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Ford Dagenham Plant Deploys Drones for Rapid, Safe Maintenance Inspections

Ford Dagenham Plant Deploys Drones for Rapid, Safe Maintenance Inspections

Ford's Dagenham Engine Plant in the United Kingdom is now leveraging drone‑mounted cameras to perform high‑reach maintenance inspections safely and efficiently.

Traditionally, technicians relied on extendable platforms and scaffolding to inspect the 131‑foot‑long gantries that support the plant's heavy machinery. A single inspection area could take up to 12 hours.

With drones fitted with GoPro cameras, staff can complete the same inspection in just 12 minutes. The entire plant can be covered in a day, targeting hard‑to‑reach roof sections and pipework while ensuring compliance with stringent safety standards.

“We joked about having a robot do the work when we had a light‑bulb moment – use drones instead,” said Pat Manning, machining manager at Dagenham. “We used to scale heights of up to 50 meters to check the roof and machining areas. Now we can cover the entire plant in one day and without the risk of team members working at dangerous heights.”

The time saved allows the Dagenham team to perform inspections more frequently without shutting down operations to build scaffolding.

Ford is also using drones to inspect pipework, locate air leaks, and monitor machinery, and is evaluating the technology for other facilities worldwide.

For more information, visit www.ford.com.

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