Prime Minister Blair Opens Advanced Dagenham Manufacturing And Learning Centres
Published: 11th November 2003
This clean assembly approach supports the precision process demanded by a new generation of high pressure common rail fuel and turbo charging systems featured on the latest diesel engines.
The enclosed building has controlled access points and 'air-locked' entrances, a fully filtered and temperature controlled ventilation system and an integrated monitoring system, checking air continuously to ensure it meets the highest standards (EN ISO 14644-1 Class 8, which is equivalent to British Standard BS 5295 Class K).
To ensure that the highest quality is achieved in manufacture, a highly ordered and logically laid-out assembly process has been developed, which has been optimized to further reduce risks to cleanliness. Specific components are fitted in 'areas of special attention,' where additional protective clothing and operating requirements are applied and for which there is additional training required of the operating team.
Parts for assembly at the designated areas of special attention are also manufactured in clean rooms established at supplier facilities and sealed until the point of use at the DDC.
The Clean Room will help to increase Dagenham's diesel engine build capacity, a key part of Ford's European Transformation Strategy.
While Ford's Dunton Engineering Centre will remain the core engineering centre for powertrain testing, a range of engineering facilities is being included in the new building to support a more 'hands on' approach to design, development and problem solving.
Over 300 diesel engineers and support staff have now transferred from Dunton and are based in the new DDC, working on engine development, design for manufacturing assembly and launch and post-launch customer/production support. Specialised training is now being completed for around 250 Ford employees who will transfer from existing facilities to undertake assembly roles.
Also to be included in the Centre will be such facilities as a Customer Quality Centre, with vehicle inspection areas; a Value Enhancement Centre to support all technical and financial cost benchmarking of diesel engines; engineering and inspection laboratories; a prototype engine build operation; general purpose workshop; and Project Centres, with dedicated areas for teams to plan work on safety initiatives, quality, productivity and cost improvements.
