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focuses on essential services, education, and more. We chose three key partners; one in education; another dedicated to workforce readiness, named Strawberry Fields; and the Torrington Drive Community Association( TDCA), a historic school-turned-community center. TDCA was built over 60 years ago and once provided food services and free school meals to children in an underserved area. Today, through the hard work of their team they can maximize the impact every donation to ensure it supports the community. We have helped them refurbish their aging building and sustain their social supermarket, where residents can shop for essentials at symbolic prices( like pennies per item) instead of relying on traditional food banks,” he emphasizes.
Similarly, with his origins as an apprentice in the automotive industry, training is very close to Lee’ s heart. We learn more about
ABB Robotics Powers EV Rotor Production at Ford’ s Halewood Plant
As part of Ford’ s electric vehicle transformation, ABB Robotics has played a key role in building the next generation of rotor assembly systems at Ford’ s Halewood plant in the UK.
The journey began in 2018, when Ford turned to ABB’ s R & D team to help develop new build methods for electric motor rotors— key components in EV drivetrains. This early collaboration with Ford’ s Product Development team laid the foundation for a long-term partnership. Together, ABB and Ford co-designed a flexible prototype cell, built at Ford’ s Advanced Propulsion Centre( ATNPC), which allowed engineers to test and refine rotor designs while shaping future manufacturing processes.
ABB’ s robotics expertise came into full play with the rollout of the MOD1 rotor assembly system at Halewood. The line currently includes six robotic work cells( with further expansion planned), each playing a critical role in the production process. From robot-guided magnet insertion into rotor cores, to transfer molding and precision pressing of components, ABB’ s automated systems bring consistency, speed, and quality to every rotor built.
ABB’ s automated rotor assembly system in action at Ford’ s Halewood plant, supporting the production of next-generation electric vehicle components.
The entire process— from magnet placement to final assembly— was developed with flexibility in mind, helping Ford adapt to evolving rotor designs and aggressive production timelines. ABB also integrated part traceability and quality verification throughout the line, ensuring each rotor meets Ford’ s high standards.
Despite challenges like COVID disruptions and global supply chain constraints, ABB delivered. The robotic OEM’ s engineering strength, problem-solving mindset, and deep collaboration with Ford’ s teams earned us additional rotor programs— not just at Halewood, but also in Vandyke( UK) and Irapuato( Mexico).
Today, ABB’ s automation is helping Ford scale up EV production with greater confidence, efficiency, and resilience— powering the electric future, one rotor at a time.
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