Inside look: How Ford assembles its Transit vans

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Updated Jun 15, 2014

Ford’s new Transit van may not hit dealership lots for a few more months, but they are already steaming down production lines at the company’s Kansas City, Mo. assembly plant. 

Here, workers at the plant install the van’s powertrain via an elevation system that lifts it underneath the body, which is suspended from a line above. 

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In the video below, a worker takes the dash assembly and installs it in about 30 seconds, a process that – without the use of robotics – used to take two men significantly longer. 

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The assembly process is not all about the employees, however – at least not the ones who draw a paycheck. A robot nicknamed Godzilla handles a lot of the body assembly without much human input. 

Here, Godzilla picks up and installs the van sides. 

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Now, the team of robots welds the metal together. 

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