New employees to Ford Motor Co.’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant are the first in Michigan to train on a simulated factory before hitting the plant floor for the automaker.
The 1,400 employees, which were hired for the domestic production of the 2014 Ford Fusion at the facility, spend about a week in a simulated factory to learn everything from what gloves to use on certain lines to attempting to master the tasks they may be performing on the line. Tasks range from tightening nuts and bolts to connecting brake lines, fitting weather stripping and fixing an alternator on an engine.
Workers train on 10 stations – one every 40 minutes – including electrical connectors, engine build-up, brake line and radiator hose install, and DC electric tools. Workers also receive one-on-one training from hourly instructors, as well as instruction on safety procedures, tooling and operator instruction sheets, according to Ford.