Ford chooses Transair pipework
September 1st 2007 Ford has selected Legris'
Transair rapid-fit pipework
system for the task of
conveying compressed air to the
3000 machining operations on its
latest engine production lline at
Dagenham in Essex. The
Dagenham plant is Ford's sole
diesel engine manufacturing facility
in Europe and produces engines
for vehicles ranging from Transit
vans to luxury S-type Jaguars.
Compressed air is fundamental
to the entire process, clamping
tools and transferring a rough casting through a myriad of
automated drilling, machining and
clean area operations until it
emerges as a finished engine.
The company's newest
production facility is the result of a
£350m investment which will
provide a production capacity of
575,000 1.4 and 1.6 engines .
With a requirement to supply
compressed air across the whole
of the 33,000 sq metre production
area, Ford's three criteria for a
pipework system were for greater
operating efficiency than on
previous lines, maximum cost
saving and fastest installation
times.
Conventional galvanised steel
had been used on the company's
other production lines but was
ruled out because of the length of
time required to install and make
modifications when needed.
Based on previous experience,
plastic too was dismissed because
of the expense of so many
supports and the need for frequent
replacement through cracking.
Even rubber hose was
considered, but quickly ruled out
on the basis of the number of
supports required and – despite
being in a production environment
– its lack of aesthetic appeal.
Ford had previously had
experience of Legris' Transair
pipework system used for
compressed air on the transfer
machines supplied by Lamb
Technicon to its Lion V6 engine
machining production line.
The rapid-fit system is used as
standard by Lamb Technicon as
the fastest and most convenient
way for the company to run up and
test a complete engine production
plant at its own premises, then
break it down down, ship to
anywhere in the world and
reassemble it at point of use.
Ford worked in partnership with
Legris' Transair distributor
Airchannel and the main
mechanical installation contractors
JSMS of Erith, Kent, to develop a
system for delivering compressed
air to the new line.
The result has been a 200mm
galvanised steel ring main and sub
ring main in ladder format,
dropping entirely to Transair in
lightweight aluminium with its
'instant' connection technology.
Because of the range of sizes
available, the Transair installation
could be tailored precisely to the
needs of each installation, with
40mm pipework used as a header
across banks of machines,
dropping to 25mm and 16.5mm
according to the flow requirement.
The system operates at 6 bar.
Transair's rapid-fit technology
was to prove itself as much to the
30-strong pipework installation
team as it was to Ford. Well used
to working with galvanised steel at
the plant, where the time from
initial request to installation was up
to eight days, installation times
were now reduced to 72 hours,
and with modifications now made
in a fraction of the time previously
needed.
Legris was able to supply all
sizes of Transair pipework in six
metre lengths instead of the usual
three metres, substantially
reducing the need for couplings.
Legris was also able to supply the
Transair aluminium pipework in
white powder coated finish instead
of its standard blue, for use in the
cleanroom standard final engine
assembly building.
In addition to its higher energy
efficiency in use. More articles from Legris Limited: | 
