DEARBORN – Ford officials hope to shave hundreds of thousands of dollars off the cost of tooling up for future products using the latest in rapid prototype technology.

Most automakers already rely on systems such as stereo lithography to create low-cost models of parts and components. The technology blasts a laser in a vat of epoxy, forming highly detailed solid shapes. Newer, advanced systems can also produce prototype parts out of materials such as rubber, nylon, sand and even powdered metals. These can be used for in-vehicle testing under real-world conditions, noted Ford?s Tom Kloeb.

?As fast as you can change the (computer) data, we can change the part,? allowing engineers to rapidly test a variety of different components. The newest Ford prototyping system, developed in cooperation with MIT and the University of Texas, creates sand molds, ?much the same way your ink jet printer at home works with ink,? said Kloeb. As a result, ?we?re now looking at producing tools for hundreds of dollars, rather than hundreds of thousands.?

For the moment, the technology is being used for one-off prototype tooling, but Ford expects that an even more advanced system will allow rapid, low-cost development of tools for high-volume die castings.

Speaking of new technology, Ford will officially pull back the curtain on a pair of new crossovers at the upcoming Detroit auto show, the automaker has confirmed. The next-generation Lincoln Aviator and the new Ford Edge will be powered by an equally-new powertrain.

Barb Samardzich, vice president of powertrain operations, said Ford?s 3.5-liter V-6 will make 250 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. The all-aluminum engine will be mated to a new six-speed automatic expected to yield an average 7 percent better highway mileage than a comparable four-speed, according to Samardzich. While Ford officials wouldn?t discuss other plans for the powertrain package, insiders report the V-6 and six-speed will eventually show up in a wide range of products, including the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego.

The new 3.5-liter V-6 will immediately meet tough ULEV-II emissions standards, and be ?PZEV capable.? The engine also will be part of future Ford hybrid powertrains requiring the extra kick of a V-6.

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