Ford to roll out four new models at each of its plants

Out of its 14 new plants to be opened by 2015 across the world by the Ford Motor Company, two will be in India's Gujarat and four different models would toll out of each plant, the US based auto major said Tuesday.

In a statement Tuesday issued to mark the 100th anniversary of Ford's moving assembly line, Ford India, the Indian subsidiary, said its vehicle and engine assembly plants coming up in Gujarat will go on stream 2014.

According to the statement, Ford is rapidly expanding its advanced manufacturing capabilities and boosting global production to meet surging consumer demand.

"By 2017, Ford will increase its global flexible manufacturing to produce on average four different models at each plant around the world to allow for greater adaptability based on varying customer demand," it said.

Ford also projects 90 percent of its plants around the world will be running on a three-shift or crew model by 2017, which will help increase production time more than 30 percent.

Also in 2017, virtually all Ford vehicles will be built off nine core platforms, boosting manufacturing efficiency, while giving customers the features, fuel efficiency and technology they want anywhere in the world.

Today, Ford builds vehicles on 15 platforms and has the freshest lineup in the industry, the statement said.

"One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather had a vision to build safe and efficient transportation for everyone," the statement quoted Ford executive chairman Bill Ford as saying.

A century ago, Henry Ford and his team at Highland Park assembly plant in the US simplified assembly of Ford Model T's 3,000 parts by breaking these into 84 distinct steps.

A rope pulled the vehicle chassis down the assembly line. The new process reduced the vehicle assembly time to about 90 minutes from then existing 12 hours.