The Ford Engine Plant in Struandale has achieved three important milestones in the build-up to the launch of the Puma engine programme, comprising the building of an entirely new assembly hall (seen below), the comprehensive revamp of existing facilities and the opening of a new Training Centre.

Following the official ground-breaking in October last year, the Struandale facility has been a hive of activity as the construction of the new Puma assembly hall commenced alongside the existing RoCam assembly hall, covering a total area of 1 750 m2. Construction was completed in the middle of June. All three plants have been totally revamped, with the existing production and assembly lines for the current RoCam engine, and components for RoCam, having been optimised and consolidated by an average of 50%. Despite covering less floor area, greater efficiency and output levels have been achieved.
More than 100 new and refurbished component manufacturing machines are being imported for the Puma programme - the first of which arrived in Port Elizabeth on 24 March, and are currently being installed within the new and upgraded facilities. This will install annual capacity at the Engine Plant for 220 000 machined component sets, of which 75 000 will be used for engine assembly for the Silverton assembly plant, and the balance will be exported.
The manufacture of machining components (head, crank and block) for export markets and engine assembly begin in early 2011 for the new compact pick-up truck to be produced at Ford's Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria.
A new Training Centre has been opened to provide the highest levels of technical proficiency amongst current employees allocated to the Puma programme, as well as new staff contracted for the project. The facility boasts three specialist technicians that will provide training in the fields of pneumatics, hydraulics, electrical and engine assembly. 
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[129761 jpg] The newly-built Puma assembly hall.