自動化如何協助福特電動 F-150 Lightning 閃電皮卡順利上路 | 自動化的美國：英語精讀講義

Here at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center,

在福特的 Rouge 電動車中心，

there's a charge in the air. 慣用語

空氣中湧動著電流般的活力。

The new F-150 Lightning pickups are rolling off the line 片語動詞

全新的 F-150 Lightning 皮卡正駛下生產線，

and headed to homes where buyers of the country's best-selling truck

開往千家萬戶，而這款全美最暢銷皮卡的買家

are plugging into the electrified future of driving. 慣用語

正由此接軌電動駕駛的未來。

I'm Kiran Chetry,

我是 Kiran Chetry，

your host,

本節目的主持人。

as we meet the highly specialized workers

接下來，我們將認識這些高度專業化的員工，

who have assembled a new vision for automotive manufacturing.

是他們共同打造了汽車製造業的全新願景。

Welcome to the United States of Automation,

歡迎收看《United States of Automation》，

EV edition.

電動車特輯。

It doesn't get more American than Ford. 文法

要說最具美國特色的品牌，非福特莫屬。

And the industry it represents is facing possibly its biggest disruption 文法

而它所代表的產業，可能正面臨

since Henry Ford rolled out the Model T in 1908. 片語動詞

自 Henry Ford 於 1908 年推出 Model T 以來最大的變革。

Automakers are on pace to invest half a trillion dollars over the next 5 years 片語搭配

未來 5 年，車廠預計將投入 5,000 億美元，

to fill garages and driveways with EVs.

讓電動車開進千家萬戶的車庫和車道。

That means vehicle factories are in for major upgrades, 片語搭配

這意味著汽車工廠將迎來大規模升級，

like the ones Ford has undertaken here at what plant workers call the REVC.

就像福特在這座被員工稱為 REVC 的工廠所做的一樣。

Tell us a little bit about the significance of this River Rouge Complex for Ford. 語氣意圖

請談談 River Rouge Complex 對福特有何重要意義。

It's so phenomenal having this new building,

能擁有這座新廠房，實在太棒了，

this new product built on the historic site.

這款新產品就誕生在這個歷史悠久的廠址。

We no longer have the traditional assembly line on the conveyance system. 文法

我們不再採用輸送系統上的傳統組裝線。

Each and every unit is built on its own individual AGV 文化背景

每一輛車都在各自獨立的 AGV 上完成組裝，

or automatic guided vehicle.

AGV 也就是自動導引車。

And so you just have a lot of flexibility

因此，整個流程非常靈活，

from an ergo standpoint 用詞

從人體工學的角度來看，

for the standpoint of the people to make sure they can build it correctly.

這種靈活性也能確保員工正確完成組裝。

How does the automation make a difference for the customer 片語搭配

自動化會為客戶帶來什麼不同，

that's going to be buying the F-150 Lightning?

特別是準備購買 F-150 Lightning 的客戶？

The automation doesn't get tired.

自動化設備不會疲累。

It'll do the same thing all day, every day, repeatedly.

它日復一日都能反覆完成相同的工作。

So they're getting a truck with tighter tolerances. 用詞

所以，客戶拿到的是一輛製造公差更小的卡車。

They're getting everything checked more carefully than they would have in the past. 文法

每個環節都比過去檢查得更仔細。

How would the workers on the floor embrace the new technologies and the automation? 用詞

第一線員工會如何接受新技術與自動化？

I think they love it.

我覺得他們很喜歡。

It makes their job easier.

這讓他們的工作更輕鬆。

In terms of big automation,

就大規模自動化而言，

people aren't doing really heavy lifting or really challenging tasks ergonomically anymore.

員工不必再搬運極為沉重的物品，也不用再做不符合人體工學的高難度工作。

Everything from the digital zone boards,

從數位區域看板、

the digital tablets,

數位平板，

from the workstation,

到工作站，

we're paperless and everything is more automated to where there's constant communication,

我們已實現無紙化，一切也更加自動化，各方可以持續溝通，

whether it's with MP&L organization, 文法

無論是與 MP&L 部門、

with the maintenance team,

維修團隊，

or even with their supervisor or process coach.

還是與他們的主管或流程指導員。

With all of these moving parts, 慣用語

面對這麼多同時運轉的環節，

factories of the future don't have seconds to spare. 慣用語

未來工廠分秒必爭。

To help build the F-150 Lightning,

為了協助生產 F-150 Lightning，

Ford and AT&T are outfitting the Rouge plant 片語搭配

福特與 AT&T 正在為 Rouge 工廠建置

with highly secure next-generation 5G cellular connectivity.

高度安全的次世代 5G 行動網路連線。

5G is incredibly important for the future of manufacturing

5G 對製造業的未來至關重要，

because as things start to happen a lot quicker,

因為隨著一切運作得越來越快，

you want to make sure you have the right technology that can keep up with your robots. 片語動詞

你必須確保擁有能跟上機器人速度的合適技術。

But also,

不僅如此，

it helps revitalize facilities

它還能讓設施重新煥發活力，

where you have existing older technology.

尤其是那些仍在使用老舊技術的設施。

Bringing in 5G can help offload some of your newer components to the factory 片語動詞

導入 5G 後，你可以在工廠部署一些較新的元件，

without making those incredibly difficult changes.

而不必進行那些極其困難的改造。

For your Greenfield facilities, 用詞

對於從零新建的廠房，

that gives you an opportunity to set up the most advanced technology and connectivity.

你便有機會建置最先進的技術與連線系統。

And nothing that you're doing in the factory can happen without connectivity.

而工廠裡的任何工作，都離不開網路連線。

The privacy aspect of a private 5G network is beautiful 文化背景

專用 5G 網路的隱私保障非常出色，

because any of the data that you generate within the four walls of your facility will stay there. 慣用語

因為你在廠區內產生的所有資料都會留在廠內。

Additionally,

此外，

any of the data that you collect from your robots on-site

你從現場機器人收集的所有資料

hits your server that's also on-site,

都會傳到同樣位於現場的伺服器，

allowing you to make decisions with that data in near-real-time. 講解

讓你能運用這些資料，近乎即時地做出決策。

This is uh our Flex Inspect system.

這就是，呃，我們的 Flex Inspect 系統。

We have a robot vision system on it that checks all those connections.

它配有機器人視覺系統，會檢查所有這些連接處。

And if it's anything that it doesn't like, 慣用語

只要發現任何異常，

it says, "Hey, double check this."

它就會說：「嘿，再檢查一下這裡。」

They'll do that.

工作人員就會再次檢查。

And what's really neat about it is 文法

它真正厲害的地方在於，

we have a lot of checking at the end of the line, 用詞

雖然我們會在生產線末端進行大量檢查，

but then it's a lot harder to fix after it's fully built.

但產品完全組裝好之後，修復起來就困難多了。

So we're pushing that technology upstream into the process at various points. 用詞

所以，我們正把這項技術往流程上游移，在生產過程的多個節點使用。

This blue and gray robot is a collaborative robot.

這台藍灰相間的機器人是一台協作型機器人。

It actually has a sensitive skin. 慣用語

它其實有一層靈敏的「皮膚」。

If I were to walk up to it and touch it while it's running, 文法

如果我在它運作時走上前觸碰它，

it would stop.

它就會停下來。

It knows I'm there and it won't hurt me.

它知道我在那裡，所以不會傷到我。

The way I think about a cobot versus an actual robot is 用詞

在我看來，協作型機器人與一般機器人的差別在於，

these are robots there to help humans.

這類機器人是來幫助人類的。

You want to make sure that you're keeping your workforce safe.

你必須確保員工的安全。

And repetitive jobs also cause the most injuries.

而重複性工作也最容易導致職業傷害。

But it will go into the bed of the truck. 用詞

不過，它會進入卡車貨斗。

It will push down on the box bolts

它會向下按壓貨斗螺栓，

with a certain percentage of the payload on the truck.

施加相當於卡車額定載重一定比例的力量。

Then the truck knows

接著卡車就會知道，

that this much displacement in my suspension is equal to this much weight. 文法

懸吊產生這麼大的位移，就等於承受了這麼多重量。

So it calibrates it for that specific truck. 片語搭配

這樣就能針對這輛特定的卡車完成校準。

As an employer,

身為雇主，

if you can move people from those redundant jobs into more thought-provoking jobs, 講解

如果能讓員工從那些重複性職位轉到更需要動腦的工作，

that's advantageous for you as a business.

這對企業是有利的。

And then lastly,

最後，

it really helps with the small movements that you need to make

它確實有助於完成所需的細微動作，

and making sure that you're supervising those activities properly

並確保你妥善監督這些操作，

and using the humans that you have in your facility

同時讓廠內的員工

in the best way possible.

以最佳方式發揮所長。

How is automation going to become part of Ford's long-term strategy?

自動化將如何成為福特長期策略的一部分？

I mean, 語氣意圖

我的意思是，

we're always looking for opportunities to improve safety, quality, or efficiency.

我們一直在尋找提升安全、品質或效率的機會。

And one opportunity for us is to leverage the product's technology 用詞

對我們而言，一個機會就是充分運用產品本身的技術，

and use that technology of the vehicle

運用車輛的這項技術，

and synthesize it with the technology in the plant and work in harmony. 講解

將它與工廠技術整合，讓兩者協調運作。

And as electric vehicles accelerate toward the American mainstream, 慣用語

隨著電動車加速進入美國主流市場，

this collaboration between highly skilled people and their automated tools

高技能人才與自動化工具之間的這種協作

is proving more powerful than ever. 文法

正展現出前所未有的強大力量。