Steel Markets
August 31, 2014
Ford Dearborn Readying for Aluminum F-150
Written by Sandy Williams
Ford has begun transforming its Dearborn plant for production of the all new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup. The last steel-bodied F-150 left the line on August 23rd and the plant was closed to start replacing the old machinery with new.
The conversion will cost Ford $359 million and idle production until September 22. Ford employees, approximately 3000 of them, are on temporary lay-off while 1500 trades workers and contractors scurry to meet the eight week deadline to get the plant ready to roll the aluminum F-150 off the line.
