“Smart screwdrivers” spot quality issues on the line at Ford plants.

Ford’s screwdriver with a brain - a direct-current tool that fastens nuts and bolts and stops the line if the job isn’t done properly.

Between 200 and 400 computerized direct-current (DC) electric hand tools, affectionately called “screwdrivers with brains” by Ford employees, were installed in each Ford assembly plant over the last several years as an investment in quality. These new hand tools are currently in use at all Ford assembly plants in North America. The last installation was made at Wayne Assembly Plant in time for the launch of the 2008 Ford Focus.

Where a “smart screwdriver” differs from traditional assembly line air-driven guns is in its ability to tell the operator if all of the nut bolts are screwed into the vehicle the right way and at the exactly the right torque. They also reduce workers’ strain, ensure the correct parts are picked and allow for constant monitoring during the build, preventing errors and ensuring “critical-to-quality” assembly process is completed with precision.

If a lug nut is missing, the assembly line is stopped. To get the line restarted, one of two things must happen, either the process must be completed accurately, or a quality concern is sent to the Quality Leadership System (QLS) where the problem will be flagged and resolved before the vehicle is released from the plant.