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250 000 Engine milestone for local plant

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Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has reached three important production milestones for the trend-setting Ford Ranger since its launch in 2011.

The Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria assembled its 250 000th Ford Ranger in August, marking the success of this popular pick-up that is sold locally and exported to 148 markets around the world.

For the Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth, this translates into the 250 000th Duratorq TDCi engine manufactured locally for the Ranger export programme, which came off the assembly line in July.

The plant also machined its 500 000th component set for the Duratorq TDCi engine programme, comprising the cylinder head, block and crankshaft – for a total of 1.5-million individual components.

“These production milestones represent the dedication and commitment of our local team to produce the highest quality vehicles, engines and components for the local market and our international customers,” says Jeff Nemeth, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region.

“Our local plants underwent a huge transformation for the Ranger export programme, and we employed Best-in-Ford standards, procedures and quality measures to deliver on our projected targets and volumes as we became a centre of excellence for this vehicle.

“The remarkable sales of the Ranger show that the plan has worked, as it was the best-selling vehicle in South Africa for the first half of this year with an average of more than 3 000 units retailed every month. So far in 2015, Ranger sales have increased by 38% compared to last year.”

The Struandale Engine Plant celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 2014, signalling its proud heritage and impressive track record spanning five decades and more than 3-million engines produced to date.

Last year was also landmark year for Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA), as the Struandale Engine Plant began machining components and assembling engines for the Ford Transit, which is produced in Kansas City. This was the first time that FMCSA was exporting products to North America.

With the launch off the new-generation Duratorq TDCi engine that will power the new Ford Ranger to be launched in October, the Struandale Engine Plant’s capacity is set to increase further.

The installed capacity for engine assembly climbs from 75 000 to 110 000 units per annum, and the machining of component sets will increase to 265 000 by 2016.

This is the result of the addition of two new customers for engine assemblies, comprising Ford’s Chennai plant in India and JMC in China.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.