NAA Event Review: Ford Halewood Electric Power Unit Plant
Our most recent networking event in April saw us visit Ford Halewood Electric Power Unit Plant, where we were kindly hosted by Phil Boden, Production Manager.
Delegates were given an overview of the Ford Motor Company in 2025, illustrating how the Halewood facility is moving to a “Model e” Business Unit within the overall Ford Motor Company portfolio.
Delegates learned how business sustainability is driven through Industry 4.0 at Halewood where, for example:
• CHP generates 70% of the power requirements via gas
• A new solar array is currently being installed
• The facility has a target to be carbon neutral by 2035
Delegates were then given an overview of the history of the Halewood facility, from its construction in the early 1960s up to the present day and its recent £380 million transformation into a state of the art electric power unit plant, which also still produces a range of 6-speed manual transmissions within its 96,000 square metre shopfloor, for a variety of applications within various Ford vehicles, including Puma and Transit.
The facility utilises a number of Industry 4.0 applications, including Internet of Things (IoT); Virtual Commissioning; Artificial Vision; Augmented Reality; 3-D scanning and layouts
The facility currently employs 810 people and is setting new standards for quality and efficiency in manufacturing through Ford’s 6 Pillars of Innovation:
• Advanced Robots
• Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
• Vision Systems
• Additive Manufacturing
• Data Analytics and Engineering
• Process Digitalisation
This is all done through the Ford Production System, which is results driven through:
• Modelling Behaviours
• Coaching Standards
• Refining Standards
Finally delegates were given a comprehensive tour of the shopfloor, where they were able to see electric power units in varying stages of assembly.
