Local 387: WSP Fact Page

Woodhaven Stamping Plant Fact Page

  The Woodhaven Stamping Plant is located on a 409.5 acre site, 19 miles southwest of downtown Detroit at Interstate 75 and West Road. Construction began in August 1964 and in June 1965 (10 months later) the first major stamping, a Mustang quarter panel, was produced. Installation of the first 15 press lines was completed in 1965. Ten additional lines were placed in operation early in 1967. Additional lines were placed in operation for the 1986 model program. This added transfer presses rated at various capacities. The major presses have a rated capacity of 3,500 tons. Others are rated at 2,000, 1,500, 1,250, 1,000 and 800 tons. The 1996 truck program added the Schuler crossbar press which is rated at 6,000 tons.

  Major stampings produced at Woodhaven are door panels, hoods, fenders, truck bodysides, quarter panels, floor pans, bumper reinforcements, roofs and tailgates. Assembly operations further process stamped panels into complete doors, hoods, fenders, floor pans and reinforcing assemblies. Automatic press welders and C-frames perform the bulk of these assembly operations.

  Stampings from Woodhaven are shipped principally by rail to the Company's assembly plants where they are used in the construction of Ford®, Mustang, Continental, Lincoln, Mercury, F series and Ranger trucks. Three depressed railroad tracks -- one at the west side of the building, utilized for incoming steel, and two at the east side that support production outbound parts which run the full length of the building and can accommodate 30 freight cars at one time. Huge coils of rolled steel arrive by truck at the rate of 1,400 tons per day. The plant ships about 12,000 carloads of parts annually to between 16-24 Ford® assembly plants including Europe and South America.