not sure.

So.....
What does "Build week of xxxx mean? Is that when the body assembly (welding) starts or when assembly starts. If the former, then I would expect the total process from first spot weld to drive left out of the factory to be about a week.


Maybe ChasingCoral can find out the entire process start to finish and post the steps for us along with duration. Or maybe he did that already and I haven't read it yet. Either way, I would like to know if there is a "body bank" and if so, about how many bodies are kept on hand. Meaning....at end of that day's shift.....how many fully trimmed bodies are buffered for the start of the next day's shift?

 

[ChasingCoral]

We assume build begins by end of said week.

The big question for me is what does "build" mean exactly? In body on frame manufacturing (which may not be not how the MME is made).....the body is made by welding together metal stampings and then painted prior to heading to the trim Dept where they install the glass, wiring, interior etc. Then staged at the "body bank" to await final assembly. I dont know how Ford does it but many factories build a small supply of trimmed out bodies just in case there is a delay in the body building/painting process. I presume the MME process is similar but not sure.

So.....
What does "Build week of xxxx mean? Is that when the body assembly (welding) starts or when assembly starts. If the former, then I would expect the total process from first spot weld to drive left out of the factory to be about a week.


Maybe ChasingCoral can find out the entire process start to finish and post the steps for us along with duration. Or maybe he did that already and I haven't read it yet. Either way, I would like to know if there is a "body bank" and if so, about how many bodies are kept on hand. Meaning....at end of that day's shift.....how many fully trimmed bodies are buffered for the start of the next day's shift?

Don’t know about fully trimmed bodies but I do know they have about 1,000 cars worth of parts ready for the body shop.

 

[SnBGC]

Don’t know about fully trimmed bodies but I do know they have about 1,000 cars worth of parts ready for the body shop.

Thanks for the input.

Now that I think about it a little more....
It might work out for the plant to build bodies, paint and bank them at that point. It might not make sense to trim them out completely.

It would be excellent if Ford would film the process from start to finish and share it with us. We all would be fascinated with something like that.

 

[trutolife27]

We assume build begins by end of said week.

The big question for me is what does "build" mean exactly? In body on frame manufacturing (which may not be not how the MME is made).....the body is made by welding together metal stampings and then painted prior to heading to the trim Dept where they install the glass, wiring, interior etc. Then staged at the "body bank" to await final assembly. I dont know how Ford does it but many factories build a small supply of trimmed out bodies just in case there is a delay in the body building/painting process. I presume the MME process is similar but not sure.

So.....
What does "Build week of xxxx mean? Is that when the body assembly (welding) starts or when assembly starts. If the former, then I would expect the total process from first spot weld to drive left out of the factory to be about a week.


Maybe ChasingCoral can find out the entire process start to finish and post the steps for us along with duration. Or maybe he did that already and I haven't read it yet. Either way, I would like to know if there is a "body bank" and if so, about how many bodies are kept on hand. Meaning....at end of that day's shift.....how many fully trimmed bodies are buffered for the start of the next day's shift?

There are no trimmed out bodys. The body shops have stackers that hold so many shells. The paint department does also. The body shop and paint always run slower than your main lines of trim, frame, and chassis. If your vehicle is scheduled to be built that week.
That means it will be put into the system to go down the line and be built. Just that simple. Could be Monday could be Friday. The faster the line gets up to speed the more that can be built each week.

 

[trutolife27]

the building with the vehicle on the outside is the stackers holds a massive float.
Not too many places as big as the Kentucky truck plant. The walkways are for shell units to go from the stackers to paint to final. I could tell you each building but its a big video. So the same kinda process down in Mexico.

 

[SnBGC]

There are no trimmed out bodys. The body shops have stackers that hold so many shells. The paint department does also. The body shop and paint always run slower than your main lines of trim, frame, and chassis. If your vehicle is scheduled to be built that week.
That means it will be put into the system to go down the line and be built. Just that simple. Could be Monday could be Friday. The faster the line gets up to speed the more that can be built each week.

Thanks! About how many shells are "stacked"? That is the same as the "body bank" concept. Makes total sense that only the body and paint shops "stack".

What about total duration time from first spot weld to rolled out the factory door? Thinking about when the line is up to full speed.....

 

[trutolife27]

Thanks! About how many shells are "stacked"? That is the same as the "body bank" concept. Makes total sense that only the body and paint shops "stack".

What about total duration time from first spot weld to rolled out the factory door? Thinking about when the line is up to full speed.....

I don't know what the float is down there. But here is way over 1,000. paint, Bodyshop, engine, tire room all have floats that hold so many in case of a breakdown.

The ones that get built in the Bodyshop won't roll down the final line for a few days. You have to take in effect the jph and how much the line holds. the unit that that is just coming out of paint might take 5 hours before it gets to the end of rolls.
Each plant is different. The truck plant puts out around 90 an hour.

 

[SnBGC]

I don't know what the float is down there. But here is way over 1,000. paint, Bodyshop, engine, tire room all have floats that hold so many in case of a breakdown.

The ones that get built in the Bodyshop won't roll down the final line for a few days. You have to take in effect the jph and how much the line holds. the unit that that is just coming out of paint might take 5 hours before it gets to the end of rolls.
Each plant is different. The truck plant puts out around 90 an hour.

Thanks. I would think Ford has the truck line running about as efficient as possible. The Mach E is cutting its teeth I expect so that is why I was guessing about 4-5 days from first spot weld. Sounds like a float of 200-300 would be plenty right now but could increase by 2x or more when line is up to full speed.

A totally dedicated EV platform must have new critical path concerns that might not exist in ICE production. Fascinating stuff...

 

[mamejunkie]

@trutolife27 What would a reasonable guesstimate from build week to delivery? Understand that destination will make a big difference but we looking 2-3 weeks? A month to 6 weeks? Do we think the ones with build week in 11/23, 11/30 will get them by the end of the year?

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Only for our musicians. @GoGoGadgetMachE is in there pirating all the best tunes from our hero, Al Y.

hey - I pay for every one of those ? even this:

( Squeeze Box: The Complete Works Of "Weird Al" Yankovic | Discogs )

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