Ford Uses ‘Forensic’ Engineering

• Ford lab development analysts search for tiny imperfections in car parts; part of relentless drive for quality
• Using a powerful tabletop-sized computed tomography (CT) scanner, Ford analysts are able to see flaws down to 17 microns – less than the size of a single particle of beach sand
• When the reason for the deficiency in the part has been uncovered, the information is sent to a materials engineering group so the part or the process can be altered

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 2, 2010 – What looks like a harmless speck of sand to one person can be a big nuisance for a new car owner.  That is why engineers at Ford Motor Company are working with the same computed tomography (CT) scanners that police and hospitals use to improve vehicle quality.

Much like crime solvers on television, Ford has its own team of “forensic” investigators employing cutting-edge scientific methods to improve the quality of parts such as gears, latches, welds, nuts, bolts, fasteners and sensors before they are assembled into a finished car.

“The CT scanner is an essential tool to help us study why parts aren’t performing at their optimum level,” said Beltran. “It can be used for any number of things – troubleshooting for supplier parts, new parts that engineers are testing or parts from vehicles undergoing durability testing. When a part contains a deficiency, it’s critical to address it right away. We need to find out why. We need to either improve the part or improve the process.”

Before the lab obtained the scanner, each component was studied and taken apart by hand. “We’d spend hours sanding it a little, polishing it a little, examining it under a microscope and then take a picture of it, repeating this process several times,” said Beltran. “Even then it was possible that we could go right through a defect and not even know it.”

With the scanner, many issues can be solved within a few hours. Once the mystery is solved, the information is given to a materials engineering group that works with designers and a supplier base to resolve the issue and/or correct the situation.

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