When developing its new electric vehicle architecture, Ford treated repairability as a design requirement: specifying repairability at typical collision speeds from the outset leads to new technical solutions. This challenges the assumption that large castings must always be replaced in full.
Modularly repairable Unicastings
These solutions include defined repair areas. In Ford's forthcoming electric pickup, damage at low and medium speeds is to be localised as far as possible. The Unicastings – Ford's name for its gigacasting components (see also “Prefixes under pressure”) – remain single-piece structures but are designed for modular repair. Predefined cutting zones are intended to standardise workshop repairs and reduce uncertainty. Damaged sections can be cut out and replaced. Following established Tesla practice, Ford plans to join repair parts with adhesives, structural rivets and bolts.
The key is for the design to channel damage into manageable areas, for the manufacturer to provide suitable spare parts and for repair shops to receive clear instructions. A supposedly indivisible large casting then becomes a structure with planned repair interfaces. This also matters from a sustainability perspective: repairing damage that would otherwise result in a total loss keeps vehicles in service for longer.
EV platform for the $30,000 pickup
Ford is using Unicasting for the planned electric midsize pickup, due in 2027 at around $30,000. The company says two large structural components will be used in the front and rear. Its new Universal EV Platform is intended to underpin a family of more affordable electric vehicles, beginning with the pickup from Louisville, Kentucky. According to Ford, the architecture cuts the part count by 20 percent, fasteners by 25 percent and workstations by 40 percent, while reducing assembly time by 15 percent. The wiring harness is expected to be more than 4,000 feet shorter and around 22 pounds lighter than in Ford's first generation of electric SUVs.
The production logic is changing as well. Instead of a long linear assembly line, Ford describes an “Assembly Tree”: the front section, rear section and structural battery are pre-assembled in parallel and joined later. The large aluminium Unicastings allow the front and rear vehicle structures to be built separately.
A new phase for gigacasting
Ford’s new electric vehicle platform is an attempt to compete with cost-efficient Chinese manufacturers. According to media reports, development is being led by a team headed by a former Tesla manager.
Ford's approach shows that gigacasting is entering a new phase. Initially, the focus was on clamping forces, machine sizes, component dimensions and the integration of numerous individual parts. Attention is now shifting to questions that extend beyond the casting cell: How can damaged areas be inspected? Which repair parts must remain available for years? Which procedures will insurers, repair shops and approval authorities accept?
New fields of activity for suppliers
Repairability is thus becoming part of the product architecture. For foundries, machine manufacturers, alloy developers, simulation providers and testing technology companies, this broadens the field of activity. Large structural components must not only be castable and dimensionally accurate; they must also fit into a repair concept. This affects wall thicknesses, energy absorption, local reinforcements, cutting areas, joining zones and non-destructive testing after damage.
Complex damage, unavailable spare parts, insufficient training and non-standardised testing procedures can still cause problems. The decisive factor is the overall system of design, production, repair specifications, spare-parts strategy and workshop practice.
Read more about automakers' efforts to name their large castings in our satirical column.
