When Ford introduced its Model Year 17 Fiesta (also known as the B479) in its Cologne, Germany, plant,they required the design and manufacture of new tooling to accommodate the B479.
We were requested to modify 255 current front decking pallets to include B479 tooling and design 44 new rear decking pallets. Each type of pallet also had to accommodate the previous Fiesta (also known as the B299).
Front Axle Pallet Modifications
Ford’s front axle tooling requirements for the B479 included:
- Tooling to contain adaptive tooling location features
- High runner adaptive tools to be stored on the front axle pallet when not in use
- Four new high runner “flip” style adaptive tools to be stored per pallet
- B479 cross member supports required on the tooling
- B299 cross member supports required on the tooling
- Lifting eyes required on the tooling to transfer the tooling on/off through the orange “elephant” facility
- Pallet location features to accurately locate the tooling on the “moon buggy”
We also modified 32 original pallets to include all current and new tooling.
New Rear Axle Pallets
We based our B479 rear axle tooling design on fixtures that were previously delivered. Our design includes the following features;
- B479 rear axle supports
- X and Y float to enable a rear axle to be decked into the body bracket
- Body supports
- Master decking pins with X and Y float
- Fixed spindles for vertical bolting are removed (not required for B479)
- Horizontal bolt support (not shown in concept)
- New pallet accommodates both B299 and B479 on one tool
Our new rear axle tooling design also supports robot handling during certain steps in the plant’s assembly process.
