Several of Ford’s powertrain plant employees received Six Sigma Black Belt training under a new program that formalizes the Quality Operating System Coordinator (QOSC) position. The positions, which give UAW members control over quality, were first introduced in the early 2000s as a one-year experiment, but quickly became an integral part of quality management.

The QOSCs finished their Black Belt coursework and will take the mandatory tests to achieve the prestigious Six Sigma Black Belt certification, with the goal of having at least two Black Belts per plant. The number of QOSCs per plant varies depending upon size, product and volume, but on average there are six per plant.

The QOSCs devote 100 percent of their workday to monitoring quality process and procedure adherence and cannot be pulled from their job to replace an absent employee on the line. They ensure that every employee at every station understands precisely what they need to do and how to do it.

Since the introduction of QOSCs, Ford’s rating in initial and long-term quality surveys has seen an upward trend. Ford’s brand went up by eight points over last year, beating the industry seven-point rate of improvement, according to J.D. Powers and Associate’s Initial Quality Study. Shortly thereafter, the Global Quality Research System durability study noted that Ford brand improved at a rate of 3 percent verses the industry average of 1 percent.

A top industry study named Ford Focus the most improved model in the industry. The 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study by J.D. Power and Associates showed that Focus gained 88 index points over last year.

With the biggest improvement score in the industry, Focus performed better across all categories with significant improvements in the areas of fuel economy, audio/entertainment/navigation, interior styling and exterior styling.
Earning a 36-index point improvement was the Ford Escape, which put the strong seller in the top 10 of most improved vehicles in the industry. Five Ford Motor Company vehicles received second or third honors in their segments:

• Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 2nd place in Midsize Pickup segment
• Mazda CX7, 2nd place in Compact Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) segment
• Mazda CX9, 2nd place in Midsize MAV segment
• Ford Focus, 3rd place in Compact Car segment
• Lincoln Navigator, 3rd place in Large Premium MAV segment

Overall, Ford moved up five positions to 22nd, with a 14-point improvement. Lincoln checked in at 12th place and Mercury placed 29th, improving by 12 index points.

Year after year, Ford continues to make significant quality gains. According to the latest third-party study by J.D. Power and Associates, Ford’s brand vehicles increased in quality faster than the industry average.

Continuing its five-year upward trend and beating the industry average seven-point rate of improvement, Ford brand improved by eight points over last year’s study. Mercury improved by four points over last year, and the Lincoln brand exceeded the industry average. The Mazda brand improved the most, jumping 36 points from the 2007 study.

The Ford Motor Company received 10 vehicle honors, including three vehicles that scored highest rankings in their respective segments. They are:

• Lincoln Navigator, large premium multi-activity vehicle segment
• Ford E-Series, van segment
• Mazda MX5 Miata, compact sporty car segment

The 2008 Initial Quality Study (IQS) by J.D. Power and Associates is based on responses from 81,500 new 2008 model-year vehicle owners after having driven their vehicles for three months.

When the 52-year old high-speed test track at Ford’s Michigan Proving Ground undergoes its $13 million dollar reconstruction, it will prevent 130,000 tons of debris from going to local landfills by reusing almost every bit of existing material.

The track is critical to Fords’ quality assurance process as it is used for a wide range of vehicle quality testing and handling in real-world conditions. Because green construction recycles and reuses materials promptly instead of trucking in new materials each day, construction time is slashed. In fact, the track is expected to re-open in autumn.

To make the overhaul as green as possible, an onsite crusher will process the old asphalt and concrete track into a recycled aggregate usable for road construction. After improvements are made to increase the cross-slope of the track to enhance the existing water drainage system, the recycled aggregate pavement (RAP) will be placed eight inches thick, compacted and covered with four layers of asphalt.

The bottom two layers will use 40 percent RAP, the maximum allowed under Michigan Department of Transport. The third layer incorporates 25 percent RAP and the final layer is new mix for optimal quality control.

Additionally, the 20,420 linear foot guardrail will be reinstalled where possible, unusable steel beams will be sent to a recycling center and wood posts are mulched.

Ford’s screwdriver with a brain - a direct-current tool that fastens nuts and bolts and stops the line if the job isn’t done properly.

Between 200 and 400 computerized direct-current (DC) electric hand tools, affectionately called “screwdrivers with brains” by Ford employees, were installed in each Ford assembly plant over the last several years as an investment in quality. These new hand tools are currently in use at all Ford assembly plants in North America. The last installation was made at Wayne Assembly Plant in time for the launch of the 2008 Ford Focus.

Where a “smart screwdriver” differs from traditional assembly line air-driven guns is in its ability to tell the operator if all of the nut bolts are screwed into the vehicle the right way and at the exactly the right torque. They also reduce workers’ strain, ensure the correct parts are picked and allow for constant monitoring during the build, preventing errors and ensuring “critical-to-quality” assembly process is completed with precision.

If a lug nut is missing, the assembly line is stopped. To get the line restarted, one of two things must happen, either the process must be completed accurately, or a quality concern is sent to the Quality Leadership System (QLS) where the problem will be flagged and resolved before the vehicle is released from the plant.

Even though Ford leads the industry with the most long-term paint durability and fewest chips and scratches, according to Global Quality Research System studies, the automotive company is committed to exceeding customer expectations through continuous quality improvements.

The Ford paint team examines the competition by conducting rigorous side-by-side paint resilience testing to ensure that the vehicle looks as good several years later as it did when it rolled off the assembly line. Additionally, Ford engineers are developing new techniques and processes that benefit consumers as well as the environment.

For example, the upcoming 2009 Lincoln MKS uses an industry-leading pigment named Tuxedo Black. Ford owners will get a vehicle that shimmers, shines and is exceedingly scratch resistant; and from an environmental standpoint, Tuxedo Black will be the first paint to contain flakes derived from glass rather than metal.

Recently, Ford has also unveiled two other paint application innovations:

• A new eco-friendly anti-corrosion system that uses a zirconium oxide vehicle bath to help prevent rust and corrosion. Not only does it cut paint shop water use nearly in half, but it also reduces the production of sludge by an impressive 90 percent. Currently in use at Twin Cities Assembly plant, the new process will be installed in all North American plants within the next 18 months.
• A three-part wet application process that reduces CO2 emissions by 15 percent. Ford lab tests show that the solvent-borne paint used in this process provides better long-term resistance to chips and scratches than water-borne paint.

Ford/Lincoln/Mercury is now in statistical tie with Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus/Scion according to the first quarter 2008 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study. The study, which is conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, surveys customers of all major automotive makes and models on car troubles and asks owners to rate their overall satisfaction with their three-month-old vehicles.

With a combined average of 1,284 things-gone-wrong (TGW) per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership, Ford’s domestic brands improved 8 percent versus last year. This performance is statistically equivalent to the 1,250 TGW level of Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus/Scion.

Some other key findings from the GQRS report include:

• Ford/Lincoln/Mercury’s customer satisfaction rating has also risen to 77 percent.
• The new 2008 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable both recorded quality levels that equate to less than one problem per vehicle, as did the Volvo S80 (947).
• The Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ were close, with 1,030 TGW and 1065 TGW, respectively.
• Taurus showed a 33 percent quality improvement compared with the product it replaced.
• The new Ford Escape improved 16 percent over the out-going model, and the new Ford Focus improved 13 percent.
• 36 of 40 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda nameplates improved this year versus 2007.
• Ford earned best-in-class honors for interiors and electrical, two important engineering functions.
• Ford tied for best-in-class in two other functions, paint and vehicle engineering, which includes such areas as ride and handling and cabin quietness.

When it comes to TGW, customer satisfaction or both, a total of 15 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles ranked in the top three of their respective segments. Segment leader models are:

• Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – TGW for sports car
• Ford Taurus – customer satisfaction for large car
• Ford Sport Trac – customer satisfaction for medium traditional utility
• Mercury Milan – TGW for midsize car
• Lincoln Navigator – TGW and customer satisfaction for large premium utility

The 2009 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Ford F-150 are among the first Ford vehicles to fully utilize a series of virtual manufacturing tools and processes designed to catch possible build concerns by simulating automotive performance.

During the prototype builds, the program teams were able to reduce more than 80 percent of potential manufacturing concerns by running more than 10,000 advanced digital pre-assembly engineering checks on the Flex and the F-150. In addition, engineers were able to reduce design and production tooling issues by 50 percent.

Virtual manufacturing enables Ford to cut production expenditures by reducing the number of prototypes, material waste and cost of tooling. For consumers it translates into more durable vehicles with less repair costs.