Dana is to supply independent rear suspension systems – in sequence and just-in-time – for the next version of the Ford Falcon, which goes into production later this year.
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Dana will supply the systems from its facility in the newly developed National Business Park, close to Ford Australia’s Campbellfield vehicle assembly plant on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Dana and Ford collaborated on the design and development of the independent rear suspension system, achieving significant cost savings due largely to improvements in design and process efficiencies, such as faster response times to customer issues and a shorter lead-time from the design to the manufacturing stage.
The company claims the collaboration eliminated one prototype build for Ford and cut design and development time by some 50 percent in comparison to typical practices just 10 years ago.
Dana is also providing Ford with Tier II supply-chain and inventory management of 78 components from 27 suppliers.
A Dana-developed, LeanERP system will be used to ensure that the 25 possible variations of the system are built to the correct sequences.
When a Falcon starts down the assembly line, the Dana facility will receive an electronic message containing the model specification and type of suspension module required for that vehicle.
After assembly, the finished module will be scanned to provide full traceability and loaded in sequence to be shipped to Ford. Deliveries will be made every 24 minutes and there will be a two and a half-hour window from the time the original broadcast comes from the customer until the final system is assembled into the vehicle.
