Mustang Mach-E First Edition customers in the U.S. are getting a little extra surprise from their ponies, thanks to the team at the Ford Advanced Manufacturing Center.
Each Mustang Mach-E First Edition customer will receive a special collectible wireframe pony sculpture in the color corresponding to their vehicle’s paint job, created with the help of 3D printing.
The sculpture is based on the large-scale wireframe model of the pony featured at the global reveal of Mustang Mach-E in November 2019.
The wireframe pony sculptures are 3D-printed in white plastic in-house at the Ford Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford. They are then sent to a dye facility where they are dyed one of three colors – Rapid Red Metallic, Grabber Blue Metallic or Carbonized Gray – to correspond with available color choices for First Edition. Included is a baseplate with the vehicle’s VIN.
The collectible wireframe pony marks the first time Ford has issued a 3D-printed component as part of a gift directly to the customer – and it’s allowing additive manufacturing to establish a new-use case within the enterprise.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve 3D-printed a vehicle part, but this one is different,” said Harold Sears, technical leader for additive manufacturing. “It highlights a special connection with the customer and is really exciting because it showcases the potential to personalize. When you think additive manufacturing, you think of making parts, assembly fixtures or jigs to help build a vehicle, but this is another place where additive manufacturing can shine.”
SOURCE: Ford