Ford introduces new sheet-metal-forming technology called F3T

Ford tells SAE International's Automotive Engineering International magazine that F3T (Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology) involves two slightly-offset styluses applying pressure to opposite sides of a sheet metal blank as they move along a prescribed path in unison across it. CNC technology and robots are used to guide and control the styluses against the sheet metal, which is clamped around its edges inside an enclosure. Read the AEI article at www.sae.org/mags/aei/12385.

[@threegreencharms]

So it appears to be like a tiny CNC English Wheel doing incremental forming. Nice execution, though both technologies have existed for a very long time. I would enjoy a chance to tinker with this.

[@3dprintwiz378]

So does this mean goodbye to the old English Wheels, and craftsmen. Very sad when people are being replaced by machines.

[@qwqwqwwewewe]

impressive

[@AlexHahn82]

Nice!

[@billlawson5571]

After working with ford and Mack engine design over 50 years and with my long discussions with Smokey Yunick on Gm and others we came to the conclusion that no innovation came from them but they were just collectors of information. They sort through ideas and every now and again a revolutionary will dare to make a name for himself by trying something new that somebody else has invented, will go through endless contortions to change it, to avoid any accusation of copying, even to the point of making the idea useless. If you want examples I can give you a few hundred,
I was involved with a engine that we had thought was going to be a world beater but by the time the bean counters reduced the hp requirement and a Ford dictum instituted a mandatory 20 percent reduction in innovation (Henry would have fired everybody involved in that decision) the engine was destined for glory and exceptional in prototype testing, turned into a good tractor engine!

[@mvanluven78]

That's how it works. Fun fact:Elon Must has not designed anything. He bought into any and everything he has done.

[@gauranggangan6703]

Time man time. Time is money.

[@youssmess716]

Let's suppose that we make a car body with this method and we make a crash test I think that the result of a classic sheet forming will be different from the result with this technique I'm not sure that we can make prototype that can be used in crash test

[@hms1688]

Good work!!! We also have rich experience in sheet metal fab, we are a strong manufacturer in China, with high quality and competitive price.

[@genin69]

The editing on this video is terrible.. That fade to black also fade the voice overs