(Ford Motor Co.: Cologne, Germany) -- Ford of Europe and Ford North America are leading a project to install robotic plant laser inspection technology in 17 assembly plants globally, a planned investment of approximately $100 million to improve fit and finish and reduce wind noise, a key quality factor for consumers and a major industry challenge.

This new technology, piloted at the Valencia plant in Spain, is being used during the assembly of the new Focus at Ford’s Saarlouis, Germany, plant, and its Michigan and Chicago assembly plants in the United States. The technology then will be rolled out globally as part of the next phase of Ford’s drive to improve quality and customer satisfaction.

Ford plans to invest $100 million globally in robotic plant laser-inspection technology.

“Robotic laser technology gives us a degree of precision that we have never had before,” says Ron Johnson, manufacturing quality manager, Ford of Europe. “It scans the dimensions of 500 key areas down to a tenth of a millimeter to make sure the parts fit perfectly, and [therefore] our cabins are extremely quiet.”

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