Chassis Line Treatment Plant

Business challenge

Ford's Silverton operation works to global OEM specification, which means the control system is audited against standards written for the corporation rather than for the site. A treatment plant serving the chassis line had to satisfy those specifications, integrate with existing plant systems, and be installed without disturbing production on the lines either side of it.

Engineering approach

The control philosophy was written against Ford's own specification set from the outset, rather than adapted to it afterwards. Functional safety was assessed as part of design — risk assessment, performance level determination and machine safety verification — so the safety case was complete and defensible before the panel was built rather than assembled retrospectively for the audit.

Implementation

Panels were built in-house and factory-acceptance tested against the specification before delivery. Installation was sequenced around the plant's existing shutdown periods, with each stage brought into service and proven before the next began. No unplanned production stoppage was required.

Outcome

The treatment plant entered service to Ford's specification with the functional safety documentation accepted as part of handover. The relationship subsequently extended into further work on the same site.

Business benefits

• Delivered to global OEM specification and audit
• Complete functional safety case at handover, not retrofitted
• No unplanned production stoppage during installation
• In-house panel build removed multi-supplier integration risk

Future expansion

The installed architecture supports extension to adjacent process stages, and the safety case was structured so additional guarded zones can be added by assessment rather than redesign.