Ford announced the opening its new Paint and Body Technology Center in Inkster, Mich., with the goal of developing vehicle designs, replacement parts and repair procedures that the company hopes will drive down the cost of collison repairs.
The center – funded by a $650,000 investment made by collision repair product, equipment and service suppliers – is merging operations with Ford’s existing Safety Crash Test Analysis building.
The center’s goal is to identify potential repair issues and refine designs to help dealers and other repairers “more affordably” repair vehicles to pre-accident condition, Ford says. The center will consult with repair and safety experts, technicians and insurance companies to create new products and techniques. It will also be used for repairer training.
Ford says the idea for the center stemmed from the development of procedures and special front and rear frame section kits for repairing the 2009 F-150, which is built using high-strength steel and boron. During the project, the company’s repair and safety engineers noticed that the modern materials used to construct vehicles are costly to replace.
Ford believes that developing ways to make repairs more affordable will eventually drive down the cost of insurance premiums.
Mark Albrant, Ford Customer Service Engineering supervisor, also noted that the company will now be able to prepare repair procedure manuals for all new vehicles in advance.
For more information, visit www.ford.com.
