Guide Corporation Provides High-Speed Design Solutions for Aggressive Ford GT Program

PENDLETON, Ind., March 31 -- Guide Corporation's virtual prototyping capability is a key factor in the rapid design of supercar headlamps for Ford Motor Company's aggressively timed Ford GT program.

Guide's FastForward engineering service provides virtual prototyping and analysis of lamp designs utilizing proprietary computer tools developed and refined by the company. These tools allow designers to fast forward their engineering process by anticipating problems, confirming design and manufacturing decisions, and assuring adherence to design and quality specifications. FastForward can support lead times of less than a year.

Guide Corporation began in-studio design work with Ford GT program engineers in June 2002 and quickly mobilized the FastForward service to play a key role in responding to Ford designers' need for rapid and accurate headlamp design.

"These FastForward tools are a perfect match for the Ford GT's aggressive design to production schedule," said Jeff Mickel, Guide's executive vice president of research & development and technical marketing. "Because we can deliver rapid and highly accurate assessments of engineering changes, Ford's designers had the freedom to power-up their creativity with a variety of 'what if' scenarios while still meeting program deadlines."

Designed and manufactured by Guide Corporation, the Ford GT's headlamps provide bi-functional HID -- high intensity discharge -- safety and performance with both high and low beam functions. The headlamps integrate flawlessly with the vehicle's 25-degree hood rake with a lens angle among the more aggressive on the road today. The lamps occupy a very small package that encouraged styling creativity with excellent performance to compliment the overall character of the supercar.

The Ford GT program marks Guide Corporation's first new business with Ford since Guide Corporation's inception in 1998. "We're very excited about this opportunity to work with Ford on what is clearly one of the year's premiere car programs," said Dan Dobbins, Guide's executive vice president of sales and marketing. "This represents an important step forward for Guide and an excellent chance to showcase our technology leadership in automotive lighting."

Guide will manufacture the headlamps for the Ford GT program from its manufacturing facility in Monroe, La.

Guide Corporation is North America's leading supplier of exterior automotive lighting systems, including both forward and signal lighting. Guide's manufacturing facilities are located in Anderson, Ind., Monroe, La., and Monterrey, Mexico. The company's corporate offices are located within its Technology and Customer Center in Pendleton, Ind. In addition, Guide operates a Customer Support Center in Southfield, Mich., and a sales office in Tokyo, Japan.