Simulated Factory Offers Real Benefits for Louisville Assembly’s New Hires

Written By Cher Reynolds
May 24, 2023
Simulated Factory Click to Enlarge

While Louisville Assembly Plant is known as the home of the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair, trainees in one special area of the plant watch a miniature Model T make its way down a mock assembly line. This area is known as the simulated factory – housed in the training facility behind the main building – where newly hired UAW-Ford team members learn essential skills, practicing with the small, die-cast version of the famous Ford vehicle.  

Veteran plant employees know the space as “the sim lab,” which originally launched in 2011. The training lab spawned from a single-station concept developed by tool maker Jerry Cooley over a decade ago. Skilled trades and general utilities, as well as salary and hourly personnel, contributed to the project. The simulated factory’s launch was widely considered a success, and other Ford manufacturing plants have built similar training spaces at their sites to support newly hired employees as they acclimate to working on an assembly line. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Louisville Assembly had to temporarily shutter the sim lab. Training development leader Erica Nevitt joined Ford Motor Company in 2021, and the desire to reopen the small-scale assembly line as an orientation resource was placed on her radar. Finally, in March 2023, the pieces fell into place and the first class was brought back to the training center. 

"The training department is extremely grateful to have had so many people throughout various departments here at Louisville Assembly Plant that have supported us in this endeavor,” Nevitt says. “This truly was a team effort across the board."  

Going forward, each new class will split its time between classes led by UAW training coordinator Penny Rowe, practicing in the simulated factory, and shadowing experienced assembly line workers on the plant floor.  

“This is some of the new hires’ first job—they have never held a tool, much less worked in a factory. With the lab reopened, they learn how to properly hold and use the tools they will be working with every day,” Rowe explains. When the new employees finish training, she makes sure they have her phone number in case they have questions and want to reach out. 

The simulated factory is already training its second class of new hires since it reopened, and employees are appreciating the hands-on training experience.  

 

“The sim lab is a good resource for learning about the tools used on the job and offers a look into the fasteners we may face on the line,” said Justin Pettyjohn, newly hired trainee at LAP. Mark Murphy, another new hire in the training class with Pettyjohn, added that “It showed me how the tool is used to make sure the nuts and bolts are screwed in at the right torque.”

In the lab, trainers— Tim Cross, Rod Jones, Brian Rueve, and John Sweeney— guide the class through a curriculum that stresses the importance of safety, quality and process. Single point lessons on topics such as proper posture, understanding torque and avoiding chipping or scratching a vehicle’s paint are covered. Wall-mounted posters serve as reminders. 

Jones, a team leader on the door line, is proud to help the next generation of employees build confidence. “I think it is wonderful they decided to start this program back up. I believe it is very helpful for new hires to get the hands-on knowledge they need before they come on to the floor.” He also feels the program will have a positive effect on quality at the plant. 

Rueve, a quality leader in front sub in the Chassis department, added, “I believe it is beneficial to get a small sample size of what it is like in a factory setting. The new hires get to perform a task that needs to be completed in a certain amount of time”— something that will be expected of them as they become assemblers of the Escape and Corsair. 

Working safely, efficiently, and accurately is critical to assembly line operations. The training team sees exponential value in relaunching the lab and embraces UAW-Ford’s desire to help newly hired employees become skilled manufacturing team members. 

 

 

  • Click to Enlarge
    LAP Simulated Factory
1/2