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Valeo Opens Ultrasonic Manufacturing Plant in Forth Worth

19 September 2000

Valeo Opens State-of-the-Art Ultrasonic Manufacturing Plant in Forth Worth

    FORT WORTH, Texas--Sept. 18, 2000--A new, state-of-the-art plant for making advanced automotive electronics has been built in record time by auto supplier Valeo.
    The 65,800 sq. ft. factory, which opened in June, will initially produce the Ultrasonic Park Assist(TM) (UPA(TM)) sensors used on a variety of Ford SUVs to help the driver detect objects such as bicycles and shopping carts while backing up. Additional manufacturing lines will be added for wiper controllers, wiper sensors, climate controllers, hall-effect sensors and body controllers.
    Ford Motor Company decided to utilize the new UPA system as an option on their SUV range. Unlike the horn sound made by commercial vehicles while in reverse, Ford's Valeo system beams ultrasonic waves to the rear of the car. When they bounce off a near object, the driver is alerted. The UPA is a fifth generation design and is a PACE Award finalist. It is the result of the company's extensive research and development program.
    While the plant currently employs 40 people, that number is expected to increase to 150 when all manufacturing lines are operational in the plant.
    The plant was constructed in only one year, from design to engineering to construction. A high level of automation is present in the factory. The UPA printed circuit board runs on a conveyor and its connections are soldered automatically. Automated pick-and-place functions are handled by two JOT robots. With a large backlog of orders, five shifts are expected to be in operation by the end of the year (3 weekly, 2 on weekend).
    Valeo benefits the East Texas locality by providing employment. Valeo has made a commitment to hire and train Texans for this plant. Fortunately, there is an existing electronics infrastructure with companies including Intel, Lockheed, Motorola, Nokia, Tandy and Textron-Bell Helicopter. This is Valeo's first "Greenfield" electronics manufacturing facility built in North America.