How does the factory deal with painting all the different colors the F150 comes in?

Do they paint all the black trucks together, then all the blues aynd so on, or is the paint line able to switch colors for each truck coming down the line?

Just always wondered about that... I guess the same for any vehicle assembly line.

Hard to imagine being able to switch one color to the next but I guess it is doable.

Thinking someone out here knows the answer.

Thanks!

 

They have multiple color lines and then sequence the truck bodies into assembly so as not to overload them with too many of one flavor in a row...

 

LOL, I would take a wild guess and say that maybe the Ford assembly line has more than 1 spray booth?

 

I don't think there is a law that says a paint-bot can't have more than one feed tube

 

I remember seeing "How It's Made" from an auto factory (don't remember which) but the painting robots were able paint any color on the fly (after a split second purge of previous color)

 

There is no rhyme or reason, unless a truck is special ordered. They will paint a white one, then black, then red, etc, etc. It's one of the theories behind color variance in the auto body industry. Because that "purge" doesn't get it all out. Paint a black vehicle, then a white, and the white will be darker than it should.



I've worked with painters in the auto body industry that used to work the repair line at the former twin cities plant, which built f150's, and rangers up until it shut down. That's how they did it there. Also my father in law installed the e-coat system at the same plant, back in the day. They did it then as well. He still talks about how that blew him away, to this day

 

https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...0e3551d2ede2ae


Check out this video. While this is the Focus, it's about the same for trucks. You can see the robots stick the spray nozzles into the floor. This is when they purge from color to color.


After the trucks are painted, they don't go directly to Final. The cabs and beds are stored in the ASRS building (Automatic Storage and Retrieval System) where they are stored until they are needed.


This is how it works at DTP. Can't say how they do it at KCAP.

 

Old video but I imagine it's nearly the same.

Paint starts at about 22:30

 

Good find.

Everything is mostly the same. The paint process changed a little. Can't say what exactly changed because I work in Body, but it's more automated now. It also has a new process where the clearcoat is applied to the base color before it dries.


Everything in Final assembly is about the same. All the equipment in Body was replaced. No more sparks.

 

Pioneer, do they still do tours?

I remember when I was little they had a tour of the Atlanta plant. I loved it. Wish I could do another one and take my son.