Production has begun of a new three-cylinder, 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine at Ford’s Bridgend engine plant. The engine debuts in the Fiesta ST and new Focus.
Ford says manufacturing of the engine takes place on a new flexible manufacturing facility following of an investment of £100 million, including support from the Welsh Government.
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“I’m personally very proud to see production start of this all-new engine, here in Bridgend,” said Wallace Yearwood, plant manager. “It’s the result of a significant investment in the plant, a plant which has a long-established history of delivering world-class engines, and we will make this engine another success.”
Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates said: “I’m delighted to see our Welsh Government investment supporting hundreds of high skilled jobs in south Wales. We are proud to have played a part in developing this world class manufacturing facility and look forward to continuing to work with the company and workforce to ensure a bright future for the plant at Bridgend, despite the upcoming challenges of Brexit.”
Ford says quality confirmation of the new engine is assured through multi-stage testing and process monitoring at all points during the assembly process. Machining lines for the cylinder head and cylinder block feature CNC technology and ‘environmentally efficient cutting systems’.
The new engine family was designed and developed by engineers at the Ford Dunton Technical Centre in Essex, as well as Ford’s Technical Centre in Merkenich Germany, and the Ford Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany.
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By GlobalDataOpened in 1980, the Bridgend plant in South Wales employs around 2,100. A variety of engines are made at the plant including small capacity 4-cylinder engines for Fiesta and B-Max as well as a 1.6 litre EcoBoost engine.
