Though it no longer builds vehicles in the South American country, Ford Brazil does sell many of them, and that same entity has become one of the automaker’s major engineering hubs as well. In fact, Ford Brazil has contributed quite a bit in terms of tech for the company’s recently revamped models, a trend that figures to continue. Now, Ford’s Development and Technology Center in Brazil has gained a new, fancy piece of equipment to aid in those efforts, too.
That equipment is an advanced static engineering simulator, which gives the site’s 1,500 engineers the ability to virtually test all sorts of vehicle components, including suspension parts, brakes, steering, and tires, all before they wind up on an actual production vehicle. The simulator features a nearly 15-foot screen with a 210-degree span, utilizes six different computers, and is one of three that Ford owns and operates around the world, joining similar units in the U.S. and Belgium.
“The new simulator allows you to test different vehicle parameters in a much faster, more economical and with great correlation. We can simulate clues from all over the world, and even weather conditions, such as wet floor or fog, for example, with a simple command,” said Ford Brazil engineer Jean Horcario. “It’s a tool that expands our ability to develop global projects.”
Ford has been using its U.S.-based simulator for a few years now, which it leaned on to aid in the development of vehicles including the Ford Maverick, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Ford F-150 Lightning. Additionally, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Championship (WRC) team has its own simulator provided by Ford Performance, which has helped driver Adrien Fourmaux hone his skills in a virtual setting, playing a big role in his success and also helping improve his Puma Rally1 racer through the 2024 season thus far.
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