-
Ford Motor Company, The Boeing Company and Northwestern
University to form a new innovation alliance to
collaborate on nanotechnology research for future
automobiles and aerospace products.
- Ford and Boeing mark 10 years of working
together on technology development and kick off
their first joint effort with a university.
-
The new "Ford Motor Company Engineering
Design Center" is dedicated today on the campus
of Northwestern University in Evanston.
EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Ford Motor Company, The Boeing Company and Northwestern
University -- three big names in technology development
-- today announced their intent to work together
to focus on making the future very small.
Ford, Boeing and Northwestern are in final negotiations
to form a new alliance to research commercial applications
of nanotechnology -- the branch of engineering that
deals with things smaller than 100 nanometers and
at the molecular level. The agreement, which is expected
to become final later this month, is designed to
pave the way for future advancements in transportation,
including cars that could someday be powered by clean
hydrogen rather than gasoline.
"Ford has a long history of research in the field
of nanotechnology, and this relationship will strengthen
our knowledge for the future," said Dr. Gerhard Schmidt,
Ford's vice president of Research and Advanced Engineering. "As
our Chairman Bill Ford announced recently, innovation
is the compass by which we are setting our company's
future direction -- stylish in design, safer for
families and first in technology that uses new fuels
and offers new services to consumers. In line with
this commitment, we are very pleased to be working
with Boeing. They have been our long-time partner,
and our joint collaboration with Northwestern University
underscores just how serious we are about innovating
for the future together."
"We also are pleased to work with Ford and Northwestern
on innovative ways to use and develop nanotechnology," said
Bob Krieger, president of Boeing Phantom Works, Boeing's
advanced research and development organization. "Nanotechnology
offers exciting new possibilities to help improve
our current products and develop better products
in the future."
"Nano" refers
to the nanometer, a measurement of a millionth
of a millimeter, and nanotechnology involves the
manipulation of atoms as raw materials. Scientists
hope nanotechnology will dramatically advance medicine,
electronics and manufacturing.
For automobiles,
nanotechnology could help Ford find ways to boost
power in hybrid vehicle batteries using "nanoscale materials" that
create more energy from traditional materials today.
In the hydrogen arena, nanotechnology could help
researchers develop higher capacity hydrogen storage
tanks for cars, which would help make the fuel
more practical for the future.
While the initial focus of the research will be
nanotechnology, other potential research areas include
specialty metals, thermal materials, coatings and
sensors.
The new alliance between Ford and Boeing will be
the latest development in a 10-year relationship
that has resulted in improved products for both companies.
Examples
of past innovations between Ford and Boeing include:
-- Human Factors Modeling: Ford shared with Boeing
its "Third Age Suit," which is made of materials
that add bulk, restrict movement and obscure vision
to help give engineers and designers a feel for the
needs of the elderly. By using the suit, Ford and Boeing
engineers have been able to research ways to provide
more user friendly interiors for automobiles and aircraft.
-- Aluminum Bonding: Boeing shared knowledge of its
expertise in aluminum bonding from aerospace products
with Ford for production of the Ford GT supercar. The
technology, including the use of "friction stir welding," was
used by Ford to bond the center tunnel of the Ford
GT to its floor pan without deformation. -- Rapid Prototyping:
Boeing and Ford shared knowledge of rapid prototyping
to refine and develop methods that allow part designs
created in a computer to be "printed" in 3-D by a computer-operated
laser that cures a photo-sensitive resin. This "printed" model
becomes a prototype part without the need for expensive
tooling. Ford now can cast parts as large as an engine
block with rapid prototyping equipment in days instead
of months or weeks.
Ford and Boeing also have committed to a technology exchange program, which
includes providing access to each other's talented people, technology and process
know-how to benefit their products.
For Northwestern University, the alliance is seen as an opportunity to develop
even closer working relationships that are inherent in an arrangement such
as this one. Having embedded personnel leads to better understanding and identification
of each partner's needs and expertise, the university says, provides opportunities
for technology sharing that benefit everyone.
Northwestern has been one of the early leaders in the field of nanoscience
and home of one of the first nanotechnology centers in the country.
The study of nanomaterials and technology transcends many departments and
schools within the university, ranging from engineering and chemistry to biology
and medicine. The learning experiences of students who will be involved with
faculty in the new research project are unique opportunities that prepare them
for their future roles as creators of value.
The
intent to form this new alliance is being announced
on the same day that Ford and Northwestern University
dedicate a new $30 million engineering center on
the school's campus near Chicago. Ford provided
a $10 million grant to build the new "Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center" as
part of the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering
and Applied Science facility.
"We are pleased to be involved with such an innovative company as Boeing and
a university as esteemed as Northwestern," Ford's Schmidt explained. "Although
our products are different in many ways, we share a common goal of innovating
for the future together."
"We are committed to working with the best and brightest engineers and technologists
throughout the world as part of our process to find and develop technologies
that will improve our defense, space and commercial airplane products," added
Boeing Phantom Works President Bob Krieger. "We have benefited from working
with the engineers at Ford during the past 10 years, as they have from
us. We look forward to working together in the future."
About Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry
leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in
200 markets across six continents. With 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide,
Ford's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar,
Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive- related services
include Ford Motor Credit Company.
Source: Ford Motor Company CONTACT: David Reuter of Ford Motor Company, +1-313-575-1488,
DReuter@ford.com ;
or Jaclyn Saccone of Cohn & Wolfe, +1-212-798-9518,
Jaclyn_saccone@nyc.cohnwolfe.com
|
