Many assembly methods have never been mechanized or automated until recently. Automated operations in the differential and carrier assembly line recently installed at the Ford Motor Co. Sterling Plant are: automatic gaging for proper bearing preload; automatic check of pinion torque; automatic run-out and freeness of pinion and universal joint assembly; combination station to feed out the differential pinion shaft, press it into the case, feed and drive in the roll pin; automatic bolt inspection; automated bolt feed into case and run down to proper torque; and automatic removal of doweled bearing cap.
