VC Visteon Corporation

Visteon's Collaboration and Technical Capability Are Foundation for New Ford F-150 DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Visteon Corporation worked closely with its largest customer, Ford Motor Co., to design, engineer and validate features that mean the most to consumers. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001201/DEF008LOGO ) The all-new Ford F-150 is designed and engineered to be "Ford Tough" with the comforts of home. Visteon and Ford engineers worked together to redesign this signature truck so it rides, sounds and handles as its drivers think it should. Visteon's contributions can be seen, felt and heard from the instrument panel to the steering and climate systems, and from the audiophile sound system to the solid chassis that defines the truck's character. The technical and marketing collaboration involved the entire supply chain. Visteon worked with the automaker and managed more than 100 suppliers in the process of designing and engineering various features and functions of this truck. "We are pleased to have played a key role in the development of the all-new Ford F-150," says Peter J. Pestillo, Visteon's chairman and CEO. "Improving truck noise, vibration and harshness and durability are a key part of our heritage. We believe in working closely with our customers, applying our expertise and remaining focused to help make them successful." The launch started with market research to better understand what truck owners wanted in their vehicle. Research showed consumers wanted the traditional workhorse capability that would express the owner's individuality. More specifically, consumers wanted space, comfort, features and versatility. To Visteon, this meant high-quality audio, durability, engine control systems and comfort features from the temperature to the ride, style and craftsmanship. The Visteon team's system expertise was applied to lead the development of the steering and the climate systems, and Visteon worked to support Ford engineers as the F-150 moved through development in just 36 months. This rapid development was the result of collaboration and state-of-the-art engineering, testing and design tools. The audio system The audiophile sound system in the F-150 was designed and enhanced in Visteon's sound management laboratory in Dearborn, Mich., USA. Visteon has three comprehensive sound management laboratories -- one in Europe, one in Asia Pacific and one in North America. All of these labs are committed to serving customers in the design of quality audio systems. The labs apply proprietary algorithms that equalize the audio system and identify the optimum locations for speakers. This design work also includes speaker design and interior material recommendations. In short, Visteon's sound management engineers ensure the audio system performs to specific levels, given the materials and design of the interior. The J.D. Power audio quality study ranks Visteon highest in audio quality. Visteon's factory-installed AM/FM/single CD player systems demonstrated the fewest reported problems among those evaluated in J.D. Power's survey. Ride and handling Consumers consider vehicle ride and handling as important factors in their purchase decision. A key contributor to consumers' perception of performance is the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The PCM directs solenoids to alter the oil flow in the hydraulic cam timing mechanism, which rotates the camshafts in relation to their drive sprockets. The unit can shift between fully advanced and fully retarded in milliseconds. The result is enhanced efficiency under low-load conditions, such as at idle or highway cruising, and increased power for brisk acceleration or times of high demand. The ability to control valve timing, as well as spark timing, allowed Ford engineers to design a combustion chamber with a higher compression level than in the two-valve V-8 engines while still using regular gasoline octane levels. A higher compression ratio produces greater efficiency, delivering more power and improved combustion efficiency. Other features It's attention to detail that attracts customers -- from the new rack-and- pinion steering system that uses a forged steel rack to deliver durability and strength to the new electric actuated heating and air conditioning system with a high-efficiency blower motor. This system has refined how comfort is delivered in the vehicle. The climate system of the new F-150 improves air flow, heater and defrost performance while reducing the system's operational power requirement. While exterior styling is key to drawing consumers to a vehicle, in the end, the actual purchase decision is often based on how it looks and feels, the features offered and interior functionality. Visteon's overall vehicle knowledge and integration expertise deliver interior harmony, style and craftsmanship. The durable hard instrument panel manufactured at Visteon's Saline Plant in Saline, Mich., USA, plays an important role in serving as the interface between the electronics and climate systems and the driver. The portable dynamometer Visteon's vehicle knowledge and its one-of-a-kind, self-contained mobile dynamometer confirmed the targets for minimizing noise, vibration and harshness were met. The Ford launch team asked Visteon to work on-site as the first production prototypes were built at Ford's Norfolk Assembly Plant in Norfolk, Va., USA. The engineers were able to evaluate axle whine and driveline vibration to identify vehicle and component resonance, system balance and performance. Visteon's mobile facility tested the full vehicle without modifications to the truck, using non-intrusive laser balancing technology. Visteon's portable full-vehicle dynamometer "fingerprinted" the F-150 at speeds ranging from 20 to 90 mph in as little as 20 minutes. The dynamometer also can do performance horsepower measurement, two-plane system balancing, cruise speed evaluations and subjective ratings in less than one hour. In addition, the portable dynamometer can perform data archiving for future vehicle comparisons and benchmarking of vehicle drivelines and powertrains. "We are committed to leveraging our engineering resources across our product portfolio," says John Kill, Visteon's vice president of Product Development. "Adding value means having the expertise to help our customers achieve their goals. Visteon's engineering expertise can optimize systems and components." Visteon Corporation is a leading full-service supplier that delivers consumer-driven technology solutions to automotive manufacturers worldwide and through multiple channels within the global automotive aftermarket. Visteon has 75,000 employees and a global delivery system of more than 180 technical, manufacturing, sales and service facilities located in 25 countries. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001201/DEF008LOGO DATASOURCE: Visteon Corporation CONTACT: Robin Pannecouk, +1-313-755-9121, or Jim Fisher, +1-313-755-0635, both of Visteon Corporation Web site: http://www.visteon.com/

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