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Hardware

Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

By Lyndsey Gilpin June 29, 2014, 4:13 PM PDT

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ford5.jpg
ford5.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Further with Ford

Further with Ford

Ford Motor Company is based in Dearborn, Michigan, which is a suburb of Detroit. At the plant on Ford’s campus, vehicles are tested for weeks on end to simulate most anything that could happen on the road before they hit the market. Here, employees can monitor and analyze the data generated from the tests.

ford1.jpg
ford1.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

1952 product testing

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

1952 product testing

Ford has been around since 1903. On the wall in the testing center are some old photos of previous models and tests. The large photo above is of a luggage compartment test that was performed in 1952.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford8.jpg
ford8.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Key Life Test

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Key Life Test

This is a Key Life Tester, which simulates 10 years of vehicle life. The tests are done in six to eight weeks. The machine slams doors to simulate repeated opening and closing of the vehicle doors to make sure they can last.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford9.jpg
ford9.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Testing temperatures

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Testing temperatures

This particular key life test was in frigid temperatures to see how the glass and metal reacts to the cold when the doors are opened and closed. A Ford employee explains the process, which is also done in high heat and room temperatures.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford11.jpg
ford11.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Robot testing

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Robot testing

“Robot #3” tests the durability of seat fabric from people getting in and out of the seat. The machine lifts weighted objects in and out of the seats for weeks to simulate the lifespan of a vehicle.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford10.jpg
ford10.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

"Robot #3"

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

"Robot #3"

This control remote operates “Robot #3,” which can be programmed to perform the tests at various intervals and weights.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford12.jpg
ford12.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

The "environmental chamber"

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

The "environmental chamber"

The “environmental chamber” uses 180-pound dummies on the seats. The machine runs for 45 hours to test for the damage that would accumulate over a vehicle’s life span.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford13.jpg
ford13.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Testing seat durability

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Testing seat durability

The durability test is for the seat itself. Ford checks for looseness, the quality of the fabric and materials used, and the durability of the new parts that are used in newer models.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford3.jpg
ford3.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Testing hydraulics

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Testing hydraulics

This test is for hydraulics. It simulates 150,000 miles of customer use, which takes about 10 to 12 days (along with a preliminary 2-3 days for data prep).

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford4.jpg
ford4.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Large testing room

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Large testing room

The hydraulics testing is one of the biggest ones in the building, and simulates almost any kind of damage that could occur to the outside of the vehicle.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford7.jpg
ford7.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

Truck bed vibration testing

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Truck bed vibration testing

Two vibrating truck beds test the durability of the back half of the Ford’s popular trucks. In just two weeks, it simulates 10 years of a car in service or 150,000 miles.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
ford2.jpg
ford2.jpg
Photos: Inside Ford’s vehicle and product testing lab

The test countdown

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

The test countdown

A clock counts down the time left on a particular test in the office.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic
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By Lyndsey Gilpin
Lyndsey Gilpin is a former Staff Writer for TechRepublic, covering sustainability and entrepreneurship. She's co-author of the book Follow the Geeks.
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