Watch as a Ranger (and Amarok) come to life. Ford recently allowed members of the media to get a hands-on experience at their state-of-the-art Silverton facility.
Earlier this week, Ford granted access inside their impressive Silverton facility, which has the capacity to produce over 700 new Ranger bakkies a day.
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To kick off the cold winter day with warm beverages in hand, Ford representatives ran through a presentation detailing the plant and the most recent upgrades it has undergone. Just like the Bakers biscuits we snacked on during this formality, which are produced in various locations, Ford has a mandate to ensure that regardless of where a Ranger is assembled around the world, it bears the same quality of the highest possible level.
From Thailand to the States, we were assured that each Ford production facility bears the same characteristics as all of the others, Silverton too.
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At current capacity, the plant gets out a whopping 704 Rangers a day. Maximum capacity is actually 720, but semiconductors still plague the Blue Oval.
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A jam-packed schedule taking the select media around the sizeable location in the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone. Grasping the area of the facility would be akin to relating it similar to a small town. Thousands arrive for three shifts throughout the 24 hour day, a laundromat cleans used overalls daily and a hospital and fire brigade are on site for any unforeseen events.
Not to mention the dozens of pre-production Rangers roaming the roads with specific numberplates designating them to their specific roles – these models aren’t registered and thus not road legal for anywhere outside the facility.
Key events during the day included exploring the palatial-sized chassis plant, stamping plant, body shop and paint shop skid cleaning facility.
Over and above witnessing the joy that is bare metal form into something three dimensional and recognisable, Ford showed us the less glamorous aspects of vehicle production such as the vehicle skid cleaning facility. These robust jigs hold the metal bodywork of what is to become a Ranger in place for all preparing, priming and painting before all other components like wheels and drivetrain components are mounted and it can move on its own.
As mundane as it may seem, cleaning primer, paint and other build up on these parts over a few cycles is crucial to ensuring the facility runs optimally.
As the day drew to a close, the deep blue sky above the Blue Oval logo began to fade, but the operations within the Silverton facility didn’t. Onto the next shift and into the night!
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