Ford Motor Co. says it has used a federal grant to develop a first-of-its-kind stamping technology that will allow it to create low-volume auto parts at essentially no cost.
Dubbed Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology, the process — created at the automaker’s Research and Innovation Center — could soon allow consumers to customize bodywork on new vehicles, all while eliminating the high cost and wait that comes with engineering a stamping die.
“As we forge ahead with cutting-edge technologies in manufacturing like flexible body shops, robotics, 3D printing, virtual reality and others, we want to push the envelope with new innovations like (Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology) to make ourselves more efficient and build even better products,” said John Fleming, executive vice president, global manufacturing and labor affairs, in a statement.