LIVE at the NAMAD Conference in Miami, Ford Loses Kentucky Truck Plant, Gigapress Use Is Growing

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It’s Thursday and Paul and Kyle are live on the ground in Miami Florida for the annual NAMAD Members Meeting. We grab new president Perry Watson IV for a quick chat, then also talk about the latest strike target, as well as the growing use of gigapresses in manufacturing as other OEM’s take a page out of Tesla’s playbook.

Show Notes with links:

• “You just lost Kentucky Truck Plant”. Those were the final words of Wednesday night's negotiation meeting between UAW and Ford negotiating teams which included UAW President Shawn Fein. 
  • According to those close to the matter, the UAW informed Ford that they wanted to see a new counter offer by Ford on economics by 5pm. When they met and Ford didn’t have an updated offer, Fein stood up and said, “If this is all you have for us, our members’ lives and my handshake are worth more than this. This just cost you the Kentucky Truck Plant.”
  • Ford labeled the union's decision as "grossly irresponsible" and mentioned they had already provided an "outstanding offer". The company also indicated that the strike would jeopardize many other jobs and facilities.
  • Ford's Super Duty truck line holds immense significance for the company. The vehicle line alone generates more revenue than major corporations like Southwest Airlines, Marriott International, and Nordstrom did in 2021. It also accounts for over half of the market in commercial segments, including utility, mining, construction, and emergency response vehicles.
  • With the addition of this plant, there are now over 34k workers on strike
    
    
    
• Italian aluminum casting machine maker, IDRA, known for supplying Tesla's innovative 'gigapresses', has expanded its customer base to include Ford and Hyundai. As carmakers increasingly explore this advanced manufacturing technique, IDRA is also nearing a significant deal with a premium European automaker, signaling a shift in vehicle production methods.
  • Gigapresses create larger vehicle parts, streamlining production by reducing assembly steps. This enhances efficiency, cuts labor costs, and potentially improves structural integrity by minimizing joints and seams.
  • A 'gigapress 6,100' with Ford's branding and IDRA's largest press, the 9,000, are being tested, with the latter set to be shipped to Hyundai for R&D.
  • IDRA has already shipped 14 presses to Tesla, including two 9,000 ones for Tesla's large cybertruck production at its Austin plant, Texas, according to sources and posts by Tesla on social media.
  • Six gigapresses are now emerging as the standard for an annual production of 500,000 vehicles, one source added.
• ASOTU’s coverage of NAMAD is brought to you by TrueCar

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