Ford Struandale Engine Plant Builds 500,000th Duratorq TDCi
December saw a new milestone for the Ford Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with the assembly of the facility’s 500,000th Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engine. The achievement was reached in just six years’ time, as the Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel was originally launched in 2011 with the Ford Ranger.
The 500,000-Duratorq TDCi milestone also brings the total of engines built at Struandale since 1964 to 3.3 million.
“Reaching 500,000 Duratorq TDCi engines, and a cumulative 3.3 million engines since 1964, is a fantastic achievement for the Struandale Engine Plant, which competes with some of the best Ford plants in the world,” said Ockert Berry, vice president of Operations, Ford Middle East and Africa. “It is one of the Eastern Cape’s top exporters, contributing to the success of the automotive industry and its supplier network in the region.”
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In addition to manufacturing 35 variants of the Duratorq TDCi engine for Ranger and Everest, Struandale is also responsible for machining component including the cylinder head, block, and crankshaft. It was machined more than 1.3 million components for domestic use and export since 2011.
Ford is also investing R3 billion (approximately $243,210,000 USD) in its Silverton Assembly Plant, where the Ford Ranger is built and where the upcoming Ranger Raptor will be produced.
“Due to its unprecedented global success, demand continues to grow, both locally and internationally for the Ford Ranger,” said Berry. “Accordingly, we have invested R3 billion for both product and capacity related actions to accommodate the increasing market volumes for the Ranger in South Africa and our export markets.
“The Struandale Engine Plant already achieved its highest-ever volumes for component machining and engine assembly during 2017, and we expect to set new records again in 2018,” added Berry. “The R3-billion investment reaffirms Ford’s ongoing commitment to South Africa as a local manufacturer, exporter and key employer in the automotive sector, supporting a large number of direct jobs as well as indirect employment through our extensive supplier base.”
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